First attempt at football photos

[EW1066]

First attempt at football. Nikon D-80 with OPTEKA 600-1200 lens. Yea I know I need better glass but I'm not currently in a position to drop a bunch of cash on a lens. So it's manual focus for me. My vision isn't what it used to be which I think explains some of the soft focus.....oh yea and cheap glass. Looking for comments on composition and cropping and general quality of the action captured.

These were shot from the track outside the endzone. Most of the action was at the other end of the field. The lense was at 600mm the only control I had over the light was ISO and Shutter.

#1

DSC_0249 by EW1066, on Flickr


#2

DSC_0232 by EW1066, on Flickr

#3

DSC_0319 by EW1066, on Flickr

#4

DSC_0331 by EW1066, on Flickr
#5


DSC_0336 by EW1066, on Flickr


Thanks for looking.

EDUB

 

[Ulriksen]

Make sure you have a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action (seems like you nailed it on most of them). I think you are on to something here with the tight crop of the players! Good job!

 

[imagemaker46]

Action is great, a couple look a little soft and flat. Looks like it was bring sunlight, you should have been able to use a shutter speed fast enough to stop everything. I think you did a really good job with these.

 

[MLeeK]

I think you did a fantastic job with that lens!!!

 

[EW1066]

Thank you all for the feedback. Here are some more for C&C. Please point out anything that I have not already identified as a known issue.

#1

DSC_0253 by EW1066, on Flickr

#2

DSC_0225 by EW1066, on Flickr

#3

DSC_0258 by EW1066, on Flickr

#4

DSC_0234 by EW1066, on Flickr

#5

DSC_0115 by EW1066, on Flickr

Once again thanks for looking and any feedback you may have.

EDUB

 

[GraceNFaith]

I understand interceptions and pick 6's happen and the action goes away from you (if that is what happened), but ideally in 1 and 2 you don't want the focus to be someone's back. But sometimes it's better to get something then not at all. I do like the 'dive' there though. The 'backside' extra point I would probably not take. The kicker is lost amidst the linemen and it's all a bit too distracting. 3 and 5, you want to try and catch 'peak' action. I'm not sure I understand what's going on in the pictures. They should 'tell a story' without captions ideally. If the person has to guess as to what is going on, it doesn't lend to a strong photo. 4 is also a bit distracting in 'do you want me to focus on the qb turning to hand off or the linemen battle behind him?' If it's the former, position yourself to the side or downfield a bit to get a better isolation shot. If it's the latter, wait til the qb clears or position yourself to a point where other players won't wander into the frame. Hope to see more after this weekend. :thumbup:

Tim

 

[EW1066]

Thanks for the feed back GraceNFaith. I'm looking forward to getting more shots this evening. This is our freshman football team and todays game is away. Not positive yet if I want to make the trip to..... somewhere in Houston. Weather will be questionable this afternoon and I don't want to get caught in the rain sitting in bleachers.

As for this batch, I was shooting from a stationary position on the track behind one end zone. This was my first attempt to take shots and I was not sure how much freedom of movement I could take for granted. I was allowed onto the track by the ISD police. I had no clearance from the coaching staff. That's why all of the shots are going away from or coming straight at me. My intentions is to give copies of these pics to the coaching staff in an attempt to gain greater access. I will see what I can do from the bleachers if I go tonight. I'll take the monopod and a smaller lens as well .....just in case I can get the coaches to let me on the sidelines.

EDUB

 

[GraceNFaith]

If you do go, make sure you take 'baggies' and rain gear for your equipment just in case. Make a small opening in the bag, stick the lens out just past the lens hood , and attach it with gaffers tape. Not sure how much rain we are going to get tonight here in Houston but it's 50-60% chance all the way to Sunday. I'm debating if I want to go out this weekend. We'll see

 

[MLeeK]

I understand interceptions and pick 6's happen and the action goes away from you (if that is what happened), but ideally in 1 and 2 you don't want the focus to be someone's back. But sometimes it's better to get something then not at all. I do like the 'dive' there though. The 'backside' extra point I would probably not take. The kicker is lost amidst the linemen and it's all a bit too distracting. 3 and 5, you want to try and catch 'peak' action. I'm not sure I understand what's going on in the pictures. They should 'tell a story' without captions ideally. If the person has to guess as to what is going on, it doesn't lend to a strong photo. 4 is also a bit distracting in 'do you want me to focus on the qb turning to hand off or the linemen battle behind him?' If it's the former, position yourself to the side or downfield a bit to get a better isolation shot. If it's the latter, wait til the qb clears or position yourself to a point where other players won't wander into the frame. Hope to see more after this weekend. :thumbup:

Tim

He's very right, however part of what you shoot will be these shots. It's the nature of the game and you can't be everywhere at once. So make those shots tell the most story you can make them tell.
LOOK for the money shots. Those are the ones showing emotion, action, faces. Some money shots will be a back-catching an interception. It's even better if you get it from the front, but the back will sell too. As they come out of the formation and the qb is passing off the ball or stepping back for a long pass is always a money shot. The qb looking left and right before the ball is snapped. If you shoot for one team that you are on the sidelines with learn the plays and hand signals so you know who the ball will be going to and where. That allows you to follow #37 to get him catching the pass... KWIM?
You will also shoot far less as you go than you are right now. I used to shoot about 500 frames a game. I am running about 200 now and of those 200 I am probably selling something on 100 of them now. It's taken me probably 5 years to get there with football-it'll happen. I am lucky in that my teams from youth to varsity are all using the same coaching and plays. I have to know 3 different coaching systems/playbooks or the basics of them, but after this many years it's pretty easy and just sounds worse than it is.
You also need to get to know what parents and players images will be sold and look for them. I know I have one parent that will purchase every single image I take of their kid. I shoot a LOT of him!

 

[EW1066]

Would these be considered "money shots"? I'm curious as to what would be appealing to parents and coaches, also maybe a local small town news paper

#1

DSC_0308 by EW1066, on Flickr

#2

DSC_0306 by EW1066, on Flickr

#3

DSC_0305 by EW1066, on Flickr

#4

DSC_0337 by EW1066, on Flickr

#5

DSC_0330 by EW1066, on Flickr

#6

DSC_0249 by EW1066, on Flickr

#7

DSC_0146 by EW1066, on Flickr

Thanks again folks. I am really enjoying the feed back and critique.

EDUB

 

[MLeeK]

Yes, You need to get some fill in there for light. They are really underexposed on the faces/fronts of the players in most of those.

 

[EW1066]

When you say fill, do you mean in post? The sun was low in the west (camera left) when these were shot. Obviously with a 600 mm lens flash is not possible. Is it acceptable to use flash when shooting with less lens from the sideline? I had assumed that flash photography would be detrimental to player vision and therefore would not be allowed.

Thanks again for all the info...keep it coming........



EDUB

 

[MLeeK]

Flash photography isn't going to work here for the most part and is kind of useless to try.
Expose for the players, not the sky or sun. If you need to increase them in post, you need to increase.
For example these are shot in the harsh, full light of day

I always shoot raw, but especially in a bad light situation so that I have the extra data in shadows and highlights to use.
Expose to the point JUST before you'd have an unacceptable blow out. In this case I'd have pushed until the yellows and skin tones were just the right side of the blow out warning.
White jerseys usually hit the blow out warning A LITTLE. the highlight warning warns you when you have blown ONE or more color channels. Blowing colors in SOME of the whites is just fine-there's no color there. Just don't lose your wrinkles or details.

 

[EW1066]

Wow, those shots really POP.

Thanks for the advice. But I wont be able to put it to use until next week. I just looked at the radar and have decided not to chance it tonight. I may try to shoot Varsity tomorrow night (home game) if I can borrow a better lens from a friend of mine. I'm not sure I can do much with an f8 600mm lens under the lights. f5.6 200 may not be much better. So I will have to try to borrow better glass.

Thanks again

EDUB

 

[GraceNFaith]

I'm not sure I can do much with an f8 600mm lens under the lights. f5.6 200 may not be much better. So I will have to try to borrow better glass.

Yeah you're right. f8 will definitely not cut it under the lights. With the 5.6 you're still probably not going to be able to get any usable action shots. Borrowing some better, faster glass will help you. It's raining pretty hard where I am right now. It's probably a good idea you're not coming down to Houston today