MLS Soccer - Whitecaps Vs. Columbus

Hello everbody.

I had the chance to use my new camera and lens today for the first time and it was no small event.

Camara - Canon EOS 1D Mark III
Lens - Canon 70-200 f2.8 (non-IS)
Venue - BC Place Stadium : retractable roof stadium. Roof was open but it was dark by the second half.

I was VERY unhappy with the quality of the shots today. The learning curve attached to new equipment is not a valid excuse, my low keeper rate was a ME problem.

a) I shot mostly at f2.8-f3.5. I am not yet skilled enough to shoot at this range because I am not sufficiently versed in the capabilities of this camera's AF system nor am I good enough at tracking the action or predicating the flow of the game. I might lose some "Artistic Merit" by stopping down... but I suspect my keeper rate will improve dramatically as I continue to learn the camera.
b) how did I forget my monopod??? This is not a light combination to hand hold for 90 minutes and probably contributed to a little bit of blur and shake as the game progressed.
c) the LCD is appalling by 2013 standards. Or even 2009 standards. With my 7D I know automatically if I am locking focus, if am overexposed/underexpos​ed, etc., etc., etc., just by a quick glance at the LCD. The low-resolution LCD on this unit is not sufficiently capable of illustrating any technical details associated with the shots you have taken. I spent too much time obsessing about the shots that I HAD taken and not enough time focus on tracking the action and getting other shots...

Your constructive feedback IS valued.

Not as happy with these ... feel like I missed focus...

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Curious what metering mode you were using? They all look underexposed, especially #1.

great action and sharpness but they are definitely underexposed. I'd start by working them over in post since you can re shoot the game, obviously. Secondly, your settings are what's killing you. AF settings aside (which seem to be fine), you are way too low on ISO for that body. 1/800 f/3.2 and 800-1000 ISO is just under where you needed to be. Even 640ss f/2.8 and 1000-1250 gives you a full stop more light and enough shutter to capture the action. Frankly, I would not hesitate to bump that ISO to 1600-2000 and I think you'd still have clean images and much more accurate exposure.

you have some great stuff in terms of your eye for action, framing, and sharpness....now just get that exposure thing nailed and you're money.

Looking at the EXIF of the shots it seems like you were chasing exposure, shooting in manual but changing settings constantly.

In your situation I would have set the camera to AV and EC +1/3, kept the aperture at 2.8 and cranked ISO to get a high enough shutter speed.

xchangx : I will plead ignorant. I'm not sure. nor have I ever adjusted it to suit the event that I am shooting. Total rookie mistake. Any guidence? I shoot strictly sports... I like your work.

namasste : great advice and you are totally correct. I am NEVER shy about ISO and in hindsight I wonder what my mindset was. I usually associate a little bit of grain with artistic merit anyways (I am a big sports fan and grew up associating grain with sports photography anyways). I'd love to be confident enough to shoot at f2.8 but I don't trust my focusing/tracking skills enough to be able to consistently capture my point of interest with such a shallow depth of field... I found going through the photos that I did take that I missed focus a lot of time because I would capture the individual that was a couple of feet in front of or behind the person I was actually trying to capture... I had thought about shooting at f4.0 to afford myself the opportunity to make some "mistakes" while still keeping my subject in focus... in that case I would definetely need to bump up my ISO to keep the quick shutter speeds! Thank you so much for the feedback!

joeblack2022 : it's funny you say that because one of the established photographers that was working next to me explained that was his tactic. He would shoot in AV and watch his Shutter Speed closely... as it fell while the game progress (and it got darker) he would bump up his ISO to compensate. EC +1/3? You are right though, the lighting changed drastically and I was constantly making changes... it was a 4:30pm start and the roof was open... but the natural light quickly departed and we were shooting basically an indoor event...

I wouldn't post images if I didn't feel I had a TON of room to grow and improve and the feedback here is worth a million dollars. Thanks guys!

I think you might be selling yourself short on being able to produce sharp images. The samples here look very good and practicing wide open is the only way you'll gain the confidence anyway. I'd also add that while f/4 does give a little margin for error, its usually not enough to compensate for completely missed focus. It can help if you put the focus point on the guys chest and he leads slightly with his head but it won't make up for a focus point on the wrong athlete unless you are shooting way downfield and even then, it might not. I'd really encourage you to shoot it wide open and see how it goes. I think you have what it takes to find success doing that.

An excellent set - great action, expressions and a good crowd for background.
The penultimate one is my favourite - ticks boxes and a great crop too.

Thanks guys so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

I also can't wait to put this feedback to use during the next game.

Wow! How did you get clearance for an MLS match? I'm envious, especially to see the Columbus Crew play . . . if only they'd let me on the sidelines to photograph our Chicago Fire team.

Great shots IMO. I have an 1D MIII and hope to glean some better shots of my two boys playing soccer. Someday I hope to qualify to snap a few shots at an MLS match, like you!