Girls HS Track

[xtrpureguts]

Have been shooting sports for 2 years, but here is my first try at a track meet. Shot with my 20D and 70-200 f2.8 IS at f5.6, ISO 400, 1/640 sec. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Don

http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20781209-L.jpg

[SonicZoom]

nice shot, but i'm still sticking by my belief that any fool can take one good picture out of a day. Post up some more ;)

[cactusclay]

Nice shot.

[xtrpureguts]

Hope these additional shots elevate me from potential fool to at least lucky ;)
http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20731939-L.jpg
http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20781206-L.jpg
http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20841173-L.jpg
http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20694750-L.jpg

and the whole gallery if interested:
http://pure-action-sports.smugmug.com/gallery/503311

[Hydro]

Nice ones. Are you doing much post processing, or are these pretty close to out of the camera?

[xtrpureguts]

Thanks for the feedback. Most of those shots had limited post processing. Cropping and minor tweeking of levels. First one likely had sharpening since I made into 8x10....Don

[SonicZoom]

yea man good work. I'm sure the track team will dig them up in a heartbeat!

[grego]

Why are you shooting at f/5.6? If you shoot at 2.8 you get a faster shutter, you can shoot at a lower iso, etc.

Anyway, you want to get as much bg blur as possible. If it does not add to the photo, it takes away as my photo journalism teacher taught me.

[xtrpureguts]

Why are you shooting at f/5.6?
Grego...good question. If you look at the whole gallery, I bounce around a bit with various ISO's and apertures, but mostly f5.6. Remember this was my first attempt at track and had no previous results to go to school on. I am taking these pictures for my daughters HS team. I am trying to get as many good shots of all the girls as possible. Many girls run one event and give me only one shot at a picture. The extra DOF of 5.6 gives me a little margin of error as they are coming towards me. Also as they are getting very close the DOF at 2.8 may have only part of the runner in focus. Now, if I was a better photographer I could alter the DOF between each picture as each girl aproached. but I'm not there yet. Next time out I' ll practice that and post the results.
Don

[PhotosGuy]

Great start! Keep at it!

[tuggnet]

These shots are great. I've been taking pictures of my daughter's track team this season also. I'm getting better at the field events but the running events seem to present a problem.

I've tried to shoot at 2.8, and many of my shots of runners are OOF. I'll give 5.6 a go next time and see what happens!

Always something to learn.

[JeM]

Ok, you have proven the 20d can take some tack sharp images. These photo's all have very distracting backgrounds which takes away from the main image.Try taking the shots from the other side of the track so you have a grass background instead of chainlink fencing. Try some shots dead on with the track in the background. It looks like your shooting from a distance lower av. to 3.2.

[xtrpureguts]

Try taking the shots from the other side of the track so you have a grass background instead of chainlink fencing.
JeM...Good idea, except the fence is right up against the track. To take shots with the infield in the background you would have to be on the track in the outside lanes. I took the following shot from the outside lanes during a distance event, but was asked to get off the track by an official.
http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20841167-L.jpg

Try some shots dead on with the track in the background.
The problem I had with the dead on shots was one of the legs would likely look like a stump since the shin and foot would be behind the thigh during the stride. I skipped over most of them during processing since I did not like the look. The following is an example from a slight angle. You can see how if it was from straight on the lower part of the leg would have been blocked. I will try a lower Av next time out. Thanks....Don

http://Pure-Action-Sports.smugmug.com/photos/20781226-M.jpg

[JeM]

This is what I mean about background. Keep it clean, unless it has something to do with main subject.

[JX]

Hi xtrpureguts,



Nice images and your web site is great. I disagree with JeM. The chain link fences do not distract from the main image. They are very common at most High School track fields.



Jim

[PhotosGuy]

Priorities: 1st is to get the job done! IF you can do that & get ideal shots at the same time, then great! We don't always have that choice & have to make the best of a lousy situation. If I know that I've done the best job possible at the time, then I'll settle for that. Doesn't mean that I'm happy with it. ;-)

[tombryan]

Don, these shots are great. Much better results then I've got for my daughters middle school track pics. I would try shooting at F4. Still have a little better DOF than 2.8 and it will blur out the background more than 5.6.

Your colors look real nice. Mine were a little flat. So, what color settings or parameters are you set at, and what AF mode are you using.

My biggest problem was nailing the focus with AF. I've been using AI as Servo was too hit and miss.

BTW, my daughter made it to State in the 100m 7th grade, and both my daughters made it to state in the same 4x100 7th grade relay team. My 6th grade daughter is the first leg, my 7th grader is the anchor. Pretty cool.

Thanks for posting,
TB

[tombryan]

Here's one of the better pics of the day. Couldn't get very close at the Sectional meet so I chose to perch up in the stands.

TB

[xtrpureguts]

what color settings or parameters are you set at, and what AF mode are you using
TB...I have been using parameter 1, which is a +1 on contrast, sharpness, and saturation. I almost exclusively use AI Servo with the center focus point. I have been getting a 90+ percent acceptable focus ....Don

[drisley]

Very nice! But as others have suggested, I would tend to shoot at F2.8 or very close to it. This will give your images more "pop"

[tombryan]

Thanks Don. I appreciate it. Guess I'll have to be patient. I think most of my problem is probably my fault. My girls are running in a state track meet this weekend, so I'll have to give it another try. Going to shoot at 2.8 and see how I do, :)