USF Women's Basketball

[FearNothing321]

Here are a few of my recent shots

1

Passing the rock by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

2


Watching the ball by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

3


Driving up the court by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

4


Shooting a 3 pointer by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

5


Making a layup by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

6


Driving through the defense by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

7


Breaking through the defense by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

8

Posting up by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

C & C please

 

[MLeeK]

You did a great job of capturing the emotion part of it. That is the key in sports photography!
They are soft/shutter too slow/missed focus, flat and under exposed. The grain is VERY evident at this size which means at full size it's really prominent. A little bit of noise removal and post sharpening in raw would definitely help a bit here.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

^^^^^^ all that of course and may I add "light those folks up a bit". =)

 

[The_Traveler]

You have really captured the essence of the game with terrific shots but the shots are too flat and too dark, imo.
My guess is that you are shooting with a slow lens and your equipment is betraying you.
These shots with a faster lens - thus sharper and with shorter DOF - would give you better sharpness and isolate the players from the background.
Try to borrow, rent or steal a long fast lens and you will see how your shots will look better.
It's not coincidence that you see sportshooters with f2 or f2.8 long lenses.

 

[FearNothing321]

You have really captured the essence of the game with terrific shots but the shots are too flat and too dark, imo.
My guess is that you are shooting with a slow lens and your equipment is betraying you.
These shots with a faster lens - thus sharper and with shorter DOF - would give you better sharpness and isolate the players from the background.
Try to borrow, rent or steal a long fast lens and you will see how your shots will look better.
It's not coincidence that you see sportshooters with f2 or f2.8 long lenses.

I was using a Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRI and my 50 1.8

I think some of my issues come from my camera body as it doesn't do so well in low light areas, I did do some a little editing with the RAW image file

I was at ISO 1600 with shutter speeds a 1/250 with the 70-200 and 1/500 with the 50

 

[MLeeK]

You are at a shutter speed WAYYY to low for basketball. You'll not get a sharp image at 1/250. You MIGHT get lucky at 1/320.
You actually need to push your ISO higher. Yes, noise is an issue, but if you underexpose noise is a worse issue than if you SLIGHTLY over expose and reduce in post. I am shooting basketball at f/4 to get the sharpest image out of an f/2.8 lens, 1/400 for shutter speed and motion and ISO 12800.

 

[FearNothing321]

You are at a shutter speed WAYYY to low for basketball. You'll not get a sharp image at 1/250. You MIGHT get lucky at 1/320.
You actually need to push your ISO higher. Yes, noise is an issue, but if you underexpose noise is a worse issue than if you SLIGHTLY over expose and reduce in post. I am shooting basketball at f/4 to get the sharpest image out of an f/2.8 lens, 1/400 for shutter speed and motion and ISO 12800.

This photo was taken at ISO 3200 at 1/400 shutter speed, f/2.8. My Nikon body does not do so well in the higher ISO range. I mainly shoot for USF's newspaper so as long as the image is clear they can use it (what sucks is I have to turn in JPEG images to the paper itself, however I do shoot in RAW/JPEG for my personal use). I'm currently saving up for a Professional Nikon body (hopefully the D400 comes out soon.)


Breaking ankles by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

 

[MLeeK]

You are at a shutter speed WAYYY to low for basketball. You'll not get a sharp image at 1/250. You MIGHT get lucky at 1/320.
You actually need to push your ISO higher. Yes, noise is an issue, but if you underexpose noise is a worse issue than if you SLIGHTLY over expose and reduce in post. I am shooting basketball at f/4 to get the sharpest image out of an f/2.8 lens, 1/400 for shutter speed and motion and ISO 12800.

This photo was taken at ISO 3200 at 1/400 shutter speed, f/2.8. My Nikon body does not do so well in the higher ISO range. I mainly shoot for USF's newspaper so as long as the image is clear they can use it (what sucks is I have to turn in JPEG images to the paper itself, however I do shoot in RAW/JPEG for my personal use). I'm currently saving up for a Professional Nikon body (hopefully the D400 comes out soon.)


Breaking ankles by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

That one looks far better than the others!!!

 

[FearNothing321]

That one looks far better than the others!!!

I just don't feel comfortable using my camera at ISO above 1600. I have been lucky to shoot in a professional arena. I think my biggest hindrance has been my camera body.

(this was shot at ISO 800, shutter speed 1/1600 f/1.8)

Going to the hoop by Blue Moon Originals, on Flickr

 

[MLeeK]

What are you using for post processing? The noise removal in LR and Adobe Camera Raw CS5 are AMAZING.
If you practice and play with it you can definitely shoot above 1600 easily with your camera. It's not the greatest sensor ever, but it is capable with a little bit of knowledge and post processing noise removal.

When you are shooting at an "uncomfortable" ISO for you SLIGHTLY over expose it in camera. Turn on the highlight warnings and expose to the point JUST before you would have a blow out you can't accept. For example in the last one you posted you'd have the most extreme highlights in the white jersey JUST starting to flash as blowing.
In post processing you are going to do a few things especially for shooting at this high an ISO and over exposing:
1. set your black point. It will be higher than your normal black point is. Maybe as high as 5 or 6?
2. Use the noise removal. Probably about 30 for luminant noise and 20-25 for color noise. It might be a little more for your particular camera.
3. use a light touch of the clarity slider-because of the noise removal. Maybe +20?
4. Reduce exposure and increase brightness-this will help to keep your bright highlights in range while giving you the brighter exposure look you need.
5. increase contrast a bit.

Like I said, play with it! It's winter... stay inside your home and shoot some stupid stuff at HIGH ISO's and play around. You'll find you open up a whole new batch of possibilities!

 

[FearNothing321]

What are you using for post processing? The noise removal in LR and Adobe Camera Raw CS5 are AMAZING.
If you practice and play with it you can definitely shoot above 1600 easily with your camera. It's not the greatest sensor ever, but it is capable with a little bit of knowledge and post processing noise removal.

When you are shooting at an "uncomfortable" ISO for you SLIGHTLY over expose it in camera. Turn on the highlight warnings and expose to the point JUST before you would have a blow out you can't accept. For example in the last one you posted you'd have the most extreme highlights in the white jersey JUST starting to flash as blowing.
In post processing you are going to do a few things especially for shooting at this high an ISO and over exposing:
1. set your black point. It will be higher than your normal black point is. Maybe as high as 5 or 6?
2. Use the noise removal. Probably about 30 for luminant noise and 20-25 for color noise. It might be a little more for your particular camera.
3. use a light touch of the clarity slider-because of the noise removal. Maybe +20?
4. Reduce exposure and increase brightness-this will help to keep your bright highlights in range while giving you the brighter exposure look you need.
5. increase contrast a bit.

Like I said, play with it! It's winter... stay inside your home and shoot some stupid stuff at HIGH ISO's and play around. You'll find you open up a whole new batch of possibilities!

I'm using Photoshop Elements 9, I'll try and find some time and mess with my photos

The only issue I see in overexposing the image and editing it in post, is I have to turn in unedited JPEG photos to my newspaper and they do slight touch ups. I was told not to touch the photos myself and make them so they could print them in the paper

 

[MLeeK]

Ahhhhh... That SUCKS. I do no actual editing, but I shoot in raw and post process to the jpeg.