Some of my favorite....

[DemonAstroth]

... chess pictures!

I have been working in chess events for about 7 years. However, just recently I have been assigned to take pictures.

I'm pretty much a beginner (I haven't had my first DSLR for a year), but I am really trying to get better.

These pictures are mostly taken with the 50mm 1.4, but some are taken with the 70-200 f/4 IS, and a couple others with the 28-135 IS

I would definitely appreciate any advice in patterns that you see these pictures may have wrong, as I know I will be taking many more of these kind of pictures.

1.

2.

3.

4. Lighting for this one, 5 and 6 was pretty horrible.

5.

6.

7. Not really a chess playing picture but funny nonetheless.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Certainly they aren't the best pictures out there, but I do try to improve each time. Composition is usually pretty tough, though having the 70-200 has helped with that somewhat. However, I really like the 1.4 in conditions were things are usually pretty dark, it just gets very difficult to get a nice focus.

CC very much appreciated.

If anyone's interested in the exif data, it's in the gallery:

DAstaroth : photos : Chess Favorites- powered by SmugMug

 

[Eldrich]

I really like the shot where you can see the chess board in the kids sunglasses! #11. The other one of him is okay too, but for some reason I like the first.

It seems to me the lighting in the indoor shots is very inconsistent, especially noticeable in 5 and 13. Perhaps I'm just seeing an artifact of the fact that they are all taken at different events with different lighting, but what do you do to control the lighting? Do you use a flash?

Other than that they're all nice sort of documenting the event type pictures, most taken from the same general angle, showing the chess board, and one of the players. You do manage to capture some great looks (esp. 2, 8, 10, and 12) but there could be a greater variety in composition, angles of view, close ups, versus wide shots of the whole room. When looking at so many pictures, its nice if there is good variety, of course you need a few of the shot types you have here, but its also nice to see some more extreme angles or views to keep it interesting.

 

[keybq]

3 an 11 are my favs

 

[KvnO]

As a chess player myself (and an occasional floor TD for scholastic events), I find number five to be amusing.

First-time parents don't always know that these events go on all day. It's even worse when they don't understand the game.

Depending on the tournament directors and rules of the event the lighting and composition are what they are. Certainly no flash. And, it's not usually possible to get down the aisles for closer/more dynamic (compositionally) shots (at least in the events I've participated in).