My idea of an indoor sports shoot!

[MonicaBH]

So I'm a huge dog nerd. I'm okay to admit that.

There's a very large dog show coming to my area at the end of March. It's a huge indoor venue; there are dogs everywhere competing in conformation, obedience, Rally, etc. I went in September, and from what I remember, it's decently lit with the florescent lights and there is some natural light (not much at all).

I'd like to photograph some of my friends' dogs as they compete, but I'm unsure how to go about it. I just got my Understanding Exposure book in the mail today, so I'll be reading up on that between now and then. My lenses are listed in my signature; I imagine I'll need to use the 55-200mm and/or the 70-300mm the most; I surmise I'll need a fast shutter speed with a medium to high ISO and a medium aperture? I do not have a flash nor a tripod at this point, and I don't expect to have either before then. If need be, I may be able to rent them; I may do that anyway since my little cousin's wedding is that weekend and I'd like to take some photos there also.

Any other insights you can give me would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[StevenW]

My guess is the venue is much darker than it looks. Human eyes are remarkable at adjusting for low light. Much more so than your camera. Yes, you're going to need high ISO, if the dogs are in agility or trials you'll also need fast shutter speeds. My guess also is the governing body may not allow flash. And 10:1 says you aren't going to be near enough to the action for a flash to benefit you much.

If you are considering rentals of any sort you might check into some faster lenses. Even at f2.8 your going to find the situation difficult at best.

Good luck in your endeavors
Steven

 

[MonicaBH]

Any other opinions or suggestions, please?

 

[FoggyLens]

Buy a tripod!

 

[MonicaBH]

Buy a tripod!

How would a tripod be beneficial in this situation?

 

[fsquare]

LOL buy a tripod. A tripod won't really help with action shots seeing as you need a fast shutter speed and flash won't be beneficial seeing as you won't be anywhere close to the action.

Invest in a fast prime lense....105mm F2, 85mm F1.4...of course the ones with some real length will cost you upwards of $5000

 

[kundalini]

A tripod will be cumbersome and just in the way. A monopod, on the other hand, can come in handy if you're using long lenses.

The venue will be much darker than you suspect. Expect to use a high ISO. Chances are the fluorescent or tungsten light will give you hell on white balance.

If it is a trial event, get in a vantage spot and anticipate where the dog will be at the height of a jump, or a turn, etc. The routine will be pretty routine.

I went to my first (and only) flyball competition a couple of years ago. I only got a few keepers because I didn't really know what to expect and I had never shot action before, certainly not on this level. Even with a 300mm lens, you won't be close enough.

Good luck.​

 

[Studio7Four]

I agree that the arena is probably darker than you think it is. If you previously went during the day, how long did it take for your eyes to adjust when you went back outside? And it's extremely unlikely you'll be close enough for a flash to help (I laugh when I see flashes going off from the stands at sporting events or concerts - all they're doing is wasting battery power). So with those considerations, renting a fast lens is your best bet. As you'll see from Understanding Exposure, you'll need to balance shutter speed, ISO, and aperture size to get a proper exposure. In low light you'll want to maximize the amount of light you're processing, which means high ISO, large aperture (small f/#), and long exposure time (slow shutter speed). If there is enough light so that you don't need to maximize all of these, you can cut back based on what you're trying to accomplish in the picture. For example, you might want to freeze the action, so you go to a faster shutter speed. On the other hand, you might find that the depth of focus at the wide-open aperture isn't enough, so you'll reduce your aperture and go back to a slower shutter speed. Without knowing the exact conditions we can't forecast what settings you'll need (and they might even change between events, or even what portion of the competition area you're shooting). But in order to maximize your potential (and give more leeway for other adjustments), rent a fast lens or two.

In some situations the tripod might help. Yes, you might be shooting at a quick enough shutter speed that hand shake will not be a factor. But if you decide that other factors are more important and you slow down your shutter, it may become a factor. You can also take some panning shots, in which case the tripod will help tremendously. As an alternative to a tripod you could consider a monopod (more maneuverable than a tripod, and since it takes up less room it's less likely to annoy other attendees). You could also make your own DIY stabilization device - all you need is a bolt, a flat washer, and some string. Get the right diameter bolt (I recommend a hex head) to fit the tripod socket on the bottom of your camera (I assume it's a 1/4-20 thread, but I didn't find confirmation of that glancing quickly through your manual). Tie one end of the string around the bolt (you can add a drop of glue to help keep it in place) and the other end of the string around the washer (you'll have to play around with the length to get it right). You screw the bolt into your camera body, drop the other end to the floor, and step on the washer. Once the length is right, by pulling up on the string until it's taut you've basically taken vertical shake out of the equation. And when you're not using it you can just bunch the string up and shove it in a pocket...much more convenient than lugging around a tripod or monopod.

 

[MonicaBH]

Thanks for the info. I guess, thinking back, that maybe the building was much darker than I thought. I was a ring steward last time so the only pictures I took were with my iPhone when I wasn't working.

I won't be watching any agility or flyball... mostly all leves of obedience and conformation. The upper OB classes will have jumps/retrieves, though... hmm. I was able to get very close to the ring every day I was there, so I'm not sure that I will have to whip out the 70-300mm.

How will a fast shutter speed affect a wide open aperture & a high(ish) ISO? I want to capture the dogs' gaits in the ring, so a slow shutter speed won't work... will it?

 

[mwcfarms]

A slow shutter speed will blur the dogs legs in movement. How close to the ring do you plan on being. Flash shouldn't be a problem, dogs are conditioned to ignore everyone but their handler. Clickers are going off, food as bait is flying around so I think that you could probably freeze the action best using flash.

 

[gsgary]

I'm sorry but with those lenses you won't have a hope in hells chance of any good shots, at 300mm you will need minimum s/s of 1/400, i have shots loads of indoor agility and even if it looks light it's not, i use a 300mmF2.8L and shoot at iso3200 and still struggle
Look even the dog is having a good laugh

 

[Robin Usagani]

i would set the ISO as high as you can. Dont expect to crop too much of the photos due to the noise. I rather have noisy photo than motion blurred subject. With the lens you have you pretty much have to open the aperture as big as possible. You may want to stick with one focal length because your lens doesnt have constant max aperture. It will really mess with your exposure if you zoom in and out.

 

[mwcfarms]

How far away were you gsgary for those. She said last time she had no problem getting ring side I thought. At ringside you should be able to get a decent shot with the 70- 300 and using flash to freeze the action to help with the low light issue. I used to show my golden retriever and I remember no specific rules regarding flash photography but each venue will be different. The best way is to go there and try. Whats the worst thing that could happen. You don't get any shots but you still get to enjoy the show. Im a dog show geek too.

 

[Robin Usagani]

if you want to freeze it with flash, the flash really needs to be close to the subject because you need to almost completely cut down all the ambiance light. I dont think it is possible.

 

[gsgary]

How far away were you gsgary for those. She said last time she had no problem getting ring side I thought. At ringside you should be able to get a decent shot with the 70- 300 and using flash to freeze the action to help with the low light issue. I used to show my golden retriever and I remember no specific rules regarding flash photography but each venue will be different. The best way is to go there and try. Whats the worst thing that could happen. You don't get any shots but you still get to enjoy the show. Im a dog show geek too.

I was ring side and no flash allowed, i set up a remote flash and remote camera at the finish and got a bollocking even though we were the official photographers