Strobed HS basketball from tonight

[northpointphoto]

Well Christmas break for the local high school's is over :) so after a two week break I finally got to get out and shoot some sports again. Shooting in this gym was like shooting in a cave. Ambient was approx 1/250, f2.8, ISO 4000

Lighting Info:
Two Nikon SB-26's placed at top of bleachers even with base line aimed at top of key (35mm 1/2power)
One Nikon SB-28 placed on ground under basket about 8 feet behind baseline (24mm 1/4 power)

Camera Info:
Nikon D300, Sigma 28-70 f2.8, 1/250, f4, ISO 500

Processing:
Crop
Slight level adjustment
Slight sharpen

C&C Appreciated

Thanks,
Russell

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3175536351_8f3f817769_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3175528323_4178581206_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/3175535093_1cd3543a03_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3176367756_c8cef2e0f0_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3175515803_ca273280f7_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3176372624_7e425bcb8d_b.jpg

[Sauk]

Russell,

I like the action. Something seems off in the images though processing wise. To much contrast? Colors look really vibrant and nice, but something seems off for me.

Like the shots though

[northpointphoto]

Russell,

I like the action. Something seems off in the images though processing wise. To much contrast? Colors look really vibrant and nice, but something seems off for me.

Like the shots though

Thanks

Only thing I did processing wise is crop, W/B adjustment, levels adjustment, and slight sharpen filter.

[Sauk]

Russell,

Some more CC, the horizons on a few are off as well. I really like the action and I think some of them the whites are blown out by quite a bit. Did you try to recover them at all?

[shadowcat]

Not to complain but why post Nikon pix in a canon forum?

[Sauk]

I believe this is an open forum that's why. :) I don't mind it as this is a sports forum

[namasste]

I kind of agree with Matt here. It might be my bad eyes but they seem noisy for even an ambient shot let alone strobed. Action and colors look really nice and the exposure seems decent (or a touch hot as Matt said). Weird. BTW, the HAD to call a travel on that one shot didn't they?

[northpointphoto]

Russell,

Some more CC, the horizons on a few are off as well. I really like the action and I think some of them the whites are blown out by quite a bit. Did you try to recover them at all?

No I didn't try to recover the whites too much.

[Sauk]

Russell,

what are you using to process your images?

I hope you don't mind here is one of your shots with adjusting for the hot whites

[northpointphoto]

I kind of agree with Matt here. It might be my bad eyes but they seem noisy for even an ambient shot let alone strobed. Action and colors look really nice and the exposure seems decent (or a touch hot as Matt said). Weird. BTW, the HAD to call a travel on that one shot didn't they?


Im not sure about the travel call. I would like to assume so but the game was moving so fast I didn't catch all the calls.

Also, Its not your eyes they are noisy. Im not really sure why. I could be because I didnt use any noise reduction (either in camera or in post) or be due to the cropping. Im all ears if anyone has any suggestions to fix that.

[northpointphoto]

Russell,

what are you using to process your images?

I hope you don't mind here is one of your shots with adjusting for the hot whites

I dont mind at all, it looks good. I normally shoot in RAW and adjust in ACR then in PS I crop and sharpen slightly.

Last night I shot in jpg because I left my large cards on my desk at home. Shooting in jpg could also be part of the reason the images are noisy.

[Sauk]

Yeah I think just a touch of the recovery bar on these and a few minor tweaks and these are spot on.

Again besides the PP the shots show excellent action

[northpointphoto]

Here's one I redid. I bumped up the recovery bar and ran it through noiseware.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3177718826_4f154c7b18_b.jpg

[DHMN]

The hanging lights remind me that almost every gym/arena in my area is changing to fluorescent bulbs from those old style reflected domes to be more 'green'.. every gym or hockey arena I've watched a game in this year seems so much brighter, and less 'yellow tinted' than before.

[namasste]

Im not sure about the travel call. I would like to assume so but the game was moving so fast I didn't catch all the calls.

Also, Its not your eyes they are noisy. Im not really sure why. I could be because I didnt use any noise reduction (either in camera or in post) or be due to the cropping. Im all ears if anyone has any suggestions to fix that.I bet it might be the crop.

[Sauk]

DHMN,

Yeah a few I have noticed have done this. There is zero recycling that I have seen and like you said brighter.

http://801images.exposuremanager.com/scripts/expman.pl?rm=view_photo&photo_id=_mg_834516&dir=galleries/2/1&file=_mg_8345_large.jpg

[northpointphoto]

The hanging lights remind me that almost every gym/arena in my area is changing to fluorescent bulbs from those old style reflected domes to be more 'green'.. every gym or hockey arena I've watched a game in this year seems so much brighter, and less 'yellow tinted' than before.

There are 11 high schools and of the 11 only 1 is great to shoot in and 2 are decent. The one with great lighting (1/250, f2.8, ISO 800ish) I believe has the new lights and the WB is so much easier in that gym.

The other two good gyms have similar lights but have cream colored walls which doesnt help with the WB

The other 8 gyms in the county just plain suck. they use the old style light and they are at or over 1/250, f2.8, ISO 3200ish.