Why I coach instead of shoot the sport...girls volleyball

[MJPhotos24]

I was a varsity coach the last few years until a teacher took my job (good timing, just when the group I have been working with will all be seniors, :rolleyes:) so now soon as baseball ends I'll be back to HS sports like volleyball, football, soccer, etc. Tonight was v-ball watchin my home town team vs. there rivals - the top two teams in the league though another school I know will argue that as they are pretty darn good to. None are who I coached btw.

Anyways....shot from up top cuz v-ball is played in the air and last year the lone game I shot from the ground floor shooting up wasn't that good since it was into the lights, from above was using the lights a little more. Probably should have experimented more with angles but oh well - lots of the season left. C&C welcome...


#1 - Going up for the kill...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/VBALL-01.jpg



#2 - Contact on a kill...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/VBALL-02.jpg



#3 - Celebrate good times, come on! They lost this game but won the match winning the next 3 in a row.
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/VBALL-03.jpg



#4 - #9 there got a kill block on this one...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/VBALL-04.jpg




#5 - TIPPPPPP....she got a kill on this tip.
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/VBALL-05.jpg



#6 - #9 got some hands on the ball but couldn't stop it, fell for a point...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/VBALL-06.jpg

[Aaagogo]

ur HS is pretty well lit, I just hope that the one I'll be shooting at is that well lit too,

but then, you are doing ISO 1600 with a 1DMKIIn.

I like the tight angle shot that's almost parallel to the net, I will try that angle the next time.

Thanx for sharing

[MJPhotos24]

ur HS is pretty well lit, I just hope that the one I'll be shooting at is that well lit too,

but then, you are doing ISO 1600 with a 1DMKIIn.

I like the tight angle shot that's almost parallel to the net, I will try that angle the next time.

Thanx for sharing
They re-did the lights and everything a few years ago to brighten it up, during the JV matches the sun comes in through the windows (white panes which act as a bit of a diffuser) which is great for day time tournaments. Of course it lasts about 5 mins for regular season volleyball and then is gone. Was shooting ISO 1000 1/800 when first started the JV and 1600 1/500 though did get some at 1000 and 1250 to. 3200 was at 1/1000 but I hate that much noise.

The tight was with the 300 and saw it when I just sat back and looked for photos instead of just trying to shoot and find one.

[manutd101]

1. I like the anticipation, but nothing really makes this frame "engaging".
2. Nice, but I wish the fingers/ball weren't cropped.
3. Nice jube, seems a tad soft and a little off in the WB.
4. I like this, wish at least one of the faces wasn't blocked.
5. Doesn't work for me w/o the entire ball in frame.
6. My favorite, nice work.

[Chip Andrews]

Nice shots Mike. I see Attica is in the same class as Waterloo. They might run into each other during Sectionals. I am going to try & get to a few games at our gym. My daughter has some friends on the team. The gym is only a couple of years old & is very well lit. I will try & post if I make it to any.

[Croasdail]

Hey Mike, I actually like five. To me, a photograph is much more than meeting a check list of standard stuff. I prefer those images that show emotion or tell something about the event. It's what sets a standard shot apart from one that actually tells you something about the event or person. Standard sportraites are a dime a dozen. To me... and this is just my warped opinion, shots like 4 are well executed, meet the POTN sports checklist, but says absolutely nothing about either the match or the players. It is just a good standard shot. For me, volleyball presents way too much more then that. Your other shots capture that well. From that shot, I think I can tell something about that player. A stock action shot has to be pretty darn unique to get my attention now days.

Baseball for me is much harder because it doesn't give you tons of opportunity for shots that show some kind of emotion or action. There is a trick to getting a batter timed just right to show their face while hitting, but in many ways there isn't a ton of difference between one well executed batter shot and another because they are commonly all from the same angles shot with the same equipment. While there is a standard VB shot, getting emotion and the like is much easier and to me, the bar is raised in that you should have something more than a stock shot coming out of a game. At least that is what I strive for... can't say I always achieve it.

EDIT: Just realized I went on another RAMBLE!

Sorry about that.... should have stuck with "great shots".... would have worked just as well. Cheers

I have been shooting VB up high this year too... still haven't found that place where the angle really works for me though. It does help clean up the backgrounds though...

[fslshooter]

Mike -- it's probably common knowledge to you and some other folks here that I know nothing about shooting VB. However, I think I know good stuff when I see it and I'm with Mark -- #5's your best. It's not only your best in this series but it's one of the best VB shots I recall seeing on POTN.

And to you, Mark, nope "great shot" wouldn't have been good enough. I always enjoy your rambles, if you want to call them that. You see stuff and say stuff that needs to be said and we all learn from rambles like yours.

[namasste]

Mike, love the 5th one. 3 seems a bit dark and I agree on the wb comment but maybe that's just cuz its' dark. what I really like is your shooting angles. The standard vb at the net shot gets old and I like these from a higher vantage point. were these all with the 300 I assume?

[manutd101]

On five, that's not a "checklist", just my opinion. I can see the emotion, but the picture doesn't work visually to me. My eyes want to follow her's through the ball, but I hit a wall in the crop. That's why...

[MJPhotos24]

1. I like the anticipation, but nothing really makes this frame "engaging".
2. Nice, but I wish the fingers/ball weren't cropped.
3. Nice jube, seems a tad soft and a little off in the WB.
4. I like this, wish at least one of the faces wasn't blocked.
5. Doesn't work for me w/o the entire ball in frame.
6. My favorite, nice work.

6 is probably my fav. as well...#1 and #3 got run in the local paper today though with 1 being the "lead" big image and 3 just below it. The tight ones were with the 300 so it's pretty much full frame you're seeing.

Nice shots Mike. I see Attica is in the same class as Waterloo. They might run into each other during Sectionals. I am going to try & get to a few games at our gym. My daughter has some friends on the team. The gym is only a couple of years old & is very well lit. I will try & post if I make it to any.
I haven't looked at the Classes yet this year since I'm not involved but last year Attica ran away with it easy. I think they were the only team going in with a winning record. Definately a good program going there right now.

Hey Mike, I actually like five. To me, a photograph is much more than meeting a check list of standard stuff. I prefer those images that show emotion or tell something about the event. It's what sets a standard shot apart from one that actually tells you something about the event or person. Standard sportraites are a dime a dozen. To me... and this is just my warped opinion, shots like 4 are well executed, meet the POTN sports checklist, but says absolutely nothing about either the match or the players. It is just a good standard shot. For me, volleyball presents way too much more then that. Your other shots capture that well. From that shot, I think I can tell something about that player. A stock action shot has to be pretty darn unique to get my attention now days.

Baseball for me is much harder because it doesn't give you tons of opportunity for shots that show some kind of emotion or action. There is a trick to getting a batter timed just right to show their face while hitting, but in many ways there isn't a ton of difference between one well executed batter shot and another because they are commonly all from the same angles shot with the same equipment. While there is a standard VB shot, getting emotion and the like is much easier and to me, the bar is raised in that you should have something more than a stock shot coming out of a game. At least that is what I strive for... can't say I always achieve it.

EDIT: Just realized I went on another RAMBLE!

Sorry about that.... should have stuck with "great shots".... would have worked just as well. Cheers

I have been shooting VB up high this year too... still haven't found that place where the angle really works for me though. It does help clean up the backgrounds though...

The Rambler - it's better than the standard responses copied and pasted to get your post count up :) Vball there is more emotion than other sports becaue they try a lot to "psych' out there opponent and keep energy up, especially with high caliber teams. Baseball the emotion shots are usually anger or occassional jube shots at the end of the game but they dont do that stuff in the middle like v-ball does.

Mike -- it's probably common knowledge to you and some other folks here that I know nothing about shooting VB. However, I think I know good stuff when I see it and I'm with Mark -- #5's your best. It's not only your best in this series but it's one of the best VB shots I recall seeing on POTN.

And to you, Mark, nope "great shot" wouldn't have been good enough. I always enjoy your rambles, if you want to call them that. You see stuff and say stuff that needs to be said and we all learn from rambles like yours.
Thanks Jerry, she was definately one for makin faces/emotion.

The Rambling is what helps, telling WHY its good or bad. I used to PO others in my grad class when I asked them to explain and would contradict everything they said (professor said I was good at it so to do it) just to make them explain the WHY behind it.

Mike, love the 5th one. 3 seems a bit dark and I agree on the wb comment but maybe that's just cuz its' dark. what I really like is your shooting angles. The standard vb at the net shot gets old and I like these from a higher vantage point. were these all with the 300 I assume?
It's definately off a bit...I screwed around with a lot of settings so maybe that had something to do with it or maybe just missed. I didn't edit them at all except an auto levels and NN and shot JPG, not RAW to mess with them more after. Quick editing to get to the paper.

Some were with the 300 and some with the 70-200, the tight ones obviously the 300, others with the 70-200.

On five, that's not a "checklist", just my opinion. I can see the emotion, but the picture doesn't work visually to me. My eyes want to follow her's through the ball, but I hit a wall in the crop. That's why...
Shot horizontal so height wise that's all that was in the frame, ah well. They woulda cropped the ball in half or close to it anyways - just how it works usually with those shots. It definatley woulda been better with more ball/body but in the wrong mode...300 was just too tight to get it all.

Now this is a checklist image - face, ball, tight, my cousins kid, everything...er except the motion blur, umm, crap.
http://www.fourseamimages.com/checklistimage.jpg

[disneydork06]

nice shots. heh, I'm the opposite with shooting rather than coaching......

[chris270]

Pics look good Mike. Just did volleyball for the first time too. Pics were noisy but not too bad. Was shooting AV because of some sunlight peeking through windows in Gates-Chili's new gym. Shot 1000 iso about 1/500 ss wide open 2.8 with a 70-200L IS USM. Some examples...

http://rochesterccphotography.smugmug.com/photos/365257644_y2Ziz-M-1.jpg http://rochesterccphotography.smugmug.com/photos/365266559_YaUZJ-M-1.jpg

[MJPhotos24]

nice shots. heh, I'm the opposite with shooting rather than coaching......
Wish I was coaching, once the season ends probably end up somewhere volunteering a little at least. Old team is already 0-1 but played a very tough team that should compete for the title this year.



Pics look good Mike. Just did volleyball for the first time too. Pics were noisy but not too bad. Was shooting AV because of some sunlight peeking through windows in Gates-Chili's new gym. Shot 1000 iso about 1/500 ss wide open 2.8 with a 70-200L IS USM. Some examples...


Huh...know any AD's up in the Rock Chris? Full time AD's? :)

They look pretty good, 1000 ISO isn't too bad on the IIN, would love to shoot indoors with it!!

[CoonCreek]

IIN ?

[MJPhotos24]

IIN ?
Mark IIn body

[chris270]

Huh...know any AD's up in the Rock Chris? Full time AD's? :)

Only one I know right now is the one I am working for this year. I'm shooting most of the home games for gates-Chili sports this year.