Flower Mound Girls Softball Game

[motocrossnut34]

This is my first attempt at shooting a softball game so go easy on me. I have shot a lot of outdoor motocross stuff but never a softball game. I thought the cool part in these shots was getting the ball in the shots. Let me know what you think. I am convinced that the Canon 300d is not capable of shooting shots that are not grainy in 800 ISO and even 400 ISO for that matter.
http://204.157.10.47/~scottvv/images/IMG_9056%20copy.jpg

I believe this would be considered a STRIKE
http://204.157.10.47/~scottvv/images/IMG_9082-1%20copy%20copy.jpg

http://204.157.10.47/~scottvv/images/IMG_9068%20copy.jpg

[zacker]

the strike shots great! Good job.

[tim1960]

Great shots of the game. I enjoy baseball and softball. I think you captured them well with the ball in the strike zone.

Don't know that I agree with your comments about the 30D and grainy shots. If your refering to these, I don't think they look noisy.

[warrior6901]

Good action shots. I get the best pictures of the pitcher by shooting through the chain link fence directly behind the catcher. You get all the expressions and the action is straight on. Put a hood on the lens and get as tight to the fence as possible.

[motocrossnut34]

Don't know that I agree with your comments about the 30D and grainy shots. If your refering to these, I don't think they look noisy.
Thanks for the compliments, I appreciate them.

In my post I stated that the shots are grainy using a 300d not the 30d. I am sure the 30d would do much better for me. I put up the best ones that I had and they are not grainy but a lot of them that I have are because I upped the ISO to 800 and upped the shutter speed to try and catch the frames with the ball actually stopped in the pictures and clear.

I was using a 70-210 lens also and tried to get some shots from behind the catcher but the lens is so big and the fence is so small I couldnt combine the two and keep the fence out of the shots so I just went inside the fence.

[Big Hands]

I won't go into too much detail here with this being your first time.

First, shoot with the aperture as open as possible in most cases. I see you shot these at f/5.6, even the second one that was zoomed in to 70mm (so it wasn't necessary). This will help keep the backgrounds from being a distraction.

The first shot doesn't do much for me. More of a snapshot, IMHO, with a busy background.

I like the second shot best, but it could definitely be cropped tighter IMHO.

Take the third shot back to post process and rotate the frame 3 degrees counterclockwise and see if you think it looks better.

Regards,
Jeff

[Mbrescio]

Nice Start, cropping is one of your best friends to use. If you are allowed get behind the catcher between innings and shoot the pitcher from this angel. I stand agaisnt the back stop not directly behind the catcher.