High School Football - 9/7

[Rob4bama]

1.

2.

This is probably my favorite because you can see where the grass was flung off the ball as he threw it.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Any feedback [positive or negative] is appreciated. I still find football to be tough to shoot. I'd take any advice you have on improving my shots. Also, I'm not sure if I should have used the Topaz DeNoise (A photoshop plugin) on these. It may be too strong and give the pictures a plastic look. Thanks!

 

[jamesbjenkins]

Nice set, OP. My CC can be taken with a grain of salt, since my experience shooting sports is limited to several freelance assignments I've had published in my local paper.

That said, in reference to the sport elements, unless is an action shot (like a close up of a running back bursting through a hole) that is accented by some kind of tilt, IMO the horizon should be straight. In #2 and #4, I wish you'd left more room under his feet to give context and have it not feel so cramped.

In a general photographic context, your colors look really flat. I see in your EXIF that these were all shot on auto WB. Since you're not using a flash, a custom WB using a gray card or a tool like the Expodisc would help you quite a bit.

Also, either get yourself a better spot to stand next time, or consider purchasing a teleconverter. Many times, especially in football, 200mm just isn't enough reach. I know you're shooting a crop-sensor 60D, so a TC might be a bit slower focusing, so that might counter the benefit of the extra reach. It would likely be a trade-off you'd have to consider.

Hope that helps!

 

[imagemaker46]

Football isn't an easy to sport to shoot if you don't understand the game, like any other sport. Much of your best shots are a split second after the ball is snapped. Watch all the movement that goes on before hand, watch the game clock and how many yards are needed for a first down, generally first down is a running play, depending on the success or failure of that play the next could be pass or run, if that fails, third down is usually a passing play. You can shoot football with pretty much any lens, like everything else though, the shorter the lens the longer you have to wait for the action to come to you. You are on the action for the most part but the execution of the images is late. I like the shot of the player with the water bottle, when you are shooting with a short lens and you can het access to the bench area, shoot there.

If you don't watch football, try watching a pro game on TV, but watch the players, how they turn, where they look, how they line up and see the game. Don't over think what you are doing, pick a player to shoot and concentrate on that player.

I've been shooting pro football since 1969 and also still play the game, I find it very easy to shoot, but I also understand everything about the game and all the positions. Keep at it, the pictures will happen.

 

[Rob4bama]

I appreciate the comments. I guess my white balance consists of "does it look right to me". I adjust the raw pics but I need to start using my grey card.

I'm a big football fan and understand the game, but I guess I haven't thought about it from a photographer's point of view. I'll try to work on my timing and anticipation a little more. Thanks for the comments!

Here are a couple more:

 

[MLeeK]

What camera and lens are you shooting with for these? And your settings?
What version of Photoshop are you using?

 

[Rob4bama]

Canon 60d
Sigma 70-200

All were shot at f2.8, 1/500
ISO 2500 - 3200

I use CS5. I used a plugin called Topaz Labs - DeNoise.

 

[GraceNFaith]

I'm by no means an expert on photographing football, but I like to think I am a sponge and learn from others. Technically your photos look clear with a minimal amount of motion blur and the colors on most of them are really good. With that said, a lot of your images I wouldn't consider strong, meaning they don't stand on their own and/or tell a story. Some in part to composition and some in part to distracting elements in the photo whether it be players or background. When you look at a photo and decide if it's a keeper or not, ask yourself 'what in this makes it compelling?' When you do compose your picture, try to get all the limbs of the player in focus. The bottom 2 photos for example have a foot or knees 'cut off' and it seems unnatural and takes away from the impact of the photo. A ball in the photo always helps imo unless you're shooting interior lineman or some defensive players. Also try to get shots where you're facing the player. For example, in #9, I would have focused on the player catching the pass or the defender if he attempted to bat the ball and not on the QB as his back is to the camera. The biggest thing in my opinion and also the hardest is cropping. When taking sports photography the general rule is shoot tight and crop tighter. All of your images aside from #3 are in need of cropping. Generally when you do crop, you want to take as much of the distracting elements (and elements that don't add to the photo) and focus on the subject that will elevate your photo. A lot of times when you crop a photo that's not shot tight in the first place, the subject comes out soft. That's why it's important to get a lens with enough reach to be able crop properly. I assume you are using a 70-200mm, which a great lens btw, but you are probably going to have to travel up and down the sidelines when the ball is in-between 30's to get in tight. Day games, a teleconverter would give you that extra reach and highly recommended if you're on a budget. The drawback to using a 1.4x teleconverter is that it closes your aperture by 1-stop (2-stops if it's 2x) and that will take your 2.8 and make it a 4 which isn't great for low light and night games. So I would recommend at least a 300mm 2.8 if funds aren't a problem. Then get a second body for the 70-200mm for the closer shots. I like to shoot as low to the ground as possible as it makes the players seem bigger. If you do I would recommend getting knee pads of some sort but not necessary if your knees can handle it. Hope that helped a little.

 

[Rob4bama]

Grace - Those comments are very helpful. Thank you. Cutting off body parts bothers me, but they are moving fast so I gotta be faster with the camera. I'm about maxed out on my budget. I'm just a teacher trying to get shots of my students. The 300mm is outta the question.....for right now Thanks!

 

[jamesbjenkins]

I appreciate the comments. I guess my white balance consists of "does it look right to me". I adjust the raw pics but I need to start using my grey card.

I'm a big football fan and understand the game, but I guess I haven't thought about it from a photographer's point of view. I'll try to work on my timing and anticipation a little more. Thanks for the comments!

Here are a couple more:

The color on these second ones looks a LOT better. If you get in the habit of using that grey card (and if it's light out when you start shooting, obviously use the grey card multiple times as the ambient light changes), you'll save a lot of time in post.

 

[MLeeK]

Canon 60d
Sigma 70-200

All were shot at f2.8, 1/500
ISO 2500 - 3200

I use CS5. I used a plugin called Topaz Labs - DeNoise.

Use the noise removal in Adobe Camera Raw to remove noise. You have good equipment, but you aren't utilizing something right. You should have great tack sharp images from that combination. Were these underexposed? I know under the lights even on my good football field I am shooting at 12800 ISO. Raising your exposure in post to try to use a lower ISO is a HUGE mistake. You are better off raising your ISO and reducing your exposure in post. You'll create more noise by underexposing.

ACR's noise removal in CS5 is excellent. On the details tab make sure your image is at 100% when you view.

I also should add that I do not shoot at f/2.8 if at all possible. I will raise my ISO to 12800 in order to remain away from wide open. Your lens is not at it's best at 2.8. I TRY to remain at about f/4 or above, but on some fields I have to be at 3.5.
I use a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS with a Canon 7D. Not much different than your setup at all.

 

[Rob4bama]

On the sharpness issues, I see what you're saying. I'm not trying to blame my lens but its an older sigma 70-200 that doesn't have OS. Also, I'm hand holding the camera. Also, I have a UV-filter on at all times. I thought if I was shoot at a high enough shutter speed, OS and hand holding wouldn't be an issue. Would any of these factors contribute to the lack of sharpness? Or do you think its something I'm doing in PP. Again, I'm a new guy and appreciate any feedback. These are of our high school, but another school was asking me to take pictures for them. I told them not to expect a whole lot but I want to improve in the next three games I have left for them.

 

[GraceNFaith]

On the sharpness issues, I see what you're saying. I'm not trying to blame my lens but its an older sigma 70-200 that doesn't have OS. Also, I'm hand holding the camera. Also, I have a UV-filter on at all times. I thought if I was shoot at a high enough shutter speed, OS and hand holding wouldn't be an issue. Would any of these factors contribute to the lack of sharpness? Or do you think its something I'm doing in PP. Again, I'm a new guy and appreciate any feedback. These are of our high school, but another school was asking me to take pictures for them. I told them not to expect a whole lot but I want to improve in the next three games I have left for them.

Yes hand holding could be an issue. But first are you using AI Servo to continuously track the subject? If not, that could be a issue. When you hold the lens, are you holding the focus ring on occasion? I'm not too familiar with where the focus ring is on a Sigma 70-200 but if it's in a spot where you would naturally hold that could be another issue. There are inexpensive monopods out there that can help with stability even at higher shutter speeds as well as enabling you to track your subject easier. Plus your arm won't get a workout every game. It could also just be a result of your 'older' lens needing a tune up.

 

[Tony S]

Looks like you are learning a lot as you go along here. I don't think not having OS is affecting your images if you are shooting at the shutter speeds you listed, that should be enough to slow most camera movement. If you can, keep your ISO up high and try to at least close the lens down to 3.2, this minor change can make a huge difference in sharpness from shooting wide open all the time.
Take some time in your post work to crop the images, when cropping try not to bullseye the subject right in the middle of the frame. It gives the players somewhere to run to or look too and removes dead space that adds nothing to the image.

Keep at it, as you go along you will remember all the tips folks give you and keep them in the back of your mind as you shoot.