Women's Volleyball - Iowa State vs Baylor

ISU took on Baylor last night, won in 5 sets, avenging a road loss earlier this season and remains undefeated at home. A few from last night...

http://s257.photobucke​t.com …U%20Volleyball/​?start=all

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I'd be interested in hearing from people who have shot VB before or quick action like it in that kind of light, what a person could do better. I had a 40D and 20D with 20-70 2.8L and 70-200 2.8L IS. Shot at 2.8-3.5 and usually at 1/500 (sometimes slower or faster, was tough to get much any slower) - 1600 and H ISO. I shot a couple WB readings, but found AWB still looked the "best". My biggest complaint is I wish they were sharper. I did feel during the game when comparing shots from the two bodies, the 20D was getting me sharper images. However, it has a much smaller screen and is hard to tell. I didn't take time last night to compare images between the two bodies.

#7 was doing that emotive celebration all night long. And I must have taken 20+ frames of her doing that, but could not get a one in focus. Finally late in the game, I just followed her and waited for a Cyclone point to get the shot. Like hell if I was going to let her escape me!

I didn't do anything in post to most of these but import and export from LR, ran some presets (and modified the results) on a few of them.

A few others...

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I like your shots...and love the fact that you have covered that behind the scenes stuff as well...

I have to say though...the tilting does not work for most of these shots.

Love it for the jub shot....the others need to be corrected in my opinion.

Jon

PS Also love it for the cheer shot.

very nice set

nice set
but tilting for me doesnt work

Thanks for the feedback folks.

I tilt because that's part of my style normally. I made sure to get a variety of tilts and no tilts for the game, but everyone always gets the straight-on shots - a person must be different to separate from others.

I wish I had taken more shots like the last one from my original post. On the camera, it looked just ok. I really liked it when I got home, wish I had some of those with action - serves coming from the other direction, etc.

iClickPhotography wrote in post #8918111
I'd be interested in hearing from people who have shot VB before or quick action like it in that kind of light, what a person could do better. I had a 40D and 20D with 20-70 2.8L and 70-200 2.8L IS. Shot at 2.8-3.5 and usually at 1/500 (sometimes slower or faster, was tough to get much any slower) - 1600 and H ISO.

Shutter speed is the key. 1/500 is really not enough for most volleyball action due to the really fast motion. Best option is to always shoot at f/2.8 and as high an ISO that you can still accept the noise you are getting. Your only other options are faster glass like a 135 f/2 or start using strobes.

iClickPhotography wrote in post #8918426
I tilt because that's part of my style normally. I made sure to get a variety of tilts and no tilts for the game, but everyone always gets the straight-on shots - a person must be different to separate from others.

My personal opinion regarding action sports is you be different by capturing sharper images of better action and from different perspectives and not from gimmicky things like titling the camera. Action sports is not fashion photography or an art class project.

While I respect your desire to be unique, I personally think the tilt style for sports makes it look like you don't know how to hold your camera or were too lazy to fix the error in post and will cost you more paying opportunities than it will gain.

Big K
Nice images on your site.

carshop wrote in post #8918859
Big K
Nice images on your site.

Thanks. I appreciate the feedback and thanks for taking the time to look.

Have a good day.

carshop wrote in post #8918859
Big K
Nice images on your site.

Agreed.

Kevin - thanks for the feedback. I'll always still put my spin on some of the shots, but will be mindful to lean further toward the traditional crops.

I viewed your VB images, very sharp stuff with little noise. It seems the light in those gyms is slightly better than Hilton (where I shot last night), but can't tell for sure. What are you shooting these at? Were you setting some strobes up around the gym in these?

Even when I went higher with the shutter (and shooting AI Servo), I didn't get as sharp of images as I'd like, still noisy and a bit underexposed.

Hilton does have strobes in the ceiling that can be fired via PWs, but I don't use PWs and I have not seen results that I liked from those using the strobes in Hilton.

iClickPhotography wrote in post #8918958
Agreed.

Kevin - thanks for the feedback. I'll always still put my spin on some of the shots, but will be mindful to lean further toward the traditional crops.

I viewed your VB images, very sharp stuff with little noise. It seems the light in those gyms is slightly better than Hilton (where I shot last night), but can't tell for sure. What are you shooting these at? Were you setting some strobes up around the gym in these?

Even when I went higher with the shutter (and shooting AI Servo), I didn't get as sharp of images as I'd like, still noisy and a bit underexposed.

Hilton does have strobes in the ceiling that can be fired via PWs, but I don't use PWs and I have not seen results that I liked from those using the strobes in Hilton.

Thanks.

Most of the recent volleyball on my site was in the same gym and was generally shot with a Mk III and 135 f/2 at ISO 2000, 1/640 - 1/800 and f/2. The Mk III works very well at higher ISO's and that 135, when you hit the focus, is really hard to beat.

My stuff is also HS volleyball and while this team is pretty good, it is still not the same level of speed and athleticism as what you are trying to capture at the college level.

I find that noise is much less of an issue if you shoot +1/3 overexposed so you might give that a try. It will cost you some shutter speed which will ruin lots of shots by introducing more motion blur but will help the noise.

I shot in a gym this past weekend covering a tourney where I was at ISO 3200, f/2 and 1/500 and my keeper rate was at best 1 in 8. I am working on getting the images ready for my website and should have them up later if you want to see the difference. A gym with decent lighting sure makes things much easier.

Check out some of Phil Z's posts on strobing VB. He is really getting pretty good at it but as you have found, strobes don't necessarily mean better photos if the positioning is not ideal, which might be a contributing factor in your gym.

Forgot to add, no strobes for my VB stuff. They won't let me use them around here for VB.

Pretty much what I expected, you're eliminating the noise by using a better body and smaller aperture lens. It's great work, so again - kudos.

I may give my 50mm 1.4 a try, but I'm not sure it'll focus quick enough. Definitely going to take it along for the next game though.

Huge game next Saturday from Nebraska. The communication director specifically asked if I could be there for that one. They loved that last shot from my original post (which I was ironically talking about earlier) and want more like it when the stands behind are full...as well as another image video (put one together for 'em from last night's game).

-1 on the tilt too... other than that, I love the content captured in the shots, wouldn't have believed that it came from a 20D

Have fun at the big game.

The 50 f/1.4 might be a bit slow but it can produce some nice sports shots if you are set up in the general vicinity of the action where the AF adjustment isn't that great. Plus, the DOF can be a bit more forgiving with a 50 than something like your 70-200, even at a wider aperture.

Good luck, be safe and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Aaagogo wrote in post #8919347
-1 on the tilt too... other than that, I love the content captured in the shots, wouldn't have believed that it came from a 20D

Haven't seen you in the sports section for awhile. Hope all is well.