Little League. A First for me.

[oversteer]

Alright guys, I mostly have been lurking here for the past several months and have recently purchased a 30d. I am trying to put together a portfolio to apply for a position as a college newspaper photographer and would like some feedback on these images. I haven't ever really shot sports before so constructive criticism would be appreciated.
And it begins.

Chase

[beckybun]

Congrats on the camera, good luck w/ the job, & welcome to the forum....

The pics look good. You might want to work on not chopping off people's feet.

[oversteer]

Ohh, I forgot. All taken with a Sigma 70-200 2.8 @ 2.8. They really looked sharper before they were resized. So sharp it was scary .

Chase

[chancheehow]

its nice, but u could try to take their faces more..and crop out unnecessary parts like the one batting..u shld have focus on the hand
And don't chop off legs..In sports leg posture are interesting

[oversteer]

Great, thanks for the tips guys. I will try to keep that stuff in mind. I noticed while looking through my pictures that very few were of their faces. I must have just been in the wrong position, but I will try to work on it.

Chase

[vetkrazy]

Congrats on the new camera. I shoot the sports for our local college and to be honest, this won't cut it. The picture needs to tell a story and for that you need exprssions. As said before you need faces. It is also important to not cut off limbs and to keep your horizons level. Watch for the action: double plays, the pitcher in his windup, play at the plate, bunt, hit by pitch, etc. If you have played baseball in the past use that to think ahead and anticipate the next play. Good rule of thumb: shoot tight and crop tighter.
Second, I don't know about your college but ours plays many sports. I have to cover baseball, fastpitch softball, tennis, football, soccer, volleyball, mens and womens basketball. Many of these are shot in gyms lit like caves. You will need fast glass and a good understanding of exposures. Also, newspapers want captions for their pictures so do your homework on the players you are covering. I suggest that you get to as many different sporting events as you can and practice, practice, practice. Good Luck

Bruce

[vetkrazy]

You asked a great question Chase. And you basiclly answered it too. Those big 400 2.8's are great, but we all can't afford them. For what I am about to say I will probably get ripped. I have been shooting for over 40 years and to me the blured background is the hot fad. When you plan the picture in that split second before you press the shutter you should have already picked a good spot as a back drop, straightened your horizon and focused on your primary action. Todays fields, stadiums and gyms are covered in ads and what not. Before the game starts survey the field from your viewfinder, shot some warmups and see what you have. The if possible you can find spots to minimize cluttered backgrounds. I know it won't always be possible so we can only do our best. Something else that will help is to shoot as low as possible, either sitting down or kneeling. That helps to shoot up under those pesky helmets. I can tell you from experience that the SID I shoot for could care less about backgrounds. He wants to see the players in action. To give you an idea check this years baseball media guide.

http://avconline.avc.edu/athletics/S...6bbprogram.pdf

Bruce

[Kevin]

Nice shots Chase. The more you shot the easier it is. If you haven't had an opportunity to read the new image posting rules here's the link. IMAGE POSTING RULES,http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...t=51022.Thanks.