Lighting help

[Richtherookie]

Need some lighting help. I have already lightened this up a little. I just can't get his face to show up very well. This player is a friend off my sons and I seam to have this issue with him often. Out of around 50 shots of him i have troubles w/ 25.

I shot this w/ a Rebel Xt, 70-200mm F2.8L IS.

The settings are. IS on, Focus set at Servo, TV, 70MM, F4.5, 1/200, ISO 1600.

Any help or CC is welcomed. I did do a little better later in the day shooting indoor soccer. But hockey is killin me.

[vetkrazy]

This is just a quick highlights/shadows adjustment. A little work with curves would probably yield better results.

150872

I have not shot hockey before, but do a lot of low light work. I would suggest shooting in manual, open your shutter wider [f/2.8] and shoot faster (1/400-500). This would help with the motion blur you have here, I would suggest 1/400 as a minimum. I would also suggest cropping tighter and straighting your horizon. The use if IS is not normally recommended in sports photography. The subject is moving and it takes a split second for the servos to react causing blur. IS is wonderful for low light hand held static shots. I never turn on my IS when shooting sports. That being said I am sure some will disagree, just stating how I work. Good Luck

Bruce

[Richtherookie]

Thanks for the hints. i will try them next saturday. i am just a Little" scared to go "M". but will try. Shut off IS????? But it cost SOOO much!! I'll try it w/o though!

[Gatorboy]

For sports, IS is pretty much not needed for you need faster shutter speed anyway.

M-anual exposure is the way to go indoors. Just check your histogram and you'll be fine.

[superdiver]

I have found certain basketball players I shoot are not conducive to taking good shots...dont know why, but there is one in particular that if I get one decnt one out of 50 I am happy...others, I just cant miss...personally, I think its a skin tone thing and the camera pics up certain tones well and others not so well...

[Richtherookie]

Yes i agree and not to offend he is of a darker skin color

[Redfish]

I'll second the motion on shooting in "M" The meter in your camera will pick up the differences in jersey colors and make adjustments when in Av or Tv. for indoor shooting, the light is constant and this makes it easy to shoot in "M" mode.

Let your histogram be your guide. Go wide open at 2.8 and make sure the histogram is in the middle. Underexposed will produce more grain. A1 sevo and let the camera pick the focus point.

good luck and we'll be looking for more shots

Steve

[Richtherookie]

Ok remember i am a rookie, if the histogram is to the left or right do i use exposure control to fix it. like adding some or taking it away? i will have more shots, might be saturday night but i'll post some "untouched" ones.

[Gatorboy]

Dark is LEFT and Light is RIGHT.

If your histogram is too far left, you need to either open up the lens more, slow down your shutter speed or increase ISO.

If the histogram is too far right, do the opposite.

[shaneotool]

I'd use AV and open that lens up more, use it at 2.8 to get a faster shutter.

But if you are getting a 50% keeper rate already - I think that is about as good as you could hope for.

[Redfish]

Re-Read Gatorboy's comments -

remember you are inside and the lighting is constant. So: shoot in Mannual. Set your apature to as low a number as you have with your lens (f/2.8??). Most likely you will have to be at ISO 1600. Your shutter speed should be most likely around 1/400th. If the histogram is mostly on the right side the picture will be overexposed and you can either increase shutter speed to 1/500 or faster or reduce the ISO to 1250. If it is still to the right continue to make adjustments in this direction. IF you find that your shutter speed can increase greater than 1/500th then start to reduce your ISO this will help to reduce the graininess if the exposure is not dead on

Now: if the histogram is to the left - it is underexposed and you will get grain in the photo. so, you will need to reduce the shutter speed until the histogram is centered. (if you are at ISO 1600)

Based on your original post I would expect you to be fairly close in "M" at ISO 1600 f/2.8 and 1/400th shutter speed

good luck