First Try: Ambient Basketball

[tuaz0090]

This was my first time shooting a basketball game. I am hoping to continue this. Please! tear these apart. Let me know what you think!

The rest of the album can be seen here:
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/p111024235

please help me out!
Thanks,
Blake
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v11/p442626107-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v6/p107427195-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v11/p240477831-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v9/p119306488-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v12/p430424233-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v9/p67464361-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v7/p286416007-5.jpg
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v4/p113341754-5.jpg

[Jim Slater]

Very nice.

[AdamLewis]

Number them and Ill be more than happy to give you some honest CC

[eye on color]

what lens did you shoot these with

[clarence]

This was my first time shooting a basketball game. I am hoping to continue this. Please! tear these apart. Let me know what you think!

The rest of the album can be seen here:
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/p111024235

please help me out!
Thanks,
Blake

1.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v11/p442626107-5.jpg

2.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v6/p107427195-5.jpg

3.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v11/p240477831-5.jpg

4.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v9/p119306488-5.jpg

5.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v12/p430424233-5.jpg

6.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v9/p67464361-5.jpg

7.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v7/p286416007-5.jpg

8.
http://www.blakeedwardphotography.com/img/v4/p113341754-5.jpg

I added numbers above so I can reference them easier in my upcoming comments...

[clarence]

why shutter priority?
For ambient in a dim-nasium, IMHO use Av or M

1. good jump, but you really need face

2. need face. straighten using the vertical lines in the wall as a reference

focus in #4 is much better than #3

5. great focus, but backside... again, get face

6. good

7. backside

8. arm is obscuring face, straighten using the vertical lines in the wall as a reference

I know you can't control which way they're facing, but when you're picking shots, start with the ones where you have face and ball.

Color and exposure look good. Timing on the jumps is good.

[ChrisK10]

I agree with clarence. Definately straighten and get faces.

I can't see your EXIF but try shooting manual, keep shutter speed at least 1/500 and boost your ISO to maintain proper exposure for your chosen aperture. I usually shoot HS varsity basketball at 1/500, f/3.2 with ISO 4000 or 5000 depending on gym. I have had to use ISO 6400 with f/2.8 and was still a bit underexposed but the shots came out OK.

Good luck and keep shooting.

[tuaz0090]

Thanks for the critiquue guys. Some I shot with a sigma 70-200 2.8

that was just too long on a 1.6 crop and felt too slow, so II put on the nifty. The focus was pretty bad, but i some out of it.

I dont remember why I put TV mode. I think it was because it was still so dark that the camera set it to the lowest aperture anyways.

As far as not getting faces, That was hard since I had to be in the corners of the court. The fifty was just too long. Im looking for a fast lens for under the basket that isnt going to break the bank. Do you guys have any recommendations?

Clarence, thanks for numbering!

[clarence]

The fifty was just too long. Im looking for a fast lens for under the basket that isnt going to break the bank. Do you guys have any recommendations?

Interesting... I find the 85/1.8 a little too long (I usually can't get the net in the frame) but the 50/1.4 seemed too wide for me. But my 1D3 is a 1.3x crop... your 40D is 1.6x so that's a little extra zoom that you're seeing.

For wider shots under the rim, the usual recommendations are the 24-70/2.8L or the 28-70/2.8L, but those are $600-$1000.

Especially since you're shooting ambient, you need f/2.8 or faster.

I have a 28/1.8 - I don't think it was too expensive... but I've never used it for sports, so I don't know how the keeper rate is with fast action focus.

Your 50/1.8 shots are much sharper than your sigma 70-200. I'd stick with the 50mm next time.

[superdiver]

I use the 85 1.8 and stand under the basket and move back and forth with the ball to the right or left. I shoot in M and set the settings before the game and only change them wen i have to, which isnt very often. Set your ss to like 1/500 or 1/640, i shoot at 1.8-2.2 depending ont he light in our gyms and set your ISO to what ever you need to get the exposure where you want. I color correct at home in post processing. If I shoot a whole game I shoot close to 1000 shots and keep maybe 100...

look for faces, expressions, ball in hand or just coming off finger tips.

Parents like shoting shots and driving shots, if your trying to sell them to parents...

[superdiver]

some examples of what can be done by a novice like me with a little advice from this forum.

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/Sports/K-Hi-Girls-BB-2-20-10/IMG7102filtered/794280284_4a8Wo-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/Sports/K-Hi-Girls-BB-2-20-10/IMG7036filtered/794293201_sXQ6W-L.jpg

http://superdiver.smugmug.com/Sports/K-Hi-Girls-BB-2-20-10/IMG7066filtered/794288236_43QTD-L.jpg

i process in aprature and usually run them thru noise nnja since they are all pretty much shot at ISO 3200

[superdiver]

like i said, not great pictures, but not bad for a novice.. at least I think so...lol

[tuaz0090]

thanks clarence. Even though I love the veratility of a zoom, i need a fast prime. And when using 2.8, i was disappointed. Ill take a took at that 28 1.8

[clarence]

i need a fast prime. And when using 2.8, i was disappointed. Ill take a took at that 28 1.8

Like I said, I've never tried it for sports, but since you're looking for something wider than the 50/1.8, there's not too many budget options that come to mind.

Looks like the 28/1.8 sells used for about the same price as the 85/1.8 or the 50/1.4 - both of which I'd recommend for indoor sports before I'd think of using the 28/1.8

Also, your EXIF shows AWB... I'd really recommend trying the custom white balance, even if you just use a white sheet of printer paper or the back of a white t-shirt as a white reference... it really makes an improvement with gym lighting. But your color and exposure really look good.

Are you using back-button focus and AI Servo?

[10megapixel]

Superdiver....Check out this thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=839030), and take the advice in post #16 about shutter speed and fluorescent lights ;)

[ChasWG]

I tried using the 50 f1.4 for under the basket shots as well this past season, I found the focus on that lens to be too slow and I think the copy I rented was back-focusing, so I gave up on it as a sports lens. Yes it's a USM, but a Micro USM and not the faster, more accurate ring type USM.

In the end I got myself a refurbed 24-70 f2.8L for $1100 and have been super happy ever since. It's a nice Bball lens for working under the net area.

Here's a few shots using the 24-70L, I was also using strobes to help things along.

28mm
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4354600158_ae9dfd2be1_b.jpg

40mm
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4354606154_9d299a47c7_b.jpg

43mm
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4353854709_3425dbe77a_b.jpg

[10megapixel]

+1 on the 24-70. If your under/behind the basket it's a great lens.