Braves Spring Training - March 10

[fslshooter]

Last night the Atlanta Braves Spring Training game was rained out. Today there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Bright sun, white uniform trousers, and shadows cast by baseball caps are difficult to deal with.

#1 - John Thomson

http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_010-01.jpg

#2 - Horacio Ramirez

http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_016-01.jpg

#3 - Marcus Giles

http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_020-01.jpg

#4 - Adam LaRoche

http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_036-01.jpg

[OviV]

Nice shots. Did you use the shadow/highlight tool in PS to try to get more detail in the shadows? Reason I ask is that the pictures look a bit flat which is what happens to me when I use that tool.

Ovi

[fslshooter]

Yes I used the PS shadow/highlight tool and I don't like the flat appearance. Unfortunately I've not found anything better than it to pick up details in the shadows cast by our intense Florida sunshine. I'm a relatively new PS user and open to any suggestions that might work better. Perhaps someone else here can help us.

[zach]

Nice pics fslshooter. I'm headed out to Arizona to see the Padres/Angels this weekend. I hope I can get a few keepers.

[Billy Ocean]

Great pics. What type of Zoom were you using?

[fslshooter]

Great pics. What type of Zoom were you using?

70-200. These are tight crops of the originals.

[gmen]

Just a thought on your exposure issue.

Try shooting straight into the sun and expose for the shadow detail. Yep, you will blow some of the highlights in the backgrounds, but the participants will be better exposed. Also the strong backlighting can produce a dramatic effect.

By way of an example, here's a shot taken with strong backlighting...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pfy500.jpg

[PacAce]

Yes I used the PS shadow/highlight tool and I don't like the flat appearance. Unfortunately I've not found anything better than it to pick up details in the shadows cast by our intense Florida sunshine. I'm a relatively new PS user and open to any suggestions that might work better. Perhaps someone else here can help us.
Adjust the image for good contrast (I use local contrast as described here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml). Then go into the Shadow/Highlight tool with the "Show more options" checked. In the Shadows box, set Amount: to 20 and Tonal Width to 15. All the other parameters should be set to the default values. Play with the above numbers until the shadow details are the way you want without washing them out.

[fslshooter]

Just a thought on your exposure issue.

Try shooting straight into the sun and expose for the shadow detail. Yep, you will blow some of the highlights in the backgrounds, but the participants will be better exposed. Also the strong backlighting can produce a dramatic effect.



Thanks gmen -- I really do like the effect and I'll try your suggestion on my next shoot. It appears as though you either shot with much bigger glass than my 200mm or at closer range than I did -- I wonder it that will affect things. My images are cropped radically from much larger originals.

[gmen]

Thanks gmen -- I really do like the effect and I'll try your suggestion on my next shoot. It appears as though you either shot with much bigger glass than my 200mm or at closer range than I did -- I wonder it that will affect things. My images are cropped radically from much larger originals.

That shot was at 300mm. I guess at 200mm you might be liable for more flare when shooting straight into the sun. Might be worth laying your hands on a 1.4x extender perhaps which would help you crop a lttle bit tighter in camera.

With regards to the shadow and highlight tool in PS, try increasing the 'radius' to around 200 pixels or more and add a little 'midtone contrast', I find that can give a better (i.e. less flat) effect.

I'm sure there are others here with better PS techniques, but that works for me when I need to use the S&H tool.

[fslshooter]

Adjust the image for good contrast (I use local contrast as described here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/contrast-enhancement.shtml). Then go into the Shadow/Highlight tool with the "Show more options" checked. In the Shadows box, set Amount: to 20 and Tonal Width to 15. All the other parameters should be set to the default values. Play with the above numbers until the shadow details are the way you want without washing them out.

Thanks Leo. I redid the above four images using your suggested parameters. The results are at these links:

#1 - http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_010-01b.jpg
#2 - http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_016-01b.jpg
#3 - http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_020-01b.jpg
#4 - http://www.ourcubs.com//potn/050310_036-01b.jpg

I think they're better if I have managed to pick up enough facial detail in the shadows cast by the cap bills. I would appreciate your opinion.

Thanks, Jerry

[fslshooter]

That shot was at 300mm. I guess at 200mm you might be liable for more flare when shooting straight into the sun. Might be worth laying your hands on a 1.4x extender perhaps which would help you crop a lttle bit tighter in camera.

With regards to the shadow and highlight tool in PS, try increasing the 'radius' to around 200 pixels or more and add a little 'midtone contrast', I find that can give a better (i.e. less flat) effect.

I'm sure there are others here with better PS techniques, but that works for me when I need to use the S&H tool.

A shooter friend let me try his 1.4x at a game the other day and to tell the truth I could hardly see the difference with and without it from the distance we were shooting -- about 120 feet. The 400mm f2.8 is the glass of choice for baseball shooters and I want one so bad it hurts. Unfortunately it just won't fit my budget right now. I know that the cost of a 1.4x is peanuts compared to that of the 400mm but I might not spend another penny on equipment until I get myself one. I'll try the PS suggestion. Thanks again, Jerry.