When the little guys wrestle...

[Tony S]

Some shots to enjoy from a junior match, some of the little guys down into the 45# range.

Left foot blue... or which way is up?

I missed the moment on this one when the ref picked them both up at the same time and put them in the proper place, it was hilarious.

 

[polymoog]

Great shots, nice crisp, clear images How old are these kids, seems like they start wrestling pretty young!

 

[CMfromIL]

Awesome. Are you using any type of flash? Usually wrestling gyms are slightly more lit than dungeons.

 

[imagemaker46]

I like most of them, good action. The second one would have been a great shot if you had the referee in focus instead of the wrestlers, the eyes are drawn to him right away.

 

[Tony S]

Thanks for the looks and comments. These little guys were as young as 7 years old and it was surprising some of the actual skills some of them had gotten from some good coaching. The lighting for this was all gym lights out and one big spot light over the center mat. I added in a slave off camera flash at mat level off to the right at 1/2 power to balance the shadows with the over head spot, and the on camera master set 1/8 power for some fill.

Scott, I have to admit that on that one with the ref I blew the shot, I was focused on him but then the center focus point shifted just as I shot. For some reason I cannot get used to using back button focusing to keep the focus locked when using the AI Servo mode.

 

[MLeeK]

Yep, they do start them young. My son's in 8th grade and has been wrestling 10 years now (we held him back a year.) I miss those days when he was so little! They are so dang cute at that age!

Your shots are clean and clear. Your white balance seems REALLY REALLY warm (consistently!) and I am on a monitor that errors toward the cool/blue side terribly. This is probably nowhere near perfect-I'm not on a well calibrated monitor.

 

[imagemaker46]

Thanks for the looks and comments. These little guys were as young as 7 years old and it was surprising some of the actual skills some of them had gotten from some good coaching. The lighting for this was all gym lights out and one big spot light over the center mat. I added in a slave off camera flash at mat level off to the right at 1/2 power to balance the shadows with the over head spot, and the on camera master set 1/8 power for some fill.

Scott, I have to admit that on that one with the ref I blew the shot, I was focused on him but then the center focus point shifted just as I shot. For some reason I cannot get used to using back button focusing to keep the focus locked when using the AI Servo mode.

I could never get used to the back button so I never use it. Unfortunately that is one of the those things that happens with autofocus. Happens to everyone.

 

[jowensphoto]

So fun! My 4 and 8 y.o. nephews wrestle, I might have to check out one of their matches!

 

[Tony S]

MLeeK,

I tend to like the warmer tones, which in these wrestling shots are closer to what was visible to the eye giving realistic skin tones for the lighting. Your version went a bit far giving both the wrestlers very pasty skin tones with a cyan caste to them and the whites.

 

[sportsphotographer]

Figured you were in WA.. recognized ref in photo #2.

 

[Tony S]

He gets up that far north huh? Figured he stuck pretty much to the south end.

 

[sportsphotographer]

not sure if it was up there or down there.. seen him numerous times it seems.. he's always pleasant, but don't know him. Unless his name is Scott haha.. For sure saw him around on Feb. 18 in your stomping grounds.