HS Wrestling from last night

[drandtus]

XT, 70-200 f 2.8 non-IS, 430 EX. I still need help with this flash stuff:confused: ISO 400, f /3.5 or so, 1/200. Criticism is greatly needed/wanted. Thanks.

1.The shadows on the wall are annoying. I can't seem to think my way out of this one. Anybody help me with this?
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q260/drandtus/wrestlingpictures/KYLE7.jpg
2.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q260/drandtus/wrestlingpictures/IMG_3998.jpg
3.This came out rather oddly, but interesting
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q260/drandtus/wrestlingpictures/IMG_4006.jpg
4.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q260/drandtus/wrestlingpictures/KYLE8.jpg
5.My favorite of the night
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q260/drandtus/wrestlingpictures/CHAD1.jpg

[drandtus]

C+C? Or are these beyond help? :)

[red-barron]

Overall they all seem good in terms of sharpness, colour saturation etc. I feel that most of them are perhaps a little too cropped e.g. the limbs have been cut off. Not a bad attempt though. Mind you I've never seen this sport in my country before so maybe I'm being a little too critical?

[topher04r1]

the only way you are going to kill the shadows is going to be to get the flash OFF the camera and on a stand to the side etc.... if you have a couple of flashes and triggers i think you could inprove your shots quite a bit

[drandtus]

Red- Thanks for your comments. I did cut off quite a few limbs and think it would improve the shots.

topher- no flashes or triggers yet. Just a 430EX. Maybe by next season I'll have more. Thanks for taking the time. btw, you have some great shots on you smugmug site.

[Gatorboy]

I can't see the images because the firewall here blocks photobucket -- but you want to shoot tight and crop tighter in wrestling. Showing both wrestlers bodies in total typically does not really add to the image.

[RangerRick]

Focusing looks pretty good to me. DOF seems to be getting all of the player's body.

Something I've tried & liked is to bounce the flash off the ceiling. If you do this... also put some velcro on the top of the flash and attach a business card or something similar in size to the flash head. It will bounce enough light foward to nicely light your subjects. Run the cam in manual and adjust the background. (If your not sure where to start... try a shot in Av and then plug those numbers in.) Run the flash in ETTL and let it adjust itself. You can always move the FEC up or down to your taste.

You would not think that a ceiling 40 feet away would bounce very good... but, it will. If it's not white... you might get some unwanted color.

One other note would be to put a filter on your flash to color balance it to whatever is in the gym. See more here. (http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101-using-gels-to-correct.html)

[drandtus]

Gator- Please take a look when you get home and let me know what you think about the cropping. The pictures I have posted are in camera cropped.

RngerRick- I honestly that that the ceiling was too far away, but I'll try it. I have done the index card trick for some indoor portraits and it worked really good. Thanks for the link to Strobist.

[Gatorboy]

drandtus: I would crop #2 much tighter. You have too much mat on the bottom. I don't care much for #3; You may consider cropping #4 vertical, but that shot really isn't showing much other than the top guy trying to figure out what to do and the bottom guy just scrambling. Your last one is by far the best shot you've got here.

When I use flash, I set my WB to daylight.

If I'm forced to use on-camera flash, I set my flash manually (1/16 or so) and adjust my aperture if need be as they move farther and closer to me. Many of the wrestlers headgears these days have some sort of reflective tape on them and they totally fool your ETTL on the flash.

The main thing is to capture faces.

Just a couple suggestions ... and here are a few shots I took last Saturday night. Two 580EXs mounted on the railing on the balcony about 15' high and 35' from the mat, each at 1/4 +0.3 and shot ISO 400; f/5.0; 1/250.

http://www.harfordsports.com/hidden/forumImages/mmm5_164.jpg

http://www.harfordsports.com/hidden/forumImages/mmm5_187.jpg

http://www.harfordsports.com/hidden/forumImages/mmm5_226.jpg

http://www.harfordsports.com/hidden/forumImages/mmm5_264.jpg

http://www.harfordsports.com/hidden/forumImages/080119-MMM5_396.jpg

Edited by Gatorboy on Jan 21, 2008 at 04:13 PM GMT

[wesley_winterink]

Gatoryboy, those are fantastic. When you are at 1/16th power, what is the recycle time for the 580ex. I want to try your setup but I'll have to wait another year to get a transmitter.

[Gatorboy]

Gatoryboy, those are fantastic. When you are at 1/16th power, what is the recycle time for the 580ex. I want to try your setup but I'll have to wait another year to get a transmitter.

Recycle time is pretty much instant.

[drandtus]

Gator- Thanks so much for taking the time. Your shots form Sat. night are fantastic- the exposure, colors, and action are so great. I'm very appreciative that you posted them. I would very much like to see my images look like yours someday.

Just so I'm on the same page-

1. Avoid too much mat, not interesting, wasted space.
2. Do you shoot in AV? Adjusting for distance to the wrestlers?
3. On camera flash (430EX) is all I have this year to work with. I am just a hobbyist, but I realize that I can/will do more locally. I'm attached to the sport because of my son, but I don't coach him anymore ( kinda that father/son thing-it ain't healthy :)). He's only in 7th grade. I love the matches and photography so I'm pushing myself to get better ( kinda like wrestling, no?). I realize if I want great images I'll need more speedlites.
4. For now, I did order a Stofens and hopefully that'll soften that direct flash look.

Thanks for your time guys, I really love this forum, admire your work, and willingness to share. You guys are way cool.

[Gatorboy]

I shoot in M-anual and adjust my aperture as needed. Not sure how much the stofen will help in a gym. The way that works is by bouncing the light in all directions in hope to reflect off walls, ceiling, etc. but in a gym the ceiling is so high, I doubt you'll get much help in the bounce -- plus it's going to take more juice from your flash.

[namasste]

I shoot in M-anual and adjust my aperture as needed. Not sure how much the stofen will help in a gym. The way that works is by bouncing the light in all directions in hope to reflect off walls, ceiling, etc. but in a gym the ceiling is so high, I doubt you'll get much help in the bounce -- plus it's going to take more juice from your flash.

I agree. The stofen will require more flash output too which will lengthen recycle times and reduce battery power. I'd try bouncing with a little throw card first. I think you'll find less color casting though if you shoot direct and in M mode. reduce the flash power and adjsut slightly with FEC if needed. Then, as noted above, use the aperture dial to adjust as the athletes move to and away from you.

As for the pics, the action looks great but the lighting is inconsistent and colors seem a touch off. Did you use a custom WB? That will help also and for $10 you can pick up a gray card at any photo store. Good investment.

[drandtus]

Got it on the stofen.

I am shooting M. As far as adjusting the aperature- if the subject is close I can get away with closer to wide open and if they are farther I need to stop down ( like f/4, 5.6)?

I think I need to try the throw card, my pics from last night look harsh. It was a different gym.

I'll get the grey card in the next 24 hrs.

Thanks Dave and Scott!

[namasste]

Got it on the stofen.

I am shooting M. As far as adjusting the aperature- if the subject is close I can get away with closer to wide open and if they are farther I need to stop down ( like f/4, 5.6)?

I think I need to try the throw card, my pics from last night look harsh. It was a different gym.

I'll get the grey card in the next 24 hrs.

Thanks Dave and Scott!

no problem, I'm glad any of it helps and sincerely look forward to seeing how things work out.

As for the aperture, I think you might just need to reverse the logic. farther out, open up since your light will fall off as your subject moves away.