My first sports shots! (while I'm not coaching)

[coach68]

I do not have many opportunities where I am on the outside of the fence to shoot sports. Here are a couple of my first. Baseball playoff game and State Track Meet.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2542629979_c583cd8961.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/2543461258_34ce484047.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/2542656101_a3918e016e.jpg

[coach68]

The baseball pic I wish would have had a little bit faster shutter speed.

[coach68]

Any CC is fine. I would like some tips.

[Playonpics.com]

hey Coach,
No the baseball one is fine, it shows motion in the game.
As for the rest. they seems abit underexposed...
Also the pictures could be cropped abit more, alot of dead space... dead space is bad when theres no effect being done...
The 2 women running, to bad you couldn't be in front on the inside of the track to them their picture there. Get their facial expression and the stick switching players. Back shots aren't usually that good, but that my thoughts
The 3rd picture the guy looks terrible (face expression)... and on top of it he's a runner with no legs. How does work? Give him some legs.

[manutd101]

#1: Tighter! It looks good but use a longer lens.
#2: Faces are one of the keys to good sports shots. While this photo does work for me, it would have been great if you had shot from the opposite angle.
#3: Bad facial expression.
Keep working! This is a very good start. :)

[unafaxer]

Hey Coach...I really like number 2. Nice capture.

On shots one and three, the background is too in focus and is distracting. If these were shot with an SLR, open the aperture and/or use a longer focal length to blur the background.

Best regards,

[coach68]

Thanks for your comments! These were all shot with a 450d. I am still looking at trying to get my aperture settings correct. I used shutter priority so I could freeze the motion. Forgot to adjust the aperture. I may go back and crop some and see how they look. I am having trouble getting my monitor calibrated so I need to just not change the exposure manually from the computer. I'll keep trying. Any more tips, keep them coming.

[danaitch]

1 needs some serious cropping to be anything other than looking like a 'snapshot'. Your horizon is also off level.

2 is nice but would have been much better shot from the other side with faces and emotion on display.

3 needs horizon levelling again, and seems to be shot just that bit too late as I'm guessing they were well through the tape by the time this one was taken. Alternatively, it was shot a bit early as they were just about to start jostling for position for the baton handover; neither seems particularly frenetic in their facial expression or muscle tensing.

Just my two penneth. :)

[michael_]

what lenses are you using? try to shoot with the widest aperture to get max depth of field, try and get below eye level, ie get on your knees, if you know how to use Manual mode use it its your best friend in these situations, facial emotions are (for me) the best images of sports photography so dont be afraid to just cature tight shots of head and shoulders, never cut off limbs ie hands or arms or below the waist or knees it makes the subject look like an amputee (sp?), you can cut them from the torso thats fine, try not to shoot the backs of people, generaly its not very interesting unless its a very different angle so try for the most part to shoot front on.

[dmwierz]

I used shutter priority so I could freeze the motion. Forgot to adjust the aperture.

Shoot manual or Av, and control your shutter speed with ISO. What lens did you use for these?

Now, the images. First if all, post your exposure info. It's next to impossible to give decent C&C without knowing this data. I tried to view it, but you've stripped it.

1: Way too loose. Don't worry about getting a faster shutter. Get closer, use a longer lens, or (last option) crop tighter. Rarely do the catcher, ump and backstop add to the drama of an image of a batter.

2: OK, but as was mentioned, shot from the wrong side. I want to see the exertion of the one runner taking the baton from the other.

3: Timed a little late, and should be shot vertical, so you can fit the entire runner in frame. Why is whatever is happening at this very moment worthy of a photo? Wouldn't it be better to get him straining across the tape, as mentioned above?

Keep shooting, posting, and having fun.

Dennis

[coach68]

I shot all of these with a 70-300IS that I borrowed from the school. I just posted these pics from my flickr account so I don't know how to strip or add information.

Thank you for the composition tips. The last picture was down the front straight on the final exchange. I was in the stadium and there were about 20,000 people there so I was locked in my spot. All of you pros got to shoot from the good spots! LOL

So just shoot in AV mode and with faster ISO? Or do I let it take care of the ISO and see what happens? I've shot some in manual, but it just takes me so long to get things right, I didn't want to miss the races.

Again, I am grateful for your comments and suggestions! This is literally my first time shooting sports so I need all the learning I can get. Unfortunately I'm usually working so I don't get to practice much. Keep them coming.

[Playonpics.com]

in Av mode you can lower and increase the Aperture. Myself for sports i shoot around 4-5 but when its early in the morning or the evening i go to 2.8.
As for ISO No the camera doesn't take care of this. You have to adjust it, As the day goes on in the moring you will have a high ISO say no higher then 800. And then around 200 or so in mid day since the sun is out and birds are singin ect lol...
Av mode once you learn how to use it fully will be your best friend. You can also adjust the Exposure on Av mode, which will allow you for indoor sports to increase your shutter speed abit, mind you drop you 1/3 underexposed.
I know some photographers have said that since Canon sometimes has underexposed shots to shoot +1/3 exposure. Myself i don't, i just run an action in Photoshop and all is fixed. Mind you its worth a try. If you do this tho, you will have a brighter image at the expense of abit slower shutter speed

[coach68]

So let me ask y'all this then. I can shoot moving objects at a wide open aperture as long as I change my ISO to match? Is it trial and error, or is there a light or something like in manual mode that tells me if it will work. I have not gotten that far in my "Understanding Exsposure" book. I'll have to get reading!

[danaitch]

If you set your camera body to AV (with a lens attached), set the widest aperture possible, and then look through the eyepiece and half depress the shutter button, you'll see the shutter speed and aperture displayed just below the image you're looking at.

If you're shooting sport and your shutter speed isn't at LEAST 1/640th (and preferably at least 1/1000th) you'll need to wind your ISO up until you see a nice fast shutter speed.

That's the easiest way, until you understand the 'eternal triangle' relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO. :)

[dmwierz]

That's the easiest way, until you understand the 'eternal triangle' relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

http://www.pbase.com/dmwierz45/image/92707031.jpg