Suggestions for Golf Pictures?

[Wilsan]

I've been working on Pro Golf assignments few times, just be careful with the sound of the camera wait the Golfers hit the ball or use a very long lens golfers hate a sound before they hit the ball that actually can cost that the golfer request you been out of the golf course.

I hate golfing with people like that. I'm out there to have fun. I cant see how a shutter click is going to mess anyone up any more than a bird chirping.

I know I just only encounter this situation when are Pro Golfers like the PGA I've been working for them like in 4 assignments already it is nice but there are a lot of restrictions.

 

[12sndsgood]

i try to play at least once a week during the warmer months. we actually get a golf league at work every year and ive taken my camera out to get some shots. the sand shots are always fun. and then teeing off is great. and then just good shots of the course in spring when everything is in bloom.

 

[mike3767]

I'm an avid golfer and what I think would be a cool pic is being able to capture the ball right before it goes in the hole with the person who putted it in the background but blurred out. One other thing is, go to local courses around your area or look on the net, they will always have pictures on there scorecards and you can obtain ideas from them. If you can capture a morning with heavy dew, that's pretty sweet too!

 

[sobolik]

I'm an avid golfer and what I think would be a cool pic is being able to capture the ball right before it goes in the hole with the person who putted it in the background but blurred out. One other thing is, go to local courses around your area or look on the net, they will always have pictures on there scorecards and you can obtain ideas from them. If you can capture a morning with heavy dew, that's pretty sweet too!

" a morning with heavy dew"

The perfect opportunity to use "leading lines" in a photo. The trail in the dew left behind by the putted ball is the leading line.

In a addition a pitched shot that landed, bounced and the backed up from spin leaving the evidence in the dew would add life to an otherwise documentary photo of a ball near the hole.

 

[CapM]

Okay, I'm a very fresh noobie, but avid golfer. You've gotten some great suggestions. I agree with your subjects about having themselves in the pics. I am a decent golfer (9 handicap currently) and I hate to see my swing. We don't look as athletic as the pros for sure. We have taken hundreds of pics during golf trips, and the action shots are just not as natural as you might think! But I like Mike's idea about having the hole in focus but the golfer blurred.

I like your pic with the ball. I did one in Scotland, except mine had everything in focus that came out cool. Here's what that looked like:


Good luck. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[ajeyy]

Hello Fleetwood271, i'm continuing this thread because i do not want to start a new one and this is similar to what my concerns are.

I'm in the same boat as you. I've never played golf, I have never been to a real golf game before, and I don't know a lot about rules. I was asked by my company to take photos of our private golf event with our clients, which is coming up a couple days from now, just as souvenir for them. I'm an amateur photographer who shoots with a Rebel XS + 18-55mm kit lens. My job is to take group photos/t-off photos/reach-for-ball-in-hole photos lol/ and run to local print store and have prints ready for the goflers at the end of the day.

My questions are, would this be a good enough lens to take photos of the golfers from a distance in action? Would you recommend a certain lens for this type of photography?

Are photographers allowed to walk on the green just close enough not to get in the way of the ball to take photos? (i assume this will not matter if the golfers say its ok to)

Can we get some people to post some more inspiring photos? Your photos are great by the way, Fleetwood271.
Any tips & advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading.

 

[Ryan L]

Hmm seems a little demanding...tell then walmart print are craptasic. An 18-55....to get close enough for tee off...better watch the club cause you are going to be awfully close. Are you being paid for this, or is is just your company asking you to shoot some pictures for them. I think you may be in a little deeper than you want to be, but it will be a learning experience.

 

[ajeyy]

Hmm seems a little demanding...tell then walmart print are craptasic. An 18-55....to get close enough for tee off...better watch the club cause you are going to be awfully close. Are you being paid for this, or is is just your company asking you to shoot some pictures for them. I think you may be in a little deeper than you want to be, but it will be a learning experience.

No, I am not being paid to photograph, however the event runs during a weekday (normal work day) and i will be paid normal work rate. So you're saying 18-55mm is good enough. I think it should be. And what exactly do you mean by 'you may be in a little deeper than you want to be' ?
I know this will be an excellent opportunity for me to work on my shots and get some communication going with my subjects.

 

[gsgary]

Hmm seems a little demanding...tell then walmart print are craptasic. An 18-55....to get close enough for tee off...better watch the club cause you are going to be awfully close. Are you being paid for this, or is is just your company asking you to shoot some pictures for them. I think you may be in a little deeper than you want to be, but it will be a learning experience.

No, I am not being paid to photograph, however the event runs during a weekday (normal work day) and i will be paid normal work rate. So you're saying 18-55mm is good enough. I think it should be. And what exactly do you mean by 'you may be in a little deeper than you want to be' ?
I know this will be an excellent opportunity for me to work on my shots and get some communication going with my subjects.

using your 18-55 you could get your head knocked off, i would be using my 300F2.8L out of the way or i would be closer using off camera flash and making the sky dark for a dramatic shot

 

[gsgary]

Hmm seems a little demanding...tell then walmart print are craptasic. An 18-55....to get close enough for tee off...better watch the club cause you are going to be awfully close. Are you being paid for this, or is is just your company asking you to shoot some pictures for them. I think you may be in a little deeper than you want to be, but it will be a learning experience.

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No, I am not being paid to photograph, however the event runs during a weekday (normal work day) and i will be paid normal work rate. So you're saying 18-55mm is good enough. I think it should be. And what exactly do you mean by 'you may be in a little deeper than you want to be' ?<br>
I know this will be an excellent opportunity for me to work on my shots and get some communication going with my subjects.

using your 18-55 you could get your head knocked off, i would be using my 300F2.8L out of the way or i would be closer using off camera flash and making the sky dark for a dramatic shot

 

[ajeyy]

Hmm seems a little demanding...tell then walmart print are craptasic. An 18-55....to get close enough for tee off...better watch the club cause you are going to be awfully close. Are you being paid for this, or is is just your company asking you to shoot some pictures for them. I think you may be in a little deeper than you want to be, but it will be a learning experience.

No, I am not being paid to photograph, however the event runs during a weekday (normal work day) and i will be paid normal work rate. So you're saying 18-55mm is good enough. I think it should be. And what exactly do you mean by 'you may be in a little deeper than you want to be' ?
I know this will be an excellent opportunity for me to work on my shots and get some communication going with my subjects.

using your 18-55 you could get your head knocked off, i would be using my 300F2.8L out of the way or i would be closer using off camera flash and making the sky dark for a dramatic shot

Okay, thanks for that lol. I would rather keep my head on. I inquired about renting at my local camera store and i think i'm going to go with a 24-105mm (since its already on my wishlist i might as well try it out). They said they would charge $40/day

 

[Fleetwood271]

Hello Fleetwood271, i'm continuing this thread because i do not want to start a new one and this is similar to what my concerns are.

I'm in the same boat as you. I've never played golf, I have never been to a real golf game before, and I don't know a lot about rules. I was asked by my company to take photos of our private golf event with our clients, which is coming up a couple days from now, just as souvenir for them. I'm an amateur photographer who shoots with a Rebel XS + 18-55mm kit lens. My job is to take group photos/t-off photos/reach-for-ball-in-hole photos lol/ and run to local print store and have prints ready for the goflers at the end of the day.

My questions are, would this be a good enough lens to take photos of the golfers from a distance in action? Would you recommend a certain lens for this type of photography?

Are photographers allowed to walk on the green just close enough not to get in the way of the ball to take photos? (i assume this will not matter if the golfers say its ok to)

Can we get some people to post some more inspiring photos? Your photos are great by the way, Fleetwood271.
Any tips & advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading.

Hey, I was surprised to see this old post back up near the top.
The lens I used on those three shots at the beginning of this post was either a 18-105mm kit lens that came with my D90, or it might have been a 24-75mm Tamron. Either way, I don't think you want to use the 18-55mm. Like others have said, that's going to put you in harms way.
Since I posted this, I been back to the course several times and though I don't really think I have any great shots, I'm having a lot of fun. Also meeting a lot of new people. Have even picked up some business as people see me with the camera and ask if I'll do some portraits for them and/or their family.

But, back to lens, I've been using my 200-500mm Tamron also every time I go to the course now. The only exception is if I know I'm going to be lying on my stomach on a green no one is playing and working on getting a shot of the ball and hole, or ball and flag.

Good Luck!