HS Basketball again

[JJNPRODUCTIONS]

So, during the last month or so, I invested into a hotshoe flash and also a 1.8 50 mm lens. I have versions of both to post, what ones work, what ones dont?

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs438.snc3/25195_332255274756_63422589756_3320386_3012461_n.j pg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs458.ash1/25195_332255549756_63422589756_3320414_3549315_n.j pg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs428.snc3/24666_342461609756_63422589756_3348827_6663190_n.j pg
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs160.snc3/18737_287068274756_63422589756_3173489_7796687_n.j pg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs160.snc3/18737_287079159756_63422589756_3173608_4108613_n.j pg

[JJNPRODUCTIONS]

23 views and no advice? I should mention, the shots with the hotshoe wre taken with my 18-55 3.5-5.6 lens and 75-300 f4.0-5.6. The first 3 were with my 50mm 1.8. If i remember correctly, they were

1/320
ISO 800
Aperature 1.8
WB Auto (couldnt find a comfortable custom)

[lowepg]

?

I didnt see any photos :-)

[Scott V]

Forget the shoeflash! Stick with the 1.8, shooting in ambient is tough...and the 1.8 helps a lot here. Keep pushing that trigger finger! We all get better, one shot at a time.

Scott~

[JJNPRODUCTIONS]

Scott, I also agre about my 50mm. Next question would be am I on the right track with it? My photojournalism teacher at my college said the 2nd shot with my 50mm is Portfolio worthy. Is this the case and waht kind of pp do i do to make it better?

[snyderman]

JJN:

Couple of thoughts--here are your settings:

1/320
ISO 800
Aperature 1.8
WB Auto (couldnt find a comfortable custom)

Here are mine using both a 50mm f/1.4 and an 85 f/1.8

Shutter - 1/640
ISO - 2500
Apeture - f/2
WB - either fluorescent or incandescent, one or the other is usually a lot closer than choosing AWB

More thoughts - Expose properly or even a 1/3 stop OVER when shooting ambient. this will produce the least amount of noise from shooting at higher ISO. Keep the shutter speed at 1/640--even for the girls! This will cut player and ball motion blur to an absolute minimum.

Crops: I like the running jumper the guy is shooting. You can crop the bottom half of the defender from that shot and still keep the entire 'in-air' body of the shooter. I like to show just enough of the defender to show the viewer that the player with the ball is being defended, but we don't need his legs and shoes on the floor in the pic to get the msg across.

lastly, all your shots appear a bit underexposed and dark. When shooing ambient in a HS school gym, set shutter speed to 1/640, apeture at 2.0 and raise the ISO until you have proper exposure. If you can't get that to work, lower shutter speed to 1/500. Much below that, you won't see sharp shots of anything moving!

Good luck. Keep shooting and posting.

dave

[JJNPRODUCTIONS]

Yea, the only reason i didnt use ISO 1600 is the noise. I tried my hardest to keep away from that. I am shooting with an XTI, and highest ISO is 1600. Thank you for the advice, i do notice what you are saying. Keep the help coming

[Scott V]

Listen to Dave...very savvy and helful, has helped me a bunch and that's why I try to pass on as much as I can. Shooting with the fifty can be tricky..I prefer the 85mm 1.8 and 135mm 2.0 over it. Best rule of thumb for pp I can think of? Get the in-camera settings correct or as near correct as you can and do as LITTLE pp you can. You have a great start...search out daves other posts, you can learn a lot from him, he is one of the "few" that will critique without being negative, he always has positive ways to correct.

Scott~

[yourdoinitwrong]

Try out shooting a properly exposed shot at ISO 1600 and see what it looks like. If the exposure is correct then noise may not be as much of a problem as you think. I have not used the body that you have but my thinking is that an underexposed shot at ISO 800 might have more noise than a correct exposure at ISO 1600. One other thought I had is regarding your use of a flash. If you are bouncing it that's one thing, but you shouldn't point it directly at the players. Not saying that you were but I couldn't tell from the shots. In most cases if a photographer points a flash directly at the court either the refs or coaches will ask them to stop.

[clarence]

One other thought I had is regarding your use of a flash. If you are bouncing it that's one thing, but you shouldn't point it directly at the players. Not saying that you were but I couldn't tell from the shots. In most cases if a photographer points a flash directly at the court either the refs or coaches will ask them to stop.

Follow the shadow in the last 2 shots...
judging from how distinct/harsh the shadows are on the background, looks like on-camera flash, slightly offset to the photographer's left side... e.g., the camera was in portrait orientation.

Bottom line, I agree... avoid direct on-camera flash in basketball (and volleyball). In addition to the players/officials not liking it, the results are less than ideal. Work on ambient or look into remote off-camera strobes bouncing (indirect) off the ceiling.

[Scott V]

Scott, I also agre about my 50mm. Next question would be am I on the right track with it? My photojournalism teacher at my college said the 2nd shot with my 50mm is Portfolio worthy. Is this the case and waht kind of pp do i do to make it better? I would warm it up a bit and use the unsharpen mask a little.. IMHO, but you have to present what looks good to your client/teacher.

Scott~

[JJNPRODUCTIONS]

THe flash was direct on. 7 photographers at one game were all using their hot shoe flashes. Our area doesnt care about direct flashes. I have yet to see anyone use bounce and all that. This is all helping me very much, thanks so far guys.

[yourdoinitwrong]

THe flash was direct on. 7 photographers at one game were all using their hot shoe flashes. Our area doesnt care about direct flashes. I have yet to see anyone use bounce and all that. This is all helping me very much, thanks so far guys.

Just my two cents on that.....even if the refs or coaches don't say anything, it's usually not done out of courtesy to the players.