Olympic Trials - Men's Gymnastics

A few select shots from the Men's Gymnastics Trials in Philly. Disappointed that my lens wasn't sharper wide open. I can capture beautiful shots above F/5.6, but not too happy in this case at F2.8. All shots ISO 800, 1/500.

Many more to choose from, but these were a few I liked. I was about 50 yds from the parallel bar and 150 or more from the rings...

1.

Crickets... Any thoughts on the images? I should have asked for C&C when I first posted.

Well - tighter, sharper, better backgrounds, but I'm guessing you knew that and just weren't able to do it w/ your current equipment.

Thanks for the feedback. Not much I can do about the backgrounds. I was up in the stands and not able to shoot the same backgrounds as the pros. Tighter, I could crop tighter, agreed. I like having some of the apparatus in the image, but perhaps I got carried away.

I would I could get sharper, but I've found my sigma 24-70 shooting at F2.8 isn't very sharp, especially at ISO 800.

If you have any ideas on improving sharpness under these conditions, I'd appreciate it.

bwolford wrote in post #5855433
Thanks for the feedback. Not much I can do about the backgrounds. I was up in the stands and not able to shoot the same backgrounds as the pros. Tighter, I could crop tighter, agreed. I like having some of the apparatus in the image, but perhaps I got carried away.

I would I could get sharper, but I've found my sigma 24-70 shooting at F2.8 isn't very sharp, especially at ISO 800.

If you have any ideas on improving sharpness under these conditions, I'd appreciate it.

Rent a 200 f/2? Honestly, if all you have is a 24-70 it's a little tough. I would have gone to ISO 1600 just to see your results. Gymnastics is very hard to shoot!

I have a 70-200 F/2.8 that I can usually use. What kind of crop would you have like to see on these images? Just the athlete or even a tighter crop of them?

bwolford wrote in post #5858539
I have a 70-200 F/2.8 that I can usually use. What kind of crop would you have like to see on these images? Just the athlete or even a tighter crop of them?

Yeah, I dont know why you didn't use the 70-200. That and the IIn you have would be perfect for this!

I used the 70-200 for the women's competition. I wanted some environment in my shot and based on my distance to the events, didn't think I'd need the longer focal length. Looks like I should have had it just in case.

I've not found the 70-200 L IS USM much better IQ at F/2.8 at 70mm than the Sigma at F/2.8 at 70mm, in general. Especially at these high ISO. And I saved a couple of pounds of weight to lug around. (although I did sneak it in the 70-200 for the women's competition once I spotted a few dozen of them the day before during the men's events).

It's all good advice. Sounds like I need to go ahead and shoot tighter and give myself the options provided by a 70-200 that I don't get with the smaller zoom.

I appreciate it.

bwolford wrote in post #5858539
I have a 70-200 F/2.8 that I can usually use. What kind of crop would you have like to see on these images? Just the athlete or even a tighter crop of them?

Well, for some good ideas and compositions (obviously you don't have this access, but) look at, say, Getty's coverage of gymnastics. That's what I do before I go out to shoot a sport I don't really do a lot of or haven't done recently, I review online images of the sport and think of good angles and such.

manutd101 wrote in post #5860276
Well, for some good ideas and compositions (obviously you don't have this access, but) look at, say, Getty's coverage of gymnastics. That's what I do before I go out to shoot a sport I don't really do a lot of or haven't done recently, I review online images of the sport and think of good angles and such.

Duh!!! What a great suggestion. Never thought of that. I didn't have that kind of access, but I do on the local level and this is a great way to improve my cropping. I'll update a few of the the original links based on the crops I saw at Getty. Unfortunately I won't have been able to resolve the crisp/clarity of the image, but I will think they will improve with better crops. I also didn't go back to the original image. I think I could make it pop with a little more PP, but I'm pretty sure these pros are getting it right in camera and not on the computer. I'm sure they are cropping and doing minimal PP.

I wish I had thought of going to Getty for idea. You want to emulate the pros why not go look at what they shot to do so... So simple this simpleton didn't think of it. Thank you!

bwolford wrote in post #5861706
Duh!!! What a great suggestion. Never thought of that. I didn't have that kind of access, but I do on the local level and this is a great way to improve my cropping. I'll update a few of the the original links based on the crops I saw at Getty. Unfortunately I won't have been able to resolve the crisp/clarity of the image, but I will think they will improve with better crops. I also didn't go back to the original image. I think I could make it pop with a little more PP, but I'm pretty sure these pros are getting it right in camera and not on the computer. I'm sure they are cropping and doing minimal PP.

I wish I had thought of going to Getty for idea. You want to emulate the pros why not go look at what they shot to do so... So simple this simpleton didn't think of it. Thank you!

Sure thing!

Hello Brice. Hope all is well! I really like #2.....as for critiques, you have some good advice. Personally I wish you would post these a little larger as they are kinda small on my screen.

Some of these seem OOF to me....it looks as though the camera is focusing behind the subject in almost all the shots. It is especially obvious in the first shot where the text on the banner seems tack sharp and the gymnast not so much. #7 seems to display the same issue.

The EXIF data got stripped in PS so I can't see your settings....but I suspect the lighting was yet another challenge.

Looks like a cool event to go see!

GBRandy wrote in post #5864996
Some of these seem OOF to me....it looks as though the camera is focusing behind the subject in almost all the shots. It is especially obvious in the first shot where the text on the banner seems tack sharp and the gymnast not so much. #7 seems to display the same issue.

Looks like a cool event to go see!

I agree with the comment here. The focusing was behind the subject. A manual setting or AF Lock could have helped with that issue.

Great effort on though lighting condition though

^^ what I was going to say. The focus is just missing the target, not a softness issue with the equipment. Good start covering from the stands as you caught some funny expressions for sure.

GBRandy wrote in post #5864996
Hello Brice. Hope all is well! I really like #2.....as for critiques, you have some good advice. Personally I wish you would post these a little larger as they are kinda small on my screen.

Some of these seem OOF to me....it looks as though the camera is focusing behind the subject in almost all the shots. It is especially obvious in the first shot where the text on the banner seems tack sharp and the gymnast not so much. #7 seems to display the same issue.

The EXIF data got stripped in PS so I can't see your settings....but I suspect the lighting was yet another challenge.

Looks like a cool event to go see!

RE posting them bigger, I under did have them bigger, but with a looser crop. I didn't have the time to go back to the originals to seek opinions if the tighter crops helped the images. I really should go back and post 600X800 of these if I'm going to leave them up here... Perhaps some time this week when the time fairy stops by.

This was even harder to focus than our normal local stuff Randy. There is little or know way to know if I had lock or not. I though I had enough DOF at my distance to provide coverage, but apparently I didn't, especially if it locked on the sign. I thought I was locked on the athlete as they mounted (bar - single and parallel and on the vault table it self), but apparently I didn't have a lock... I do use the * for focus and once locked, I lay off.

The floor exercises were tough. I had some tack sharp (see the women's thread) and AI Servo was working fairly well and others didn't work out...

Live and learn. Is it too much to ask you to stand further from the monitor to lesson the OOF effect?