First Strobed Basketball game

I contracted my first college and shot the first of 6 contracted games with them.

This is the first time I have shot with strobes (they have them installed in the gym [H])

This is a D2 school
#1

Cool stuff. The lights look a tiny bit hot. And the first shot, your AF was looking at some nikes. Great photos!

Isn't that distracting to the players?

black_z wrote in post #4663294
Isn't that distracting to the players?

This gym has their own strobes installed so I believe their players are use to it. I most cases the players are use to some type of flash going off. And at most college level sports is can be a standard.

here at Nebraska they have the stobes installed too, I also know of some hockey areanas that have them as well I love shooting with them when I get the chances too

Excuse my ignorance but I shoot where flash is not permitted. Can somebody explain what strobes that are "installed permanently" in a gym are? How are they triggered?

They are installed high up in the ceiling of the arena and they are usually triggered by pocket wizards.

Athletes never notice them because they are so quick and their concentration level is high as well.

must be nice :P I wish we had such a thing in the gyms that I shoot at.

here is a picture from last night

I dont like strobes :-/

1 is way too OOF
2 is soft and the ball isnt in his hand.
3 is sharp but the hall is almost on the floor
4 doesnt have a face
5 could crop tighter and Im sitting on the fence about his amputated leg...
6 could crop tighter and I just really dont like the shadows strobe exhibit :-/

A good start but Id say learn to get the action a little better, crop tighter, and position yourself where the strobe isnt going to blow out a part of your picture. If you were lower in #5 that reflection on the floor wouldnt be quite so hot.

i would suggest to that university that they place those way higher, or bounce them. Those seem really low for direct light.

Now adam we already know you don't like strobes

AthleticsPhotog wrote in post #4666316
i would suggest to that university that they place those way higher, or bounce them. Those seem really low for direct light.

Now adam we already know you don't like strobes

Hey hey now. I simply said I dont like them but offered advice on composition and things to keep in mind in the future if he still wants to use them! Im being good!

i know adam that is why I used the smile face lol It was more of a joke then anything else.

fugfuggy wrote in post #4666016
Excuse my ignorance but I shoot where flash is not permitted. Can somebody explain what strobes that are "installed permanently" in a gym are? How are they triggered?

The biggest difference is that strobes mounted from a catwalk/ceiling are not firing right into the athletes face as on camera flash would. As has been mentioned before, depending on the brand/model of the strobes, the flash duration is so fast that unless you are looking for it you do not even notice it.

Never shot with strobes... wouldn't mind trying. It looks like a lot of these shots are overexposed... maybe it's just my monitor. 1st shot OOF... I guess strobes can't help that! *S*