NCAA Football: Illinois 20, Lousiana-Lafayette 17

One word "EXCELLENT"

dmwierz wrote in post #6315708
the highlight blinky thing

this is directly from the manual isn't it?

Ive seen this too and sometimes I've noticed the horizons weren't crooked until AFTER I "fixed" them.

Again Dennis, beautiful images.

Yes, directly from the manual of Men in Black.

Have any from the Illini-Mizzou game? -- Not intended to be a dig -- just want to see some as good as these from that game!

Missed this thread earlier this week....cracking stuff here Dennis.

Almost cut my finger they're so darn sharp !!

Darcy

markmizzou wrote in post #6330636
Have any from the Illini-Mizzou game? -- Not intended to be a dig -- just want to see some as good as these from that game!

Nope, didn't work that game.

Dmwierz is there any advice for a first time sport shooter. I have chance to be on the field at the KC Chiefs vs. Denver game. I am thinking about renting a 300m f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8L.

extrememc wrote in post #6333326
Dmwierz is there any advice for a first time sport shooter. I have chance to be on the field at the KC Chiefs vs. Denver game. I am thinking about renting a 300m f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8L.

That's a VERY broad question, and if pushed, my response would have to be: "Don't shoot your first football game at the NFL or even the NCAA level. At best you'll be lost in almost every way, and at worst, you'll get in the way of others who are there making a living. Additionally, you'll potentially be in harms way of large, very fast men running right at you, or trying not to hit you when you are where you don't belong, they will themselves get hurt."

Seriously, and I'm not trying to be snobby or anything, but shooting at a pro event a recipe for disappointment or even disaster as a method of leaning how to shoot a sport. The game is remarkably fast, the players amazingly large, and independent of where the best places are to get the best images, someone on the sidelines needs to be well-versed in where they can and can't stand or go simply for safety and courtesy sake.

OK, let's assume you're going: when is the game? So, you don't currently own either of these lenses, so even if you wanted to you couldn't practice at a few local High School games beforehand? What equipment do you own? Have you shot football (or any sports) at all? Where are they playing? Where are your credentials coming from? Let's start there and work our way up.

Most excellent work Dennis. The shot made with the 20D still looks decent. Gives me hope as I only have a 30D for now. Hoping to be able to get a MkII in a few months. Will give me two bodies finally. It's scary being out there with one body.

extrememc wrote in post #6333326
Dmwierz is there any advice for a first time sport shooter. I have chance to be on the field at the KC Chiefs vs. Denver game. I am thinking about renting a 300m f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8L.

Remember if you're there on the sidelines for another reason other than having photo credentials they are not going to let you shoot more than likely. The pros wearing the pretty red vests (and especially the team photog) seeing someone without one on shooting is going to put a stop to it pretty quick in most cases. NFL is the most strict out there when it comes to images and what's allowed.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #6333922
Remember if you're there on the sidelines for another reason other than having photo credentials they are not going to let you shoot more than likely. The pros wearing the pretty red vests (and especially the team photog) seeing someone without one on shooting is going to put a stop to it pretty quick in most cases. NFL is the most strict out there when it comes to images and what's allowed.

Mike - good question. Extrememc, do you have photo credentials or just sideline access?

I have really mixed emotions about this. I race cars. I always learn a lot more racing and putting myself in situations that really stretch my skills. Racing at the lower levels hardly every helps you progress much. High school football and pro ball for all extents are different beast. Shooting high school really does very little to help prepare for shooting a pro game. Player size, tempo, lighting - all very different. Rules of conduct - nothing comparable between the two. I am always a firm believer in jumping in with both feet... you'll learn to swim much faster then hanging out in the shallow end.

So Extremenc,if you get this opportunity, show up early, listen carefully, do what your told, stay out of peoples way, and have a blast of a time. Trust me, it is faster and harder hitting then you can imagine. And be safe. I would recommend hanging out in the end zones, far safer. And if your are going to rent, go for a 400. Your 40D and a 400 will have plenty of reach for down field plays. Good luck.

Mark,

With all due respect, I don't agree (and since this is MY thread, I can hijack it as far off topic as I'd like ).

Yes one has to start somewhere with everything. You are correct that the gap between HS football and the pros is a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon, but how do you think most of us who DO shoot at the pro-level got there? By jumping in with both feet at the pro level (even if this WAS possible and commonly available)? I strongly disagree that there isn't anything to learn by shooting at the HS level. There are the fundamentals of how to cover the game, for one thing. And how to use the camera to capture action in the field, for another.

You race cars (something I know a little about) - didn't you start by learning how to DRIVE first? You say " Racing at the lower levels hardly every helps you progress much." OK, maybe true if one is hoping to progress, but we're not talking about progressing here - we're talking about somebody being plopped into a 700 HP NASCAR vehicle and told he can go out on the track with other cars and drivers as long as he stays out of the way and does what he's told, etc., when in fact, there ARE lower levels of competition where he could learn the basics (like what 300 or even 400HP feels like, let alone 700HP; like what it's like to drive in VERY high speed in traffic with less than a foot to the bumper of the next car; like what it's like to drive 180mph with a concrete wall 6 inches from your right fender and another car 6 inches from your left; like what happens when you smash the accelerator and unleash all 700 horses or on the other side of that coin, what happens when you smash the brake pedal and engage those monstrous rotors, etc. ).

I have a 15 year old in Driver's Ed right now, and I can't imagine someone telling him "Today we're gonna jump in with both feet by moving from our familiar Chevy Malibu and driving on local roads, to driving a 500HP Dodge Viper on the banked turns of Chicagoland Speedway while 12 other cars are on the track trying to qualify for this weekend's NASCAR event" .

Believe me, I support jumping in with both feet, but when you do so, it can be very dangerous to jump in with both feet having never swam before - or when your swimming experience consists of a wading pool or a hot tub. Start off in the shallow end. Practice dunking your head underwater. Figure out how to float. Work your way into the deep end as soon as you're comfortable, but make sure there is a Lifeguard on duty. If things go wrong, you could drown.

Again, extrememc, I'm going to assume you're going to do this regardless of what anyone here tells you, and I don't blame you - and I'll personally try to help you as best as I can, despite the fact that personally, I think the LAST thing I want to have next to me on the already-crowded sidelines of an NFL game is somebody who not only has never photographed an NFL game but who has never shot sports before.

Hey Dennis, I do see where you are coming from. I will agree, the comparison was a stretch, so my bad for bringing up the bad analogy. Big difference though is I have never known a photographer to be killed shooting a game... I have had a friend killed on the track. But enough on that.

The real issue is crowded sidelines which is driving everyone crazy... and until the league sets out new rules, it's going to continue to be a problem. Teams will be allocated x number of sideline passes regardless, and those people will be there with or without cameras, causing issues for the working crowd. The good thing about shooting something like this is a can be a very exciting yet humbling experience - and give you a real idea what it is you have to learn. I am a firm believer that great photos are 70% great content - 30% the photographer knowing what to do with it. Learning the 30% is a lot harder as you know than it looks.

I think the word "Apprenticeship" sums it up. You have start with the lower jobs and work up to the top jobs.