Youth Football -- Please provide feedback on composition/processing.

Hello!

I am trying to get the best possible pictures for sharing (we have a shutterfly share site for the team setup), and the parents of the kid in this shot I'm sharing asked if they could use it to make a 16x20 (aspect ratio needs fixed first...) I'm looking for some feedback on processing/framing of sports action shots (which is not exactly my forte)!

Would love to see any edits, or hear any feedback on the processing (and framing/original shot).

The raw file is here If anyone is interested in playing with the raw file/full resolution shot to share ideas: http://www.ephur.net …-to-jpg-no-processing.jpg

The larger collection of football & cheer pictures is hosted on flickr:
https://www.flickr.com …ur/sets/7215764​7648736737

What I posted to the sharing site (but at a higher resolution, 1600 long side):

Nice shot. Nothing against your shot but he looks out of proportion. Small legs and regular chest and head.

calvin3 wrote in post #17180796
Nice shot. Nothing against your shot but he looks out of proportion. Small legs and regular chest and head.

Like a bobble head

That's how little kids are built. Their bodies have yet to catch up with their big ole heads.

Closeups are nice... but "action" is better. Try cropping the right side out so the emphasis is on all the action. The parents can always request a closeup - or do it themselves, depending on how you give access.

Ephur wrote in post #17179269
Would love to see any edits, or hear any feedback on the processing (and framing/original shot).

Yikes! You threw out 90% of your pixels by having to crop so much.

I'm not sure how those remaining few pixels will hold up when blown up to 16x20.

clarence wrote in post #17181385
Yikes! You threw out 90% of your pixels by having to crop so much.

I'm not sure how those remaining few pixels will hold up when blown up to 16x20.

+1. you need a longer focal length*, don't just rely on massive crops. At 1600 px longest side, a 12x8 is only 132px resolution. Way too small IMHO. Never mind 16x20.

* just looked at your Flickr - taken with a 300mm! Might make a 6x4 print from that crop.

Hmm yeah 300 is the longest I have. This week I also brought my 1.4TC but had a lot of missed focus shots. Not sure how much the rain played into that.

I agree on the 16x20 and low pixels, thats why I am trying to improve the composition. This show the parents were happy their son was using the techniques he has been taught (ball carrying position/grip, outside cradle, etc). However I think some of the shots I have of him about to get blown up are better

I am kept on the sidelines due to league and insurance rules, which is annoying. I cant really move with the play because I would be running side to side i front of all the people watching their kids/grand kids play.

Hannya wrote in post #17181757
+1. you need a longer focal length*, don't just rely on massive crops. At 1600 px longest side, a 12x8 is only 132px resolution. Way too small IMHO. Never mind 16x20.

* just looked at your Flickr - taken with a 300mm! Might make a 6x4 print from that crop.

Yeah, I think I can probably swing a 400 5.6, but not sure I want to go that rpute right now. I am not a fan of the dust pump after renting one twice, the push pull just isnt for me.

I love the 300 f/4 (at my price point its great), but def wish. I had more reach.

calvin3 wrote in post #17180796
Nice shot. Nothing against your shot but he looks out of proportion. Small legs and regular chest and head.

Haha yeah, as other said young kids (5-7 on these teams) are built a little different, and then when you go and put shoulder pads and helmets with multi layers of protection on, and armored shirts, it only exaggerates the effect. The padding on the lower half is so much less pronounced and held very tight to the legs.

bubbygator wrote in post #17181060
Closeups are nice... but "action" is better. Try cropping the right side out so the emphasis is on all the action. The parents can always request a closeup - or do it themselves, depending on how you give access.

I think you are right. This weekend I shot JPG and did more bursts (also took the SD card it, trying to maximize frame rate/buffer). This shot would have been a lot better if it were a second or two later, and if i had been focusing using an outer point.

I missed focus a lot this week, as I mentioned in another post i also tossed on my 1.4 TC (model II). I am not certain if it was my style (a lot of bursts of 10 to 20 frames) or the TC. I lean to the TC because even my first shots were not as sharp.

When shooting in burst modes and AI servo, is time taken to adjust focus between frames? Seems like theres no time for light to hit the AF sensor shooting like this haha

No - the focus on the 1st shot is maintained for the burst. I use center-point focus and only do 3-5 shots per burst... then let up on my finger to allow a re-focus. Most of my shots are in-focus ... but it takes a little luck to really capture the action on every shot. If you miss the action, just delete those pics - editing is as much about throwing bad stuff away as it is making the good pics better.

bubbygator wrote in post #17182675
No - the focus on the 1st shot is maintained for the burst.

Not true. AIServo is continuously focusing on whatever the active AF point is on. Even during a burst.

bubbygator wrote in post #17182675
...editing is as much about throwing bad stuff away as it is making the good pics better.

This is true.

I have a 300mm 2.8 lens and it's great for really shallow DOF. However for field sports and kids these size the new 150-600 lenses would be Ideal. I shoot my 120-300 alot with a 2x for kids like this.

The kids are small.... parents would rather have less blurry background and super IQ of their kid then a fuzzy kid and shallow dof.

MOST of the time the kids games are during day and you don't need a fast lens for low light... a daytime lens is fine.

Also try this.... use CASE 4 and use 8 point or 4 expansion. Make sure show only cross type. Haven't had a missed focus shot yet for these slow moving kids lol.

OH... and I always walk up and down the field following the ball. This shortens your distance and you can still get good images just like this. When they hit the 30 I''m moving to the end zone to get the incoming run.