Some Baseball

[Primevci]

My freind and one of his has joined a adult woodbat league so they went to practice before the team tryout things thought i would take my camera and play around since ill probly be takign some baseball pics when he plays... i used my tamron and my dreb put a little unsharp mask on im also notice no matter what u use u always half to use USM..... here they are nothing great but oh well.....


http://www.photochaos.com/pics/BB/CRW_5854.jpg

http://www.photochaos.com/pics/BB/CRW_5866.jpg

http://www.photochaos.com/pics/BB/CRW_5874.jpg

[fslshooter]

I would crop #1 a bit tighter and probably in portrait mode -- the extra real estate really doesn't add anything. #2 would have been better if shot from his front. #3's OK but would have been more interesting if shot just as he released the ball.

Here are a few tips for when you shoot a real game. Frame as tight as you can to capture only the action of that play. During post processing crop as necessary to cut out unnecessary bits. Try to shoot faces -- faces make much more interesting sports shots. Usually the best action shot of someone throwing the ball is just before or as he releases the ball. Also the image is usually more interesting if shot from his throwing side.

[gmen]

Faces, faces, faces... as my editor frequently reminds me! Concentrate on getting the expressions of the competitors. None of these images achieve that. Backs rarely make for a good image.

Crop tighter in camera. Fill the frame - use a longer focal length. If you're using a zoom, make sure you are zoomed all the way out. In fact, tape your zoom at its maximum focal length so you're not tempted to zoom out!!!

Watch the backgrounds. A tighter crop along with a shallower depth of field will help. Position yourself so that the backgrounds are not so distracting. Use your lens wide open, don't be tempted to stop it down.

Good luck with your next shoot.