The Road to Wembley....

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Ok, so its a long way away.......but nevertheless, technically, these teams could make it there!! Yup, its the FA Cup, oldest football competition in the world.

Only posting these since it was non-league (therefore no licensing issues!), however it was the joys of Lincoln Utd vs Kings Lynn.....proper grassroots stuff and a rather enjoyable day out....certainly a million (ok, around 140) miles away from the glamour and drama of the previous night.

Anyway, onto the pics, exif info is intact, however all apart from 1 were with the 1dmk2 and 400mm, the exception being the 3rd pic, which was with the 70-200. Light was rather changeable, so shot in Av rather than the usual manual.

Thanks for looking, C&C welcome.

1. A spot of aerial ping pong action

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/LH3A1009.jpg

2. Karate Action

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/LH3A0729.jpg

3. Hurdling Action

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/94FB9778.jpg

4. Wrestling Action

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/LH3A1128.jpg

5. Climbing Action

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/LH3A1019.jpg

6. Missing Action.....This chap was rather frustrated....as I'd be if I'd just missed from 5 yards!!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/LH3A0824.jpg

[Aaagogo]

mind if i ask, how did u get everything in focus?

the pictures are nice, and the colors pop, unlike mine :(

[jim9449]

Hi Paul, cracking set of pics, perfect exposure and colour, well done;)

[Tall_Paul_2000]

mind if i ask, how did u get everything in focus?

the pictures are nice, and the colors pop, unlike mine :(

thank you......focussing could be talked about for hours upon end, however with pretty much all sports, track the subject for a little bit before firing - will give the AF a chance to lock on and follow the subject's movement.

Hi Paul, cracking set of pics, perfect exposure and colour, well done;)

Thanks Jim - much appreciated.

[Tall_Paul_2000]

A couple from the previous night - Wigan vs St Helens (rugby league) - a cracking match and end to the regular season!!

1. Sadly this part of the pitch is in near darkness so have had to pull this back up quite a long way - hence the noise!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/94FB9641.jpg

2. The turning point of the whole match, a stunning solo effort shortly after half time

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m58/Tall_paul_2000/LH3A0319.jpg

[cpo13]

Great set there Paul. The second rugby shot is a cracker, and an especially good capture if it was such a significant moment in the game.

[Big Hands]

Fine work as usual. The rugby shots are especially nice captures. Thanks for sharing these.

Regards,
Jeff

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Fine work as usual. The rugby shots are especially nice captures. Thanks for sharing these.

Regards,
Jeff

Great set there Paul. The second rugby shot is a cracker, and an especially good capture if it was such a significant moment in the game.

Thank you both for taking the time to look and for your comments, much appreciated.

[adam*]

I agree, that last shot is awesome. Well captured!

[AMurrell]

Great pics Paul, as per usual! Have dropped you a PM

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Great pics Paul, as per usual! Have dropped you a PM

Thanks Aaron - have replied to your PM

[Tall_Paul_2000]

I agree, that last shot is awesome. Well captured!

Cheers Adam

[slimsurf]

you just seem to get better all the time very consistent as usual

[Tall_Paul_2000]

you just seem to get better all the time very consistent as usual

Thanks Slim....how you getting on this season so far?

[snapzz]

Can see why you rescued Rugby #1 what a great take. #2 is a good capture too but looks like a split second off a fantastic shot, then again maybe not?

Never covered any Rugby League but have just been offered one by an agency to see how I get on with them.

[ies photos]

Great pics, am trying to get into the agencies but never get any replies, and help via PM most greatful.

I do like the football shots esp the slidling player

[snapzz]

I already freelance for another agency, this one wanted to me to tryout for them.Unless they offer something different I dont think I'll change.

[KIPAX]

Great footy pics. With the shutter speeds you where getting and using a 400. why f2.8? I would ahve thought f4 gets just as good dof with that lens and would get more keepers eg: when multiple players together ina scene more chance all in focus but stil good dof background.... if you see what I mean.... I havent got that lens so its a question based on my results at 300 :) the ones shown are great, I just wondered if you binned any that would be saved at f4?

I thought the first rugby one although great action it does blend into the background a bit too much for me.

Would hate to work for an agency.. for me it would take the enjoyment out of shooting footy. but thats just me :) big world eh :)

[DarrenL]

Slumming it in the Non-leagues ah Paulie. Oh how the mighty have fallen ;)

Nice work buddy. 1, 4 and 6 are great. It's a shame the ankle is is chopped on #5.

Despite the noise, the rugger is wicked. How does someone get so high in the air!

Darren

[CarrieW]

These are fantastic! Lovew the expressions!
Carrie

[Tall_Paul_2000]

These are fantastic! Lovew the expressions!
Carrie

Thanks Carrie

Slumming it in the Non-leagues ah Paulie. Oh how the mighty have fallen ;)

Nice work buddy. 1, 4 and 6 are great. It's a shame the ankle is is chopped on #5.

Despite the noise, the rugger is wicked. How does someone get so high in the air!

Darren

Darren - no idea how he got that high, it was an astounding leap.
Shamelessly, I let the motordrive run straight the way through that sequence
and he just seemed to hang in the air. They'll be checking the JJB for
trapeze wires soon!

Slumming it in non-league? I wish - still to get out of League 2! The
non-league stuff is so enjoyable though, had a great day out in Lincoln.

Great footy pics. With the shutter speeds you where getting and using a 400. why f2.8? I would ahve thought f4 gets just as good dof with that lens and would get more keepers eg: when multiple players together ina scene more chance all in focus but stil good dof background.... if you see what I mean.... I havent got that lens so its a question based on my results at 300 :) the ones shown are great, I just wondered if you binned any that would be saved at f4?

I thought the first rugby one although great action it does blend into the background a bit too much for me.

Would hate to work for an agency.. for me it would take the enjoyment out of shooting footy. but thats just me :) big world eh :)

Cheers Kipax.........Its an interesting question on the stopping down thing and the answer was it was a mix of things.

Firstly its still very early season and am trying to get back into the swing
of the footy - am so off with my timing at the moment after the rugby! The
reason I left it at 2.8 was so force me to get the focussing technicque (ie
tracking people) spot on. I'll give myself a little more leeway as the
season goes on I think!!

Secondly, the backgrounds weren't really that great so I wanted there to be
absolutely no danger of them being in focus (apart of course when I "chose"
to focus on them, rather than the players!!)!!

As for binning things, I think I shot around 350 in total (I had the strange
experience of having got everything I needed action-wise as well as 2 goals
and 2 cele's by half time. So once they were wired I was exceptionally
selective as to what I shot in the second half...normally, I'd expect to be
around the 450-500 mark).

Of these I have kept 120. Around 80 were chucked for OOF and the remainder
that were chucked were duplicates of other shots/stock pictures. Of the 80
chucked for OOF, I think they would have been out at F22, let alone F2.8!!

I do take your point though on stopping down....I think its force of habit
from the rugby in all honesty, where I shoot wide open all the time!

The rugby one I agree, it does blend in a little, sadly the effect of
shooting at the short end of the 70-200. It also became a largely irrelevant
shot when Wigan decided to mount their come back and beat St Helens! Such is
life, I think it still got wired though, just in case!


Great pics, am trying to get into the agencies but never get any replies, and help via PM most greatful.

I do like the football shots esp the slidling player

Thanks IES.....

Bit of a tricky one for you - you're bang smack in the middle of the
highest population of togs in the country. You've also got the added thing
that most of the attention down there is on the top level sports and by
definition you'll have all the agencies sending their top togs to stuff in
that area. Keep working on the portfolio and keep plugging away. Just make
sure you're up to speed on all the workflow stuff so you can take your
chance when it comes.

Can see why you rescued Rugby #1 what a great take. #2 is a good capture too but looks like a split second off a fantastic shot, then again maybe not?

Never covered any Rugby League but have just been offered one by an agency to see how I get on with them.

Thank you - the rugby league is quite challenging at first, but
once you are used to it, it'll yield some good images. What matches you
covering as with it being season end its quite likely our paths will cross?
The 2nd image was the pick - the large mass of bodies was moving
considerably quicker than the man with the ball and in the next frame you
lose his face and in the one after that, whilst he is touching down for a
try, you just see a ball and a hand sticking out.

[snapzz]

Thank you - the rugby league is quite challenging at first, but
once you are used to it, it'll yield some good images. What matches you
covering as with it being season end its quite likely our paths will cross?
The 2nd image was the pick - the large mass of bodies was moving
considerably quicker than the man with the ball and in the next frame you
lose his face and in the one after that, whilst he is touching down for a
try, you just see a ball and a hand sticking out.

Looks like I wont be taking up their offer as they've not offered me anything more than I already get. Back to my usual figure skating then I'm covering the Great North Run. After that back to football on a regular basis.

[Gary_Evans]

I'm covering the Great North Run. After that back to football on a regular basis.

Errr, no. After the run its students for you my friend :lol::lol::lol:

And the OP failed to mention that the mighty Linnets won 3-0 away

[snapzz]

Yeh okay but your job is not sports. :rolleyes:

And who the hell is the "mighty Linnets"?

[nippon24]

Hi Paul! Great stuff as ever - the second rugby shot is an absolute pearl. Having convinced me that there isn't a sport that you can't shoot, do you have a personal favourite sport for shooting?
Kenny

[Gary_Evans]

And who the hell is the "mighty Linnets"?

Kings Lynn. My local team. The team in yellow.

[slimsurf]

going well so far paul couple in on monday will pm them to you if interested

[Tall_Paul_2000]

Hi Paul! Great stuff as ever - the second rugby shot is an absolute pearl. Having convinced me that there isn't a sport that you can't shoot, do you have a personal favourite sport for shooting?
Kenny

Thanks Kenny, much appreciated.

Favourite sport to shoot.....that is quite tricky to be fair.

I think I understand and appreciate rugby the most, especially since I used to play a hell of a lot.

As I get better at shooting "around" games, I'm also coming to enjoy football a lot more, due to the sheer range of emotions that are on display.

Bit of a cop out answer I'm afraid, however hope it gives you some idea!!!