Valley Center at Goddard

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Great stuff Phil.

wow Phil, love how you caught their intensity

phil, could you put "volleyball" in the title, or AT LEAST somewhere in your post? It helps for search purposes. I often search for vball threads!

Those are all 8000iso and above... truly amazing! They look like ISO 400...

I was thinking the same - very little noise and with a 1DIV (no slouch at that), but I'm wondering if noise sw was used.

ewheeler20 wrote in post #14952967
phil, could you put "volleyball" in the title, or AT LEAST somewhere in your post? It helps for search purposes. I often search for vball threads!

Those are all 8000iso and above... truly amazing! They look like ISO 400...

I'll get that 'volleyball' in the title next time. Images #2 and #6 are the ISO 12,800 shots. All the rest are at 8000. I like the noise reduction of Lightroom IV and use it for batch processing. My final, best images use NR from Noiseware Pro. It's still the best in my humble opinion. These look OK but there is no denying that there is loss of detail when the ISO gets this high.

These shots were for a local weekly paper so IQ wan't critical. Shots of an individuals are OK but the editor always wants "Two Faces and the Ball". It's an old rule but it works. That's why I shot these comparatively loose (for me).

BTW, I agree, the IV is a terrific camera body.

#8 is my favorite, but what's the line going from her rt foot up to left knee? String from the net or something?

My son has been asking me to take pics of our local HS girls vball games (his gf is on the team). Where is the optimal position for pics and what lens would you recommend? I've never even been to a vball game so I don't know what to expect.

PaulMedik wrote in post #14954438
#8 is my favorite, but what's the line going from her rt foot up to left knee? String from the net or something?

My son has been asking me to take pics of our local HS girls vball games (his gf is on the team). Where is the optimal position for pics and what lens would you recommend? I've never even been to a vball game so I don't know what to expect.

That 'string' is actually the side post of the net which only looks like a string because it is out of focus.

How to shoot volleyball? There is a lot of awful information out there on the net. One good write up is on POTN from Big K. It is an excellent place to start.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=767866

Additional perspectives on positioning can be gained from searching Photo Sharing > Sports. "Under Search This Forum" choose "Advanced Search" and do a search for threads I've started on volleyball. I shoot a lot of volleyball at a lot of different venues so you may get some ideas that apply to your situation.

https://photography-on-the.net …5247&highlight=​volleyball

https://photography-on-the.net …9360&highlight=​volleyball

https://photography-on-the.net …6870&highlight=​volleyball

What lens? Well, it needs to be fast. Fast enough to get a SS of 1/640 or faster for the light at your gym at an ISO your camera body will capture with reasonable IQ. Sometimes that means an f/2.8 lens, sometimes it could require a larger aperture. The newer camera bodies with high ISO capabilities can help a lot.

Focal length? The 70-200 f/2.8 will do a lot, but I like a variety. This can vary with the access and venue as well. Here is a memorable gallery of shots with every lens I owned at the time:

https://photography-on-the.net …1324&highlight=​volleyball

I'm considering producing a "How to Photograph Volleyball" thread like I did for football. It's a lot of work but if there's interest, I will give it a go. There's just a lot of things to think about--far more than I can cover in a single reply. BTW, volleyball is the toughest sport I've ever shot. It took me two years to really feel comfortable in being able to get good, in focus, captures. Focus on one player at a time, wait for the ball to come to her, start shooting BEFORE the ball arrives, and study your results. Be sure to just watch the game a bit to get a feel for the action. If there is someone knowledgable who can sit beside you and help you understand the strategy, that will help your learning curve. If the teams are good, you will be amazed at the skill level.

Good luck.

Phil

Helps to watch the eyes of the player you are trying to shot when looking through the viewfinder. They will tell you when the ball is coming to her.

Zivnuska wrote in post #14954577
That 'string' is actually the side post of the net which only looks like a string because it is out of focus.

How to shoot volleyball? There is a lot of awful information out there on the net. One good write up is on POTN from Big K. It is an excellent place to start.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=767866

Additional perspectives on positioning can be gained from searching Photo Sharing > Sports. "Under Search This Forum" choose "Advanced Search" and do a search for threads I've started on volleyball. I shoot a lot of volleyball at a lot of different venues so you may get some ideas that apply to your situation.

https://photography-on-the.net …5247&highlight=​volleyball

https://photography-on-the.net …9360&highlight=​volleyball

https://photography-on-the.net …6870&highlight=​volleyball

What lens? Well, it needs to be fast. Fast enough to get a SS of 1/640 or faster for the light at your gym at an ISO your camera body will capture with reasonable IQ. Sometimes that means an f/2.8 lens, sometimes it could require a larger aperture. The newer camera bodies with high ISO capabilities can help a lot.

Focal length? The 70-200 f/2.8 will do a lot, but I like a variety. This can vary with the access and venue as well. Here is a memorable gallery of shots with every lens I owned at the time:

https://photography-on-the.net …1324&highlight=​volleyball

I'm considering producing a "How to Photograph Volleyball" thread like I did for football. It's a lot of work but if there's interest, I will give it a go. There's just a lot of things to think about--far more than I can cover in a single reply. BTW, volleyball is the toughest sport I've ever shot. It took me two years to really feel comfortable in being able to get good, in focus, captures. Focus on one player at a time, wait for the ball to come to her, start shooting BEFORE the ball arrives, and study your results. Be sure to just watch the game a bit to get a feel for the action. If there is someone knowledgable who can sit beside you and help you understand the strategy, that will help your learning curve. If the teams are good, you will be amazed at the skill level.

Good luck.

Phil

Phil,

Awesome info! Thank you very much for compiling it all.

PhotoGeek wrote in post #14956279
Helps to watch the eyes of the player you are trying to shot when looking through the viewfinder. They will tell you when the ball is coming to her.

This may be the single biggest tip for capturing great, or in my case better, volleyball images I've read. Can be applied to other sports that require camping out on a player as opposed to reacting to the play as well. This is huge when shooting with strobes and you are not able to fire off multiple frames. Then learning the lag time between your brain, finger, shutter and the images will all start to have the ball magically appear in them.

I, for one, would greatly appreciate it if you posted a how-to guide. Your photos are amazing. Thanks for what you've already put out. Any tips on the use of the AI servo cases and use of AF points with the 5D III? Different selections for different shots, etc? thanks.

sebagolizzy wrote in post #15006690
I, for one, would greatly appreciate it if you posted a how-to guide. Your photos are amazing. Thanks for what you've already put out. Any tips on the use of the AI servo cases and use of AF points with the 5D III? Different selections for different shots, etc? thanks.

Thanks,

I'm still working on the "Best" technique for volleyball and the 1D X. It will take me several more matches using different combinations of Case, Expansion, etc before I will be able to offer an opinion. I may do a 'How To" guide later, but for now, I'm still experimenting with the X and volleyball. My earlier techniques with the 1D IV may or may not carry over.

Phil

They look great!

4 and 6 are great Phil