Football Pics...(Soccer for some...)

[symes]

My EF 70-200mm L IS, just made its way here a couple of days ago and of course it hasn't stopped raining since I got it...WHAT A LENSE - going from the kit lens to that is a dream...

While these aren't the greatest and I was a little further back than I wanted to be cause of the rain, it didn't detract from the fun of using it...

For those of you that shoot Football on a regular basis, where do you normally shoot from. I am fortunate enough to be able to get as close as I want to the action...so is the best place behind the net or off to one of the sides?

OH yeah the big white lens certainly attracts a lot of attention...

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

Alright, that is just scary how far that guys leg is bending back in pic one! Great job!

[grego]

Well to start, you are on the field. ;)

From the end lines/baselines of each field, you'd shoot from. 200 is the very bare minimum, because there's a lot of field to cover.

And when you are shooting, you want to shoot with their faces in view, not their backs, generally.

[symes]

Well to start, you are on the field. ;)

From the end lines/baselines of each field, you'd shoot from. 200 is the very bare minimum, because there's a lot of field to cover.

And when you are shooting, you want to shoot with their faces in view, not their backs, generally.

Well I am so close to the field I might as well be on it...

And I tried to capture their faces but when I was just off to the side of the net I kept getting the net in my shots...oh well I will try again soon...

Cheers,

[gmen]

Good to see some football here Symes. I shoot quite a bit of it here in the UK.

The 70-200mm has the right reach for working in and around the penalty area. If you position yourself at the edge of the 18-yard area, a couple of yards back from the goal line, this will be pretty much ideal and you shouldn't have any problems with the net getting in the way!

The 70-200mm, however, doesn't really have enough reach to work successfully from the sideline, particularly if you are seeking goalmouth action. If you added the 1.4x extender or had the opportunity to use a 300mm or 400mm optic, then the sideline can be the better place to shoot from. Also, it is a good idea to work from a lower angle, as this will increase the dramatic effect of your images

I have some images in a recent thread here: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=72388 - these are shot at 420mm from the sidelines just to give you some idea of the possibilities.

Hope that helps a little - I look forward to your next post!