BB Experiment With the 300

[Zivnuska]

The Valley Center 8th grade girls were in the Conference Tournament Championship Game against a team they had split against in the regular season. The venue was so tight that it did not allow me to shoot from the baseline (just 4 feet to wall). I decided to try something different and shoot from midcourt with the 300mm and 3 Alien Bee B800 units behind me. One was aimed left (toward free throw line), one right, and one directly cross court. It took a while to balance the lighting and my first shots of the coaches showed problems with exposure and WB (as you will see in #3, 4, 5).

Using the 300 gave up traditional action shots in lieu of something more on the order of a sports portrait. Anyway, here is some of what I got. C & C appreciated.

1. The twin guards are introduced in the pre-game.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3516-1.jpg

2.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3514-1.jpg


3. Our Coach

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3552-Edit-Edit-1.jpg

4. Assistant Coach with my daughter

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3538.jpg

5. Opposing Coach

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3625.jpg

6. Some opposing players

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3548-Edit.jpg

7.

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3567-Edit.jpg


8. Guess Who Won!!! (taken with the 24-105)http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3653.jpg

[CoonCreek]

I really like them......as you said not the normal action shots, more of a portrait look. Bet the parents would love them.

Great work, like I've come to expect from your posts. One of these days I'd like to drive down and see your set up.

I'm between Dodge City and Great Bend. Just a novice but always anxious to learn.

[Zivnuska]

I really like them......as you said not the normal action shots, more of a portrait look. Bet the parents would love them.

Great work, like I've come to expect from your posts. One of these days I'd like to drive down and see your set up.

I'm between Dodge City and Great Bend. Just a novice but always anxious to learn.

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, the parents are delighted--big time. I wouldn't recommend this tight all the time but at the end of the season it was a fresh look. Plus, this experience will help me do better next time.

Come on down to Wichita and we'll have some fun. I'm shooting HS BB games (Freshmen and Varsity boys and girls) on Friday the 27th of Feb. from 4 till 9 if you want to join me shooting with Alien Bees (or ambient if you like). I'll spring for a dinner. IM me if you can do it. Bring your camera.

Phil Zivnuska

[namasste]

Phil, I'd be anxious to see how sales go for this game since I suspect you'll do better with these than action. As much as we love shooting action, parents just don't seem to buy much around here but if you get a few like this, they are all over them.

Images look very nice and I like the change from you. There's a few things I see that might be worth considering. I think you might be a touch under on most (and I understand you were balancing lights with ambient) but I think f3.2 is all it would have taken. I'd also drop the contrast just a touch and add a little more sharpening. Not knowing your sharpen routine, I can't say how I'd have done it differently but if you feeling like sharing that piece of it, I'll be happy to give another/additional option.

Again Phil, well done. I love seeing your stuff and seeing something different is especially nice.

[Zivnuska]

Scott,

Thanks for the critique. It will help me.

These pics just got a batch sharpen from Lightroom 2 (at 30). This was done to help get them up on the net overnight (100 images) because the girls like to see the pics ASAP. I will go back later and sharpen them individually but would appreciate some sharpening tips for photoshop for those special images where I spend the extra time.

I really need to calibrate my monitor (any maybe my eyes!). This isn't the first time that my images appear too dark to others. Thanks for mentioning that. It would be easy to correct both in camera and then to fine tune in post.

BTW, image #3 is about a 100% crop and I did do a lot of work on it because I wanted to get something flattering for the coach. It was almost a full stop under (as was #5) in the original image. Taken at the beginning of the game, I was still learning/adjusting lighting to get it more even. I was able to get the court fairly evenly lit but the benches were tough to get unless I changed (opened up) aperture

Again, thanks and I'd like to know your sharpening routine. I want to try this again with the high school girls.

Phil

[Zivnuska]

FWIW, here is the original

.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/zivnuska/_D3E3552.jpg

[namasste]

Scott,

Thanks for the critique. It will help me.

These pics just got a batch sharpen from Lightroom 2 (at 30). This was done to help get them up on the net overnight (100 images) because the girls like to see the pics ASAP. I will go back later and sharpen them individually but would appreciate some sharpening tips for photoshop for those special images where I spend the extra time.

I really need to calibrate my monitor (any maybe my eyes!). This isn't the first time that my images appear too dark to others. Thanks for mentioning that. It would be easy to correct both in camera and then to fine tune in post.

BTW, image #3 is about a 100% crop and I did do a lot of work on it because I wanted to get something flattering for the coach. It was almost a full stop under (as was #5) in the original image. Taken at the beginning of the game, I was still learning/adjusting lighting to get it more even. I was able to get the court fairly evenly lit but the benches were tough to get unless I changed (opened up) aperture

Again, thanks and I'd like to know your sharpening routine. I want to try this again with the high school girls.

Phil

pm'd ya

[Zivnuska]

pm'd ya

Nothing yet. ?

[Sauk]

i love the idea of doing something like this. I like the images, but the colors seem off to me.

[Zivnuska]

You are right about the colors being off--at least on the bench shots. My shots of players out on the floor had much truer colors than when I shot people on the bench. Part of the problem was that some of the early bench shots were boosted 1-1.2 f-stops in post but I think there is more going on than just that. It almost seems as if the bench shots were picking up some yellow/orange colored light reflecting off the wood floor. I don't know. Ideas anyone??? The twins were just 15 feet ahead of the bench when those pics were taken and the skin tones look good. If I do this again, I'll shoot a CWB on the floor and at the bench.

Frankly, I need to spend a few hours with a light meter and shooting CWBs before thinking I can evenly illuminate a whole basketball court including the benches with 3 bounced strobes. It is fun to try!

What do you guys think of my yellow/orange light reflected off the floor theory?

[Zivnuska]

I've taken time to review all my pics and the color issues seem to be primarily caused by those images that I underexposed in the camera. Better exposures = better color and less noise. Surprise, surprise :(

[petsnpeeps]

I think you were just showing off the 300... :rolleyes: :D