Shooting HS Basketball

[rrw4258]

I will be shooting HS basketball for a first time this year, and have a quick question... Will I be able to shoot from the baseline around the court during JV & Varsity games? What is everyones experience with shooting HS basketball? Thanks

Ryan

[DHMN]

I will be shooting HS basketball for a first time this year, and have a quick question... Will I be able to shoot from the baseline around the court during JV & Varsity games? What is everyones experience with shooting HS basketball? Thanks

Ryan

Every gym is different.. if there isn't more than a couple feet between the wall and the endline.. I wouldn't tempt fate by having a player step on you and sprain an ankle or worse..

You'll need a better lens than what's in your signature in most (if not all) gyms also.

[Patrick]

If there's room, I like to get a little to the side just behind the backboard.

[snyderman]

If you're on the baseline, the best place to setup (in my experience) is 2' outside the baseline and about 6' in from the sideline. Do NOT get inside the paint area where the players line up for free-throw shooting. You'll most assuredly draw the ire of the officials.

When you're fortunate enough to be allowed the courtside action, always be mindful to stay clear of the officials and players and the cheerleaders as well.

dave

[wyofizz]

Echo what Dave and DHMN said.
Your out of luck with those lens.
Your only hope would be to strobe.

[DC Fan]

I will be shooting HS basketball for a first time this year, and have a quick question... Will I be able to shoot from the baseline around the court during JV & Varsity games?

Maybe, but don't count on it.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/2009-11-28b-0702.jpg

There's a good chance you'll encounter something like this, where cheerleaders and the school band take up the endline area. It's going to be considered their area, and you won't be able to do anything about it. If that happens...


http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/2009-11-28b-0418.jpg

...find another place. This image, from the same game, was from four rows up in the grandstand, a few feet behind the endline. It came from a XTi and a 70-300mm IS USM lens, with the XTi at ISO 3200 through a firmware hack. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=742806)

Now, if you are fortunate enough to get an endline location, there's a low-cost solution to getting images in a gym without flash.


http://www.kevinlillard.com/online/2009-11-28b-0948_f.jpg


The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II usually costs less than US $100, and it's the most economical way to get images in low-light situations with decent shutter speed. That lens was used in combination with Imagenomic Noiseware to generate the above image from the ISO 3200-hacked XTi.

There will be plenty of useful angles at a basketball game. Just don't count on the endline location unless you've arranged for that shooting position with the school or the athletic director in advance. And, you won't exactly know what you can achieve with your equipment until you get to the gym. Just expect to use ISO 1600 and pay attention to the action.

[40Dude6aedyk]

Those photos of DC Fan are either not in a HS gym or in one of the most expensive HS gyms I have ever seen.

I never had a problem shooting from the baseline. Be courteous and don't get in anybody's way and you'll be fine.

This photo shows a photographer (OOF) at opposite end of court directly under the basket:
http://twsp.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p234132229-3.jpg

If you stand/sit around the baseline, you can get some shots like this:
http://twsp.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p159741682-4.jpg

[wyofizz]

I should clarify.
If you are going to be selling the images then you will most likely need fast glass or strobes.

[Gary Wiant]

This will also be my first year shooting HS Basketball.

At least at our home court getting behind the baseline just is not going to happen, my question is should I shoot from the stands with my 70-200 f2.8 or should I purchase a 50mm prime and crop the images?

[wyofizz]

Does that mean you can't get on the court at all?
If so the 50 isn't going to work

[hwrd]

Those photos of DC Fan are either not in a HS gym or in one of the most expensive HS gyms I have ever seen.

Welcome to Indiana, home of 9 of the 11 largest high school gyms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_high_school_gyms_in_the_United_States) in the country.

[Gary Wiant]

Nope no room on the court I'd be afraid of getting kicked out of the gym by the refs for being "on the court" I know when I was a BB Official we wouldn't let anyone on the floor because of room restraints. our home court has a little room under the one basket and I will shoot there if the bleechers are not pulled out but usually they keep the pep band on those bleechers and setting with the band would drive me completely nuts

Looks like my 70-200 will stay on the camera for BB also.

Thanks
Gary

[rrw4258]

Thanks for the help everyone... I have a nifty fifty, just haven't updated my signature... I graduated from the high school last year and I am friends with the athletic director, so getting on the baseline should not be a problem... thanks again

Ryan

[MT Stringer]

Ryan, if you get to shoot from the baseline, position yourself on the right hand side (when facing the court). Sit if you like. Makes for some good shots. I used the 70-200 f/2.8 exclusively the last two weekends shooting from that position. I also went up in the stands about 10 rows to shoot over the tall ones (and short ones also). You get a different view from up there.

I might also note that I almost got run over twice last Saturday. The games were pretty intense. And the back wall was almost 15 feet behind the baseline and I still had to put up a hand to help stop a runaway player.

The 50mm might work well for you for shots up fairly close. I was shooting up to 200 mm as the players were coming down the court towards me. I was using a 1D MK III which has a 1.3x sensor so the 70-200 wasn't as strong as it would be on a 1.6x sensor camera like yours. That's why I say the 50mm should work pretty good for you.

I'm still going through game pics and posting them to MaxPreps as fast as I can. Just 22 more games and I'll be caught up.

For some examples of the MK III and 70-200, click on my MaxProfile and check out the games played in the McDonalds tournament week before last.

One last note. I was using two Alien Bees 1600's mounted on 13 foot light stands and aimed out at the mid court area.
Good luck.
Mike

[ssmith]

What are the three main types of shooting in basketball?

Regards
Live cricket score (http://www.cricandcric.com/)

[MT Stringer]

What are the three main types of shooting in basketball?

Regards
Live cricket score (http://www.cricandcric.com/)

Is this a test? :-)

All I am after is ball, face and action...and a good shooting position.

[40Dude6aedyk]

What are the three main types of shooting in basketball?
Field goals, 3-pointers and free throws.

Both layups and dunks count as field goals.