The Matrix Allstars Cheerleading

I really enjoy shooting this particular gym. Kind of fell into it. Now I've been honored to have many of my photos plastered on the homepage of their website.

Trying to keep the ISO down to maintain a cleaner file. Some of these I end up cropping pretty tight, or the parents crop them tightly when they purchase them.

From the other thread I was in...

CliffordPhotography wrote in post #13870514
I shoot Cheerleading at ISO 2000 1/320th. Give or take a stop of either.

Aressem wrote in post #13870745
Way too slow of a shutter speed imho. Do you have examples?

There's the answer to your motion/shutter speed question- These are nice shots, in that there is no motion blur, but you capturing moments where the girls are not moving significantly. I came here from the other thread, and had you had the same kind of shot, with girls spinning through the air, I think there would have been some blur.

I'm not criticizing- I think there is a lesson to be learned here. If conditions dictate a slower shutter speed as a result of lighting, then there are still ways to capture great shots. Knowing how and why things work seems to be the key, then shooting within those limitations.

Thanks for posting!

These girls are moving very quickly when they're flying. Especially the one in White. I'll grab some of the stunts, as I have those also.

Thanks

CliffordPhotography wrote in post #13872962
These girls are moving very quickly when they're flying. Especially the one in White. I'll grab some of the stunts, as I have those also.

Thanks

It's not rocket science. 1/320 will work great for shots like these but it ain't gonna cut it for real action shots where the girls are being tossed in the air and what not.

Very true. I have the higher shutter speed higher ISO, but I think we could all agree, the settings he had in his camera where way too high.

CliffordPhotography wrote in post #13877889
Very true. I have the higher shutter speed higher ISO, but I think we could all agree, the settings he had in his camera where way too high.

If you were referring to Chartist10, he was using a $5000 camera. ISO 8000 is fine. Regardless, as a sports photographer, if I had to choose: blurry shot, noisy shot or no shot at all, it would be the noisy shot which I would have confidence in knowing that I nailed it.

You should be able to hit 1/640 wide open at ISO 1600 in some of these shots with no problem, and then you can capture action shots rather than relying on moments with lesser movement.

I think the better order of shooting indoors is to first set your lens wide open and select the minimum shutter speed you know you'll need to freeze action (most likely 1/640 in most sports). Then, look at your ISO and compensate accordingly. You've got it a bit backwards if you're first setting your ISO to avoid grainy shots and then attempting to set the shutter speed. The 50D has little issue shooting ISO 1600 (which looks like the minimum for this venue, sans some of the closer shots with direct lighting) with minimal noise cleanup in PP. You've got the gear to handle it, don't be afraid to use it.

Fligi7 wrote in post #13891624
You should be able to hit 1/640 wide open at ISO 1600 in some of these shots with no problem, and then you can capture action shots rather than relying on moments with lesser movement.

I think the better order of shooting indoors is to first set your lens wide open and select the minimum shutter speed you know you'll need to freeze action (most likely 1/640 in most sports). Then, look at your ISO and compensate accordingly. You've got it a bit backwards if you're first setting your ISO to avoid grainy shots and then attempting to set the shutter speed. The 50D has little issue shooting ISO 1600 (which looks like the minimum for this venue, sans some of the closer shots with direct lighting) with minimal noise cleanup in PP. You've got the gear to handle it, don't be afraid to use it.

I'll try that at the next competition. Typically I would shoot in AV and set the camera at 2.8. Just lately I switched over to manual. Everyone of these is different, one problem I had at a venue was working against event photographers 8 alienbees. Made me want to pull a trigger out and start using them also. That would have pissed someone off.

I'll be trying this shutter speed this weekend. I just noticed your "relying on moments" comment. Thats funny because they're hauling ass, Im constantly moving to the next athlete because they're gone.

I shoot quite a bit of Cheer for my daughters gym, at 1/320 you will get blur on their tumbling passes and jumps. Got any samples you shot at 1/320 where you have caught someone throwing a full or back handspring?