Shooting Sports Night Shots

[Hads]

I've been asked to take photos of my son's varsity soccer team throughout the season. The games are being played now under the lights.

I've been having a tough time getting photos of the players under the lights at night. All my shots are blurry. I am an beginner in digital photograpy. I tried different settings, but still could not get it right.

As I will be photographing other games, I would appreciate any advice that the forum could give. I've shut the flash off since the field is well lit. I'm just not sure of the camera settings I could try to handle the nighttime shooting under the lights, particularly since soccer is a fast moving game.

I've also been working with the telephoto lens under these conditions.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hads

[dn7elson]

Night shots (low light shots) are compensated for in different ways depending upon how you have the camera setup to "choose" the shot conditions.

On Auto, the camera will adjust both the lens opening (aperture) and shutter speed to get an acceptable exposed image. The usual result is that the shutter speed is set too slow for "action" shots and you get blurring since the shutter is still open and recording as the action of the field continues.

You can set the shutter speed as a fixed value by using the Tv setting on the camera, but you will need to set it to 1/125 or 1/250 of a second to capture action without movement. At night, or low light settings you will likely not have enough light to properly expose the image in that short a period of time.

So, 1) you end up with using a powerful, external flash (internal flash is good for only about 15' from camera to image) that will likely become an annoyance to the players; 2) you can change the ISO setting from Auto or 50 to 400 to "increase the film speed" of the camera (also increasing background "noise" in the image); or 3) do a combination of these along with panning the image as you shoot.

With panning, you follow the moving object (in your example, the soccer players) down the field and as they continue to move, and you continue to smoothly follow them with the camera, you press the shutter and do not stop panning until the camera has completed taking the picture. This will take some practice, but might give you some of what you want.

[Hads]

Dale,
Just got back from a night game and tried your suggestion. My pictures are a lot better. Still grainy. I used ISO 400 with a f/125 stop. Tried different settings, but this worked best.

At least I don't get blur now. Unfortunately, at this game (it was away), I wasn't allowed on the sidelines to take pictures, so I had to take most from the stands. Used a telephoto lens also.

I think the pictures will be much better at the home games where I can be right on the sidelines and at least 30 feet closer to the action.

Thanks so much for the advice. I will continue to play with the settings.

John

[burnet44]

I shot my first soccer game last night. Aint real good. Please critique. Be brutal. You wont hut my feelings. I know some are grainy. blurred, OOF. but its my first real attempt at soccer. It was cold btw. lol

He is my first soccer shoot last night
click on them to make them bigger

Be brutal
I know they are bad
Thought 1 or 2 of them might be ok
Probably not

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpage.aspx?e=8405529

[AB8ND]

You should be shooting at least 1/250th to stop the action, which means probably setting your ISO at 1600. You are going to get noise, but that is just a fact of the game when shooting under stadium lights. Back in the days when shooting for the newspapers we used to have to push our Tri-X film to 1600 or even 3200 in order to shoot at f/2.8 and 1/250th. That was shooting with 200mm lens, remember the old "never hand hold with a shutter speed slow than the lens length.

[burnet44]

ok thanks
Ill try that
I cant get worse?
Well maybe not lol

[Riveredger]

A G-series camera is the wrong tool for the job in this case. Low light sports is very demanding - you need a fast lens, fast and accurate focus, high ISO for faster shutter speed, and little shutter lag. In other words, you should use a DSLR with a good lens for the best results.

That said, I think you did a good job on those shots using your G!

[burnet44]

what do you recomend?
I have a good lens I think
70-200 2.8 ISM II?

I still cant figure out if its me or my 40D

[AB8ND]

Your 70-200 2.8 is fine, IS is great but it only works for you, it won't stop subject movement. Try to track the players the same as if you are panning, don't do as I have to fight myself constantly, that is follow action then stop and shoot, keep moving with the player or runner as you press the shutter. One thing I was told years ago is "if you see the ball it is probably to late to shoot", try to anticipate when the ball reaches a player so you can hit it at the peak. If you can watch their eyes, they will tell you right where the ball is or is going everytime. Try to learn to shoot one frame at a time not relying on the "motor drive', it will make you a better sports shooter all around.

Jack

[burnet44]

I think Im doint that
what about the back button AF
my center spot wont light up
and I cant tell if Im getting on the spot?

[eclipsechaser]

I shot my first soccer game last night. Aint real good. Please critique. Be brutal. You wont hut my feelings. I know some are grainy. blurred, OOF. but its my first real attempt at soccer. It was cold btw. lol

He is my first soccer shoot last night
click on them to make them bigger

Be brutal
I know they are bad
Thought 1 or 2 of them might be ok
Probably not

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpage.aspx?e=8405529


For a G they look great!

[burnet44]

thanks
whats a G?
if its a moron hey thats me

[Riveredger]

thanks
whats a G?
if its a moron hey thats me

Do you realize you posted this thread in the G series forum? :lol:


That said, I would start with the following settings. M mode, f/2.8, 1/500s. Adjust ISO as necessary to get proper exposure. AF-C.

[burnet44]

my bad