Anyone care to speculate on the outcome of my first HS basketball game shoot?

[snyderman]

keeping in mind I'm totally new to DSLR shooting. Here are a few thoughts and feel free to add your own wisdom. Don't really know what to expect in terms of the outcome so here is what I'm thinking:

Gear: 30D; 17-50 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8. Thinking of using the short lens (thanks POTN for the help on that decision!) for under the basket plays, free-throw shooting and possibly some 'inside the huddle' shots during time-outs.

Shooting Mode: Plan A is set camera to Av Mode, lenses wide open and hope to see high enough shutter speeds for action shots. If not, plan B is Tv at 1/400 or faster and maybe some PP later? Plan C is Manual Mode and fewer shots. Plan D is shoot only slow-moving action and stay away from high-speed action. I'll likely keep the camera in AI Servo for the long lens and try catching a point guard coming up the floor and setting up half-court offense or shooting the three-ball.

Settings: Manual settings would be: lens(es) wide open, ISO 1600 and 1/500 shutter speed.

Physical Shooting: I'm going to buy a monopod yet today since I can't seem to keep the long lens still while shooting. Heavy SOB!!! Just rotate the mounting ring 90* for vertical shooting I assume? Grip with 2 batteries will be attached to 30D. Any lefties out there? Too bad left-hand models aren't available!!! :)

Housekeeping Issues: No flash allowed. Will speak with officiating crew beforehand for approved shooting locations. At or behind scoring table; first couple of rows of stands behind home team bench, near the basket where official WON'T be; out of the way of cheerleader leg kicks, backflips, etc.

Credentials: I'm shooting the entire season (home games only) for the school's AD, so he has a series of tickets that will get me into all home games.

At this point, I know enough to know that I DON'T yet know enough. Words of wisdom welcome!

Thank you.

dave s

[Nimitz87]

keeping in mind I'm totally new to DSLR shooting. Here are a few thoughts and feel free to add your own wisdom. Don't really know what to expect in terms of the outcome so here is what I'm thinking:

Gear: 30D; 17-50 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8. Thinking of using the short lens (thanks POTN for the help on that decision!) for under the basket plays, free-throw shooting and possibly some 'inside the huddle' shots during time-outs.

Shooting Mode: Plan A is set camera to Av Mode, lenses wide open and hope to see high enough shutter speeds for action shots. If not, plan B is Tv at 1/400 or faster and maybe some PP later? Plan C is Manual Mode and fewer shots. Plan D is shoot only slow-moving action and stay away from high-speed action. I'll likely keep the camera in AI Servo for the long lens and try catching a point guard coming up the floor and setting up half-court offense or shooting the three-ball.

Settings: Manual settings would be: lens(es) wide open, ISO 1600 and 1/500 shutter speed.

Physical Shooting: I'm going to buy a monopod yet today since I can't seem to keep the long lens still while shooting. Heavy SOB!!! Just rotate the mounting ring 90* for vertical shooting I assume? Grip with 2 batteries will be attached to 30D. Any lefties out there? Too bad left-hand models aren't available!!! :)

Housekeeping Issues: No flash allowed. Will speak with officiating crew beforehand for approved shooting locations. At or behind scoring table; first couple of rows of stands behind home team bench, near the basket where official WON'T be; out of the way of cheerleader leg kicks, backflips, etc.

Credentials: I'm shooting the entire season (home games only) for the school's AD, so he has a series of tickets that will get me into all home games.

At this point, I know enough to know that I DON'T yet know enough. Words of wisdom welcome!

Thank you.

dave s

I don't know much...but good luck with the fast glass seems high enough shutter speeds wouldn't be to much of a problem.

Chad

[Dan-o]

If not, plan B is Tv at 1/400 or faster and maybe some PP later?

What good is it to switch to TV? It isn't going to magically stop your lens down to F1.4. Changing from AV to TV when you are already shooting wide open will not accomplish anything. Just stay in AV and use ISO and exposure comp. to get your shutter to where you want it until you learn to shoot manual.

Settings: Manual settings would be: lens(es) wide open, ISO 1600 and 1/500 shutter speed.

Setting will be not what you want but what the lighting will allow. Good luck.

[Dan-o]

Also go to ISO 3200 if need be. Do not under expose or pick a lower shutter speed because you don't want to go to 3200. Properly exposed 3200 is better then under exposed 1600.

[snyderman]

Also go to ISO 3200 if need be. Do not under expose or pick a lower shutter speed because you don't want to go to 3200. Properly exposed 3200 is better then under exposed 1600.

Good stuff Dan-o. Thanks for the tips. Like I said, I know just enough to be dangerous at this point.

dave

[40Dude6aedyk]

You really won't have time to be switching lenses except between quarters.

Also, I don't think a monopod is going to do you any good at all.

Finally, tickets for HS games are about $2-$3 ... your AD is a big spender! Get him to buy you something from the concession stand as well.

I've been coaching basketball for about 7 years now. I know all the coaches, the refs, the parents, the players ... so contrary to popular belief good photographers can just about go anywhere in the gym at HS games for shots if they talk to the right people.

[snyderman]

You really won't have time to be switching lenses except between quarters.

Also, I don't think a monopod is going to do you any good at all.



About switching lenses. I thought about doing a half with the long and a half with the short. Have pretty much the entire season to get 'adequate' at this. At the end of the seaons, delivering a hundred 'useable' shots from him to choose from is my goal.

No help with a monopod, eh? Man, at this point, I'll let someone ELSE hold to the camera to try to get rid of the motion issues! Maybe shooting at 1/500 will elminate MOST of the issues I'm having playing around inside with the gear.

dave

[DDCSD]

A monopod will be a serious PITA shooting bball. You're too close to the action and need to swing the lens around too much when the action gets in the paint. If you can get 1/500 you won't have to worry about camera shake much at all anyways.

[40Dude6aedyk]

No help with a monopod, eh? Man, at this point, I'll let someone ELSE hold to the camera to try to get rid of the motion issues! Maybe shooting at 1/500 will elminate MOST of the issues I'm having playing around inside with the gear.

dave
I brace my body and arms against the wall at the baseline.

[HuskyKMA]

Yeah, don't bother with a monopod. I've season tickets to UW basketball games for a few years now, and there's always 6-12 photographers shooting at them. Not once have I seen a monopod.

[mpeters]

Forget the monopod - it's a safety issue if nothing else. You will be moving the lens up and down as well as side to side, it will be a bigger hassle than it's worth.

as for left handed shooting - turn the camera upside down (the vertical grip controls will be where you need them).

[Mike R]

You have already been given good avice about the shooting aspect so I'll just add that being a team photographer should get you into Home and Away games without a problem or a ticket. When I go to an Away game, I just tell them I'm the team's photographer and they let me right in.

[Croasdail]

The long lens will be pointless for almost everything baseline. Your best shots will come at 50 mm or less. And get your round spot on the ground if you can, take a knee at worst. Do not be standing down there. You assumed shutter speed may be a little high as well. Many HS gyms just aren't that well lit. good luck with it.

[snyderman]

Yeah, don't bother with a monopod. I've season tickets to UW basketball games for a few years now, and there's always 6-12 photographers shooting at them. Not once have I seen a monopod.

Kevin:

thanks for the monopod tip. I don't want to look like I've 'never been there' before!

dave

[snyderman]

The long lens will be pointless for almost everything baseline. Your best shots will come at 50 mm or less. And get your round spot on the ground if you can, take a knee at worst. Do not be standing down there. You assumed shutter speed may be a little high as well. Many HS gyms just aren't that well lit. good luck with it.

thanks for the tips. Yep, expect to get the PG coming up the floor with the 70-200 and maybe some top of the key area setups.

Did pickup a 17-50 for the under the basket and low post setups by the big guys. Shooting 'tight' is what I'm gong to be, er... shooting for!

dave

[snyderman]

You have already been given good avice about the shooting aspect so I'll just add that being a team photographer should get you into Home and Away games without a problem or a ticket. When I go to an Away game, I just tell them I'm the team's photographer and they let me right in.


Thanks! I like that idea. I'll have a backpack with camera gear ... hopefully, that'll be enough ticket along with dropping the ADs name.

dave

[snyderman]

I brace my body and arms against the wall at the baseline.

Thanks for that tip! Sometimes I don't think of the obvious. During football season the fence turned into a best friend because of the long shots and low light.

dave

[snyderman]

Forget the monopod - it's a safety issue if nothing else. You will be moving the lens up and down as well as side to side, it will be a bigger hassle than it's worth.

as for left handed shooting - turn the camera upside down (the vertical grip controls will be where you need them).

Thanks for the idea. And not a bad one at that! As much as a PITA being left-handed can be at times, forcing myself to learn and shoot M and right handed is good for me.

Heck, I've been playing guitar righty for more than 30 years without issue so shooting pics can be LEARNED, I guess.

dave

[snyderman]

Thanks to everyone who responded with advice and words of encouragement.

Shot first basketball action (3-team scrimmage) last night. Wow ... hats off to the pros here. This was much more difficult than expected. Here are some thoughts about how things went:

Lighting was good enough to shoot wide-open, (2.8); H iso, (could have dropped to 1600 probably; 1/400-500 and 1/600 on occasion.
I had serious focus issues and can understand what happened looking at a bunch of badly OOF shots--like the gatorade can in perfect focus and my subject completely OOF
Did a couple of things well--had the camera straight during shooting; Shot tight; was in the right place often; Got some 'interesting' (not to be confused with GOOD!) shotsHere's what went NOT WELL at all:

Camera is much slower than anticipated. Shots taken represented missed opportunities for me. Have to (as many said) 'anticipate' the action and start shooting EARLY!
Lots of focus issues. For example, the gym had a ceiling to floor backdrop on one end of the court which the camera chose to focus several times instead of the player/action. Perhaps the best shot of the lot was lost to this issue.
Didn't change settings when shooting a freethrow shot or other low-speed or stopped action shot. Need to remember to change settings for better resultsAgain, this was much more difficult than anticipated but was my first real shooting experience with a DSLR. And starting out on things moving quickly and really close to me might be a good example of 'baptism by fire!'

I'm going to post some shots later this afternoon when I get home from work. Look forward to some educated 'explaination' of what happened from the more experienced set her at POTN.

It WAS fun, though and I enjoyed the experience.

dave

[AB8ND]

For focus are you using the center AF point? Try using one of the others so AF Servo doesn't hand it off as a player moves around; custom function 13 set to 1 lets you use the joy stick to move it quicker. Then its just practice practice. I don't think I would shoot basketball on anything but manual, dark backgrounds, light or dark clothing or skin can throw things off. If it worked for you I'd stay with A or TV for now.
Don't know if you noticed, but the officials usually run up and down on the same side of the court leaving room on the opposite sides for you to shoot from, watch out for cheerleaders though they go there too. Try sitting under the scoring table shooting players or even going high in the bleachers shooting almost level with the basket

I don't find my 30d slow at all, do you mean continuous shooting, if so you are correct anticipate - "see the shot, shoot the shot, don't rely on motor drive to get the picture for you" (from an old time press shooter). Try to keep both eyes open, watch the game with one eye shoot with the other. This same old timer told me there is no reason each eye can't do something different. Now wish I was good at it.

jack

[mpeters]

A 30D only has one high-precision, cross type sensor - and it's the center point. If you are already having focus issues, then I would hesitate to move from the center point - but ensure that you have only the center point activated.

[AB8ND]

Forgot on my earlier post - Set your 30d to back button focus
Custom Function 4 -1. will put focus on the splat * button, this will make tracking players much faster.
I don't know about only one precision focus point I use the others all the time.

jack

[snyderman]

mpeters and AB8ND: Thanks for the pointers. I'm going to post a couple of shots (when I can get out of the office today!) from the game for you to review file data if you'd be interested in looking at what happened and maybe provide some direction, it would be appreciated!

I'll definitely check the custom menu to see if those items are in 'on' position. What you guys are saying makes sense.

dave