Minor leauge baseball game

[Simon Turkin]

I have been granted the oppertunity to shoot at a brooklyn cyclones game on short notice so I cant rent a lens... This is a very exciting event due to the fact that I am still in high school. I will have full press credentials and have never done any sports outside of my high school. All the gear I own is in my sig. And I dont have money to buy a new one. What do you suggest my settings should be on? What techniques should i be using? Any advice is appreciated

[clarence]

All the gear I own is in my sig.

What do you suggest my settings should be on? What techniques should i be using?

Day game or Night game?

Take the 50D and the 70-300 IS. Shoot in Av mode, with aperture wide open.

Adjust ISO to keep shutter speeds above 1/500". Ideally up to 1/1000". Unless the minor league park is a cave, even a night game, the 50D's high ISO should be able to do fine.

Use Noise Ninja or Neat Image in post-production for noise reduction, if necessary. But don't let your shutter speeds drop... noise you can clean up, but you can't get rid of motion blur.

[Simon Turkin]

Day game or Night game?

Take the 50D and the 70-300 IS. Shoot in Av mode, with aperture wide open.

Adjust ISO to keep shutter speeds above 1/500". Ideally up to 1/1000". Unless the minor league park is a cave, even a night game, the 50D's high ISO should be able to do fine.

Use Noise Ninja or Neat Image in post-production for noise reduction, if necessary. But don't let your shutter speeds drop... noise you can clean up, but you can't get rid of motion blur.

Its a night game... So Ill bump the iso and post process. From the photo well should I use a monopod? any other advice or tips are appreciated

[clarence]

No need for a monopod... the 70-300 is relatively short and lightweight. Plus, you'll be keeping your shutter speeds up to 1/500 - 1/1000, so lens shake won't be a factor. Monopods get clumsy unless you're just parked in one spot for the whole game. I like monopods with 400mm lenses for football, soccer, and lacrosse, but not for baseball.

Same with IS... you might as well turn it off. You won't need it as long as you keep your shutter speeds up. With it off, you won't have to wait for the stabilizer gyro to spin up and your batteries will last much longer.

[DC Fan]

Baseball with a 70-300mm IS. Third base side.

http://www.fansview.com/racing/20090604a1129.jpg

http://www.fansview.com/racing/20090604a1196.jpg

http://www.fansview.com/racing/20090604a0888.jpg

Equipment won't be a problem. The challenge is to follow the patterns of the game, to decide where to look and what to cover. Eventually you'll get some good shots and miss some others, because you can't look everywhere at the same time. The easy pattern is to concentrate on home plate until there are runners on base, then track the runners and infielders. A big decision is location - there are arguments for positioning yourself at first, third or behind home. You'll need something longer than a 300mm if you're going to work from the outfield.

[Simon Turkin]

Baseball with a 70-300mm IS. Third base side.

http://www.fansview.com/racing/20090604a1129.jpg

http://www.fansview.com/racing/20090604a1196.jpg

http://www.fansview.com/racing/20090604a0888.jpg

Equipment won't be a problem. The challenge is to follow the patterns of the game, to decide where to look and what to cover. Eventually you'll get some good shots and miss some others, because you can't look everywhere at the same time. The easy pattern is to concentrate on home plate until there are runners on base, then track the runners and infielders. A big decision is location - there are arguments for positioning yourself at first, third or behind home. You'll need something longer than a 300mm if you're going to work from the outfield.

What do you suggest with the reach I have Third? First ?

[fslshooter]

What do you suggest with the reach I have Third? First ?

Distances to action should be about the same whether you shoot from the third or first base pit so you might want to consider other factors: 1) Which way is the sun setting -- it's difficult to shoot into setting sun but with the sun setting at your back you'll probablly have very good to excellent light. 2) First base line is probably best for batters coming out if the box -- especially left hand batters. 3) Third base line is best for right handed pitchers -- first base line is best for lefties. At most MiLB games you're allowed to move back and forth from pit to pit between innings -- ask the home plate umpire prior to game start. You might find info in THIS POST (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=136949) helpful.

[Simon Turkin]

Distances to action should be about the same whether you shoot from the third or first base pit so you might want to consider other factors: 1) Which way is the sun setting -- it's difficult to shoot into setting sun but with the sun setting at your back you'll probablly have very good to excellent light. 2) First base line is probably best for batters coming out if the box -- especially left hand batters. 3) Third base line is best for right handed pitchers -- first base line is best for lefties. At most MiLB games you're allowed to move back and forth from pit to pit between innings -- ask the home plate umpire prior to game start. You might find info in THIS POST (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=136949) helpful.

Thanks alot Jerry, The long post was very, very helpful. Now I just have one last question.... The article is a feature for a college newspaper where the player went to school. (he was just drafted). If he plays second base is it better to shoot across the diamond from the third base well or from his side on the first base well? Thanks

[fslshooter]

The first base well will probably be best. Couple of reasons 1) You'll be closer to most of his action shooting from there and 2) If he fields second base during a double play attempt from there to first you might get an excellent face shot of him. Often the second baseman takes the last throw from the catcher during between inning warm ups. If he takes it, you can probably get a very good action shot of his catch -- try to get him with no other players in the background and it will look like game action. You can get this shot from either photo well.

[gromeo]

Good advice Jerry, the only other advice I can ad would be if you are shooting from the 1st base side, watch the 1st base coaches movement, see which way he moves during certain plays, this way you know where to stand and not get blocked out for a play at 2nd, good luck and have fun.
By the way Jerry, are you still covering MiLB teams in our area? I have been trying to cover the Manatees but seems like every time I get a chance it is rained out.

[fslshooter]

By the way Jerry, are you still covering MiLB teams in our area? I have been trying to cover the Manatees but seems like every time I get a chance it is rained out.

Yes, as time and energy permit :). I'm definitely slowing down though and I have another tog helping me this season. As for the Brevard County Manatees, historically they have more rain outs than any other ballpark in the Florida State League -- it's a good place to shoot when the sun's shining though. It's one of the best FSL ballparks to shoot left handed pitchers at evening games -- the sun sets from the first base line across the pitcher's mound.