Houston Select Football

[sonny_c]

Even with March Madness and the beginning of baseball season, football is still being played here in good ole Texas. This is Houston Select Football League. It's made up of 6 teams all over Houston and surrounding areas. They cover Galveston, Missouri City, North Houston, and NW Houston. We had the pleasure of photographing 4 games om 03.29.2008. There was some amazing talent on display. I was lucky enough to catch a few 'snap shots' :wink:

1
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_1949.jpg
2
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2031.jpg
3
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2150.jpg
4
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2151.jpg
5 and 6
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2212.jpghttp://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2529.jpg
7
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2325.jpg

[sonny_c]

...continued

8
http://www.gametimephotos.com/upload/potw/album1/images/MSC_2560.jpg

EDIT: images 9 through 20 have been removed. Please read the image posting rules... a maximum of 8 embedded images per thread are permitted. Moderator.

[danaitch]

At the risk of repeating myself... ;)

Your colours look a little over-saturated, there's a little over-sharpening been done and (to quote my usual response) you need to crop much tighter on some of your images.

Were you shooting with your aperture wide-open? Some of those backgrounds could be saved from their distracting qualities with a wider aperture, if that was an option. If not, you need to REALLY crop close to the edges of the 'main' players in the shots because you've caught some superb action.

The UK football season starts again this month so I'm getting really excited now! :)

[sonny_c]

At the risk of repeating myself... ;)

Your colours look a little over-saturated, there's a little over-sharpening been done and (to quote my usual response) you need to crop much tighter on some of your images.

Were you shooting with your aperture wide-open? Some of those backgrounds could be saved from their distracting qualities with a wider aperture, if that was an option. If not, you need to REALLY crop close to the edges of the 'main' players in the shots because you've caught some superb action.

The UK football season starts again this month so I'm getting really excited now! :)

danaitch,

Thank you for taking the time to look and comment on my photos. I appreciate the feedback.

I find it curious that you mention my oversaturated colors and over-sharpening. When in fact neither has occurred. In camera all settings are set to default and in post processing I do not tweak color saturation. In addition, I use a normal setting for Unsharp Mask (amount: 100%, radius: .9 pixels, threshold: 0). Is this some standard critique you give to most members? I only ask cause you say "At the risk of repeating myself...". No disrespect intended, just curious.
For the most part distracting backgrounds are part of shooting youth sports. Some or most of the fields I shoot at are near or around street traffic. Others are located at middle or high schools. These pose the same type of distractions (parents, parking lots full of vehicles, stray kids palying...). I try to make the best of the situation by shooting wide open at f/2.8. If that's not enough then so be it.

Cropping ...this topic is very subjective. For two years I tried really tight crops. I did this because it's what the "professionals" suggested. In those same two years I found my photos to be very boring and cookie cutter. I could find the same type shots everywhere I looked. Does that stuff sell? Yes. Do you see it in sports mags? Yes. My sales on the other hand were decent. Until last year. Not only did I change my cropping style, I also changed my shooting angle. Lower to the ground. Changing my eye level to match that of the youth athletes. This gives the illusion that a little 3 and a half foot kid is much larger. Combine that with my cropping style, changed everything for me. Not only are we sports photographers, but I try to tell a story with my photos. This is the reason for my wide crops. When I look at other photog's work I always ask myself questions like, "How did that RB break free?", or "What kind of pressure was the QB under as he delivered the winning TD pass?", or "What kind of coverage did the WR have to deal with to make the sensational catch?".

My style is not for everyone nor is it the right or wrong way. It's what works for me. Last year and this year sales have been wonderful. I'll let that dictate where I go next. Again, this was by no means any disrespect. I thought you'd appreciate a little insight to my way of thinking.

-Sonny

[eigga]

I think he is referring to the reds ... which tend to be overdone by canon cameras from what I have read and seen from mine.

As for the crops they are different and Iike them for that. I am not sure if they would sell better or not ....

Also numbering the images makes it easier to comment.

[MT Stringer]

Sonny, I recognize that field. I've shot several baseball games next door. It is a busy place. Nice action shots.
Mike

[G7-EOS]

For what my opinion might be worth, being the complete amateur that I am, I really like most of the crops. For example, #10 including the players in pursuit (some giving up) speaks more to me than if they had been cropped out. Also, while #11 is perhaps wide to some, I appreciate seeing the goal line and the would-be tacklers in the proximity. Finally, I do like the low angle, it does indeed make the players look larger. Great photos as far as I'm concerned.

[eigga]

wish #10 was cropped a little more otherwise nice shot

#12 is great, and you could offer a tighter vertical crop as a second option for purchase

#18 is my favorite!!

Great work overall

[danaitch]

danaitch,

Thank you for taking the time to look and comment on my photos. I appreciate the feedback.

I find it curious that you mention my oversaturated colors and over-sharpening. When in fact neither has occurred. In camera all settings are set to default and in post processing I do not tweak color saturation. In addition, I use a normal setting for Unsharp Mask (amount: 100%, radius: .9 pixels, threshold: 0). Is this some standard critique you give to most members? I only ask cause you say "At the risk of repeating myself...". No disrespect intended, just curious.
For the most part distracting backgrounds are part of shooting youth sports. Some or most of the fields I shoot at are near or around street traffic. Others are located at middle or high schools. These pose the same type of distractions (parents, parking lots full of vehicles, stray kids palying...). I try to make the best of the situation by shooting wide open at f/2.8. If that's not enough then so be it.

Cropping ...this topic is very subjective. For two years I tried really tight crops. I did this because it's what the "professionals" suggested. In those same two years I found my photos to be very boring and cookie cutter. I could find the same type shots everywhere I looked. Does that stuff sell? Yes. Do you see it in sports mags? Yes. My sales on the other hand were decent. Until last year. Not only did I change my cropping style, I also changed my shooting angle. Lower to the ground. Changing my eye level to match that of the youth athletes. This gives the illusion that a little 3 and a half foot kid is much larger. Combine that with my cropping style, changed everything for me. Not only are we sports photographers, but I try to tell a story with my photos. This is the reason for my wide crops. When I look at other photog's work I always ask myself questions like, "How did that RB break free?", or "What kind of pressure was the QB under as he delivered the winning TD pass?", or "What kind of coverage did the WR have to deal with to make the sensational catch?".

My style is not for everyone nor is it the right or wrong way. It's what works for me. Last year and this year sales have been wonderful. I'll let that dictate where I go next. Again, this was by no means any disrespect. I thought you'd appreciate a little insight to my way of thinking.

-Sonny

Sonny,

Please don't misunderstand, there was no disrespect intended.

As for the saturation, perhaps I've just been shooting for too long under grey, drizzly skies in the UK and the colours you displayed showed weather I'm just not used to!

As for the backgrounds and cropping, hey, I'm just critique-ing the shots as I would my own. As you say, the mags and newspapers tend to go for the 'obvious' and so my comments would have to fall into the 'obvious' bracket, being as they're consistent with the run-of-the-mill 'pro' reactions. For my own backgrounds, I also shoot nothing but amateur sports and suffer the same impact that you do from distracting backgrounds. It's not ideal, but in my opinion, nine times out of ten it distracts from an image rather than enhancing it.

I'm not a pro and I'm never likely to be, I'm just trying to give comments similar to those I've received from photographers with more ability than I'll EVER have, and whose comments have really helped me raise my game a bit. I needed to, too! :lol:

The 'risk of repeating myself' was a misjudged comment, in isolation. It's just that I'd just responded to three threads, and in each one I'd mentioned similar things. I'm not used to such an active forum so I'll keep my witicisms to myself in the future. ;)

I'm wasn't trying to second guess your crops; the 'pursuit' one is especially well left and tells a great story.

Thanks for your time in responding to my response! :)