Basketball game pictures (my first sports attempt, please critique)

[shiningstardv]

This past weekend I shot my first sporting event (men's high school basketball). I just got around to loading them onto my computer and doing a little touchup. I selected five pictures to share. I would love your thoughts and critiques to better my skills. Thanks!

Picture #1
http://homepage.mac.com/scottsil/pictures/mitty/basketball/BasketballBroadcast-14.jpg

Picture #2
http://homepage.mac.com/scottsil/pictures/mitty/basketball/BasketballBroadcast-18.jpg

Picture #3
http://homepage.mac.com/scottsil/pictures/mitty/basketball/BasketballBroadcast-26.jpg

Picture #4
http://homepage.mac.com/scottsil/pictures/mitty/basketball/BasketballBroadcast-07.jpg

Picture #5
http://homepage.mac.com/scottsil/pictures/mitty/basketball/BasketballBroadcast-25.jpg

[timmyquest]

Your off to a good sharp, they are mostly sharp and your exposier is great.

#1 Looks like it could be an interesting shot, it's got a nice DOF and the fans are a nice touch, however i'm not real sure whats going on here. I do not see the ball and the player on the left is fairly distracting as he hads nothing to the photo and is half cut out.

#2 Close, i konw the ball is there but i dont see it. I think if the ball was in view, and again the player on the far left is distracting as all oyu can see is his face.

#3 I like the B&W, i dont like the lack of action though. You've got the ball in view, but it looks like it is just getting stared at, there is no emotion in this photo.

#4 Its great that you have the eye to look around at places other then on the floor. However there isnt too much going on here, i'm having a hard time telling if these guys are bored, down because they are losing, or if there is a timeout. Furthermore the point of focus seems to be on coach in the back of the bench, i think you were going for the kid with his head down whic hwould have been nice but you cant see too much of his face, it kind of gest lost in all the other players.

#5 Almost got it, but ya really gotta try and get the face of the shooter unless the defender is doing something interesting. This defender (is playing poor defense) is just standing there. Great timing though, just wish you were on the other side of the hoop, i'm sure you do to.

For a first game your off to a great start, i think its more about positioning then anything else. Also, you may have more keepers if you shoot in portrait more then landscape, they both have their place but in sports you'll find that most good shots are in portrait...MOST good shots.

Where wree ya sitting?

What was your setup? I see your using a flash, i've been struggling all year with this gym lighting and have moved away from the flash all together with my 1D, you have a 20D and great ISO performance, i say we utilize that.

[cbass]

Which lens of yours did you use for those shots?

[gramps]

WOW for the first try they look pretty good. I would dump the flash...........first, many schools do not want it used close to the game & in pic 2 the flash is "too much". Like timmyquest said "you have a 20D and great ISO performance, i say we utilize that".

[timmyquest]

http://www.pbase.com/timmyquest/image/39656470

This was shot at ISO 1600, with a 1D.

1600 or even 3200 on your 20D will look MUCH better

[clarity]

hey shining star, great pics:)
especially the one with the teammates
on the bench:p anyways, im curious
who won, st ignatius or mitty?
cuz i was a former student of
oak grove.. and we won ccs woot!
well yea, great pics again:lol:

[shiningstardv]

Where wree ya sitting?

What was your setup? I see your using a flash, i've been struggling all year with this gym lighting and have moved away from the flash all together with my 1D, you have a 20D and great ISO performance, i say we utilize that.Which lens of yours did you use for those shots?I was sitting about 4 feet from the corner of the court on the hoop side of the court...right about where the 3 point arc connects to the back of the court.

My setup was a 20D with a 580EX. I used two different lenses--the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 and the 50mm f/1.8. The Tamron was used for all the landscape photos above and the 50mm was used on the portraits (not intentional...just worked out that way). I will try less flash next game I shoot. That gym is tough lighting...even with usable 3200 ISO. I'll keep working on it...thanks for all the critiques on the photos! It really helps!

[shiningstardv]

hey shining star, great pics:)
especially the one with the teammates
on the bench:p anyways, im curious
who won, st ignatius or mitty?
cuz i was a former student of
oak grove.. and we won ccs woot!
well yea, great pics again:lol:


Mitty won this game. Our basketball teams (both men's and women's) are pretty darn good. Two years ago both varsity teams made it to state semi-finals, and I think it may have even been the finals, can't remember. Last year we did well too...

I'm not a huge sports fan in general, but I like photographing it!

[shiningstardv]

#3 I like the B&W, i dont like the lack of action though. You've got the ball in view, but it looks like it is just getting stared at, there is no emotion in this photo.It's interesting how you say this, because to me I find this to be one of the photos with emotion, the black and white adding to it. Every team member (even the ones in the background who are out of the DOF) is looking at the same spot, waiting to see where the ball will go. To me it captured a moment of wonder and spontaneity and the black and white seemed to add to this "classic freeze frame" type of moment. Just goes to show you how one photograph can be interpreted in so many different ways by different people. Cool!

[pcasciola]

Actually, I agree with timmyquest. #3 looks to me like they are looking up like when we were kids, and said, "Ok, the ball is stuck between the rim and backboard, how are we going to get it down now". #2 probably has the most potential, I like that one but I can't see the ball. #5 is good too, but I'd rather see it from the other side a little earlier in the shot, and see the shooters face.

I see at least a partially white ceiling there, and the 580EX is pretty powerful. Have you tried bouncing it off the ceiling instead of direct? That would be an interesting test.

Overall, I think you did well though. I know how bad this lighting is, and I'm not even permitted to use a flash or strobes, so it can get very frustrating.