First HS wrestling with strobes

okay with a 550ex and an old minolta 5400si + pocket wizards - but that is kinda strobes, right? All with a 70-200f4L and a 5D. My keeper percentage appeared to be far higher than normal.

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i am surprised they let you use the flashes/strobes. most high school sporting events don't allow flash photography. either way good shots and lucky you!

It may be a regional thing because I've never been to a highschool sporting event were flash was not allowed.

c_mac wrote in post #2516407
i am surprised they let you use the flashes/strobes. most high school sporting events don't allow flash photography. either way good shots and lucky you!

I've never heard of wrestling not allowing strobes -- at any level.

Nice shots. No issues with strobes at the HS events I have attended. I may have to rent a 580EX this weekend and see what I can do with it at my son's HS wrestling tournament.

Shaun

Nice shots, but ..

Allowed or not as an althete, I find it rather rude to be popping a strobe in another althetes face while he/she is trying to keep 100% of his/her concentration of their efford. Just think, the short microsecond the flash goes off one of these wrestlers could relax just a microbit and the other one get the advantage. While I was freelancing for a local paper I had coaches and kids ask to turn of the motordrive when I was close.

Jack

AB8ND wrote in post #2518138
Nice shots, but ..

Allowed or not as an althete, I find it rather rude to be popping a strobe in another althetes face while he/she is trying to keep 100% of his/her concentration of their efford. Just think, the short microsecond the flash goes off one of these wrestlers could relax just a microbit and the other one get the advantage.

As a former wrestler of 7 years, I can tell you when you are on the mat you have no sense of flashes going off around you. In fact, eyesight is not nearly as important as it is for sports such as basketball, baseball, etc. There are many blind wrestlers that perform very well.

Just visit any local wrestling match -- flashes are popping all over the place by mom's and dad's alike.

I've dealt with wrestling for newspapers for over seven years and recently have shot it for a bunch of years, first with film than digital. I always worried about flash, but I've spoke to wrestlers and coaches at the college and high school level and all of them say the same -- they don't even notice the flash popping because it's so quick. Also, they usually don't have a problem because wrestling is not the most covered sport, so they like the fact that it's getting some space.

Back at the NCAAs in 2002, the tape of Rohns upset pin of Lambrecht shows multiple strobes/flashes in use. It can be seen only if you jog frame by frame through the broadcast tape, but is invisible if you simply watch it. I doubt it had much effect. Apparently the NCAA didn't care.

When you wrestle, your own video equipment (eyes) is basically set at macro with a focus no more than 3-4 feet away. You don't see anything but the opponent, with the exception of an occasional glance at the scoreboard and a look to your coach between periods.

maybe it is a regional thing...but i personally haven't shot wrestling. either way its good to know you guys have free reign of such things.

I've shot it both ways, and the coaches and students dont mind the flash and dont even notice it. There is usually a list of sports flashes cant be used at for high school sports and is usually dictated by the state's athaletic authority organization. In my area it is gymnastics, bowling and diving. Although I think that most sports that require hand eye use like basketball and volleyball , we should respect the athletes and not use flashes.

I'm sorry, but I continually ask players and coaches about flash and I've yet to encounter a single instance of them noticing, much less being distracted by flash. If you shoot with direct on camera flash your chances are higher but these pictures were shot with flash that 15-20' above the mat and farther than that away.

Professional sports are routinely shot with strobes and they play for millions of dollars. If strobes were a problem - you would never seen a professional game shot using them. To argue otherwise is, well frankly, silly.

Hey, Im not disagreeing with you and by the way your pictures are very good. I have seen however weekend photographers sent into the field to shoot bball with direct on flash firing at 5 shots per second bursts behind the bucket and players dont like that at all.

c_mac wrote in post #2516407
i am surprised they let you use the flashes/strobes. most high school sporting events don't allow flash photography. either way good shots and lucky you!

The only HS sport where strobes have been refused is diving/swimming. Football, basketball, and wrestling have all allowed strobes. With that said, I strobe BB from the outside corners and at the top of the stands (just behind the baseline) and shoot on camera flash for most wrestling. Climbing into the rafters isn't allowed (nor am I brave enough. )