HS Volleyball Again

C & C

1.
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Is this the new body? Image number 7, where were you positioned when you took this one and what focal length?

In comparison to your recent posts, these might look a little darker. They are so great, it's had to even type this, but one thing that always stands out about your images is they are so bright and really pop. #5 is what I normally see, but the rest are maybe for the lack of a better word, slightly muted. Again, you set the bar so high, most of us only dream of these type images.

very nice, love the action/emotion in these, especially 6&7

Great stuff as always. I'd concur with jhowdy that they appear a bit dark on my monitor as well.

Love HS girls sports. Makeup, nails done, hair fixed just right ... they must know you're shooting them!

dave

great shots, just love the image quality!! what lens were you using ?

Really good shots, Phil. Looks like the 1DX and 300?

I like #1 a lot. That's an angle that I have a very difficult time capturing. Any shareable secrets?

Have you shot the 1DX much yet, and if so, what case did you find works for you.

PhotoGeek wrote in post #14969528
Really good shots, Phil. Looks like the 1DX and 300?

I like #1 a lot. That's an angle that I have a very difficult time capturing. Any shareable secrets?

Have you shot the 1DX much yet, and if so, what case did you find works for you.

Yes, there is a secret to getting the shot #1 and the clue is in the image. If you look closely, you will see the spiking player is a middle and that the outside hitter (left front player #1) is in the background. The team pictured is my daughter's team, Valley Center. When they set to the middle, the set crosses low---perhaps just a foot or so above the net and the middle will spike it as it goes by. Because the ball is so low, it is in the picture when the middle winds up to hit it. That is what I captured here. If the set had gone to the outside hitter in the background, it would have been a much higher set. That usually means that when the player is getting ready to hit, the ball is too high to be in the image. At the time of impact, when the ball is in the frame, the player's arm is often in the way from this angle and the odds are better to get a capture by positioning more toward the far end of the court (defensive side). Shot #8 shows how the arm gets in the way for an outside hitter at this angle but I got lucky and still captured most of the face.

As far as shot #7 goes, that was shot underneath the net from the opposite side of the court with a 300mm. I was positioned to try to capture some net play when the side nearest me was serving. When I have a clear view to the other side returner(s), I focus on a back row player and hope they will dive to return the ball and that I will get a clear shot. Once in a blue moon, it works. If not, then I just return my focus to players at the net.


BTW, on the 1d X, Focus case #1 worked great for football and I shot the game of my life. Great light, great action and the X was flawless. Incredible. When a responsive, fast focusing, sure focusing pleasure the Canon 1D X is to shoot. Wow. As far as shooting the the volleyball net, I'm still trying to figure it out. That is, I don't know what focusing situation to use and what combination of accessory points is most effective. Give me time.

RE: the muted colors. When I processed the images after midnight, I thought they looked too vibrant so I reduced the saturation of purple and yellow just a tad. With more sleep, yes, I went too far. Thanks for the C & C. I appreciate it.

Phil

One more thing. When I stepped on the football turf with the 1D X, I knew that I was the only person in south central Kansas who had one. Combined with a 400 2.8, I was convinced that my waste was without odor.

On the first play from scrimmage, I hear a photographer near me shooting in a burst. It wasn't the clack-clack-clack of the typical shutter. It was the faster B-B-B-B-raaapppp of 12 frames per second. What the H___? The guy next to me is shooting a 1D X and says he's been shooting it for 3 months! He has a connection at Canon. How deflating.

I could feel my manhood getting smaller, smaller, smaller.

Life is like that.

Phil

Great shots and great story! Love it.

Zivnuska wrote in post #14969788
Yes, there is a secret to getting the shot #1 and the clue is in the image. If you look closely, you will see the spiking player is a middle and that the outside hitter (left front player #1) is in the background. The team pictured is my daughter's team, Valley Center. When they set to the middle, the set crosses low---perhaps just a foot or so above the net and the middle will spike it as it goes by. Because the ball is so low, it is in the picture when the middle winds up to hit it. That is what I captured here. If the set had gone to the outside hitter in the background, it would have been a much higher set. That usually means that when the player is getting ready to hit, the ball is too high to be in the image. At the time of impact, when the ball is in the frame, the player's arm is often in the way from this angle and the odds are better to get a capture by positioning more toward the far end of the court (defensive side). Shot #8 shows how the arm gets in the way for an outside hitter at this angle but I got lucky and still captured most of the face.

Phil

I thought that's what it might be. My daughter plays middle, so I'm always trying to get that point of view. With our team, I have two problems. The setters (who are young) have difficulty setting the low set. The bigger problem is that I have problems finding a position in our gym that lets me get that angle on the front row players. There's always something to keep working on!

Thanks for the info.

Jim

Zivnuska wrote in post #14969859
One more thing. When I stepped on the football turf with the 1D X, I knew that I was the only person in south central Kansas who had one. Combined with a 400 2.8, I was convinced that my waste was without odor.

On the first play from scrimmage, I hear a photographer near me shooting in a burst. It wasn't the clack-clack-clack of the typical shutter. It was the faster B-B-B-B-raaapppp of 12 frames per second. What the H___? The guy next to me is shooting a 1D X and says he's been shooting it for 3 months! He has a connection at Canon. How deflating.

I could feel my manhood getting smaller, smaller, smaller.

Life is like that.

Phil

Maybe you have a nicer car!

Is that your Vette in the avatar? What model?

the dentistry business must be good in Kansas to afford all that gear and the fancy cars!

Liquid Dark wrote in post #14971532
the dentistry business must be good in Kansas to afford all that gear and the fancy cars!

Nothing wrong with working hard and enjoying the results.

Great shots! Could you share a little about how you process these? ...especially noise reduction

PhotoGeek wrote in post #14971332
Is that your Vette in the avatar? What model?

I owned that 2007 Corvette Z06 (505hp) for two years. Then the kids came to driving age, needed cars and then the oldest headed to college. It was time to sell it. The Z is a terrific machine. Spring Mountain in Nevada has an excellent school for performance driving. I've been there twice. The Z06 is meant to cruise at an easy 150. It really feels at home at that speed. Don't know what the top speed is and I'll never find out. Car and Driver got 207 but I'll never see more than 182. Now I drive a 1D X.