More Volley Ball - Different Lens trying no angles (8 Shots)

[Croasdail]

Can you tell Volleyball Season has started. My niece is on the team and I have to get a good shot of her by seasons end. This time I tried a 70-200 at f2.8 at 1/320th - using ISO 1600 again. I liked the zoom but missed the speed of the 85 f1.8. Majority of my shots came in between 110-150 mm with some up to 200 - but most in that range. The last shot came with the 85 again. But this diffinately puts the 135 2.0 L on the "need" list. Cheers and any constructive critisism is more then welcome.

By the way - that is "new angles"... can't type at all.

[Croasdail]

6 to go... hang in there...

[Croasdail]

FOUR MORE!

[Desertraptor]

Love the last one. Talk about concentration :)

[Croasdail]

And were done... by the way ... this was the best school in the state (nationally #23 per SI) versus a top 10 Nationally Ranked Player. Team beat player... but you knew that. TO - are you listening?

[DwightMcCann]

Some excellent frames! Wish some weren't so tightly cropped and others more cropped, but your timing is certainly good!

[Croasdail]

The ones that are tightly cropped were shot that way - so unfortunately there what they are. But the ones that need cropping - they are pretty much that way because I didn't time the shot well enough to get the ball closer, so to have ball and player in the shot, I am stuck unless some of you all can help me figure out how to creatively crop these to save the shots... thanks.

[neil_r]

And were done... by the way ... this was the best school in the state (nationally #23 per SI) versus a top 10 Nationally Ranked Player. Team beat player... but you knew that. TO - are you listening?

These are fabulous, one small point on the pic with the scoreboard in the background, use the grid in PS to correct the right to left tilt and thsi will be stunning. (Just checked 1 degree ccw does it)

Love them

N

[QUASIPHOTO]

Great shots........really like them all. You've done an excellent job. Yeah that 85 and 135 is certainly on my wish list for the furture. I think volleyball is a tough deal to get everything right all the time. Those dang players just move to quick, and your so close and the gyms are so well lit (rolls eyes). Great job on getting the players faces in with the action. Thanks for the inspriation of wanting to do better. I look forward to more of your posts in the furture.

[DwightMcCann]

OK, what you need is three or four camera bodies with a variety of lens ... when you see a shot setting up, grab the one that will give you the perfect crop, with all fingers and toes as well as the ball in the frame and shoot it, preferably with bracketing and maybe a combination with some fill flash, on each shot! Barring that, just keep doing what you're doing because these are really good shots with only the trivial little things we have whined about keeping them off Sports Illustrated.

[Curtis N]

Lots of great catches there! Too bad you didn't get the ball in the first one, but I guess you can't win 'em all.

Thanks for sharing. Someday when I want a real challenge, I'll try shooting volleyball. It must be tough!

[Actionphotog]

great shots
And your right the players do move fast, it is hard to frame and shot players and ball. I'm hoping that I can get better shots this evening at another high school.
I will post in the morning.........I hope.

[DavidEB]

Great shots. I like the hand blur in some of them.

[kenyc]

OK, what you need is three or four camera bodies with a variety of lens ... when you see a shot setting up, grab the one that will give you the perfect crop, with all fingers and toes as well as the ball in the frame and shoot it, preferably with bracketing and maybe a combination with some fill flash, on each shot! Barring that, just keep doing what you're doing because these are really good shots with only the trivial little things we have whined about keeping them off Sports Illustrated.

I'd think volley must be easy compared to shooting bands. At least the light (good or not) in the gym is hopefully stable. :)

Excellent shots Croasdail! Which one is your niece?

KAC

[DwightMcCann]

Yeah, and there's no "First three points only" rule! :-) But these people are moving so much faster than bands and the "perfect instant" is so much shorter than bands. Stable light is boring! And, yes, let's see that niece. :-)

[Croasdail]

These are fabulous, one small point on the pic with the scoreboard in the background, use the grid in PS to correct the right to left tilt and thsi will be stunning. (Just checked 1 degree ccw does it)

Love them

N

You know... I have really been concentrating on watching my horizons, can't beleive I missed it. I have lots of practice doing the 1 degree thing - sometimes two. Unfortunately for me it really jumps out at me in both my and others work now because I am so paranoid about it. Thanks for catching it. Cheers.

[Croasdail]

Everyone else - thanks. I have a long way to go. I was actually quit mad when I left but was happy to find a few that were usable. Just haven't been able to find the right combination that feels right and get's me into a comfort zone.

Oh, the niece - she is the one bumping the ball. Cheers!

[Skip Souza]

Don't be so hard on yourself Croasdail, You did real well.
You certainly captured your neice's concentration.
Perhaps cropping the last one from her waist up will isolate the main subject from the distractions that are not immediately involved.
Yes the 135 is now a "must have".
Nice TO commentary ;-)

[danphoto1]

Great shots overall. I shoot some vollye ball and I know how difficult it can be. I used a IDmkII and the 120-300 Sigma 2.8 and manged to get some decent shots. It is a difficult sport to shoot to say the least. Great job overall.For anyone who is is critical tryshooting it in a poorly lit gym and see what results you get. I have some volleyball shots posted on my site by the way.

[rklepper]

Very nice photos. Thanks for sharing.

[Croasdail]

Danphoto1 - looked at your gallery. You have some nice shots there as well. I haven't tried the 120-300 zoom yet. Perhaps next time. I am still looking for that one place to shoot from that will give me some good shots. Net side is really tough - wide open DOF means focus has to be spot on and at the speed the game moves, that is hard. And the freaking 20D loves to focus on the bleachers. From the back corners, it takes the bleachers out of the equastion, but then you end up with a lot of back shots. I may try high up in the bleachers with a longer lens so that I am angled down more, hopefully taking the bleachers out of it. I have read about prefocusing, but with the amount of motion, I am just not sure how you do that unless you just shoot one player. Anyways - I ramble... thanks and cheers.

[Croasdail]

Hey Doc, thanks... would love to see some of your shots soon!

[Croasdail]

Skip - thanks for the vote of confidence here. This was my second time trying to shoot this and as I said before... I came away with more questions then answers. Things I thought would work, just didn't. Trying to figure out if I am the limiting factor here... is it the 20d's focusing capability... is it lens choice... is it location of the shot. I thought I may have figured some stuff out... and while some things worked, others absolutely didn't. I want to get to the point I can get repeatable good results. Not there yet. But thanks again.

[Croasdail]

OK, what you need is three or four camera bodies with a variety of lens ... when you see a shot setting up, grab the one that will give you the perfect crop, with all fingers and toes as well as the ball in the frame and shoot it, preferably with bracketing and maybe a combination with some fill flash, on each shot! Barring that, just keep doing what you're doing because these are really good shots with only the trivial little things we have whined about keeping them off Sports Illustrated.

Okay, I got my backup 10D back from the shop, my 300 2.8 returned too... so I am half way there. I have been avoiding getting the MkII.... but I guess I am heading that direction. Before I drop 4K on one though, I want to know it is going to make the difference I am expecting it to. I may rent (hire) one for next weekends boxing I am finally going to shoot. Thanks for the comments though. Cheers.

[danphoto1]

Get a 1D there us no comparison. It was made to shoot sports. You won't regret it. I know that it is expensive but it just does a better job, even with that it still is difficult to get good shots.

[aharonr3434]

I like them a lot, I also think #3 has a crush on me!

[DxHatchback]

they look pretty good except for the 5th one down

the other girl in front of the main player is distracting

[danphoto1]

well I guess we'll have to tell her to stay out of the way. that is the unfortunate part of shooting sports. That;s the reason they use 1 d's and the high speed drives. They crank out hundreds of shots and get a few good ones and an occasional grat one.

[Salleke]

Very nice pictures. I have to give my 85 1.8 a worout one of these days.

[neil_r]

they look pretty good except for the 5th one down

the other girl in front of the main player is distracting

I disagree, I think it puts the shot into a sporting competative context and adds to the excitement of the picture.

It's a good thing we are all different :D