Girls HS Basketball - First Strobing of the Season

Finally was back in a gym where I could use the strobes for some basketball. After about 8 months of outdoor sports and motor driven photography, my overall timing was pretty rusty but did end up with some keepers.

All strobed shots with 1D Mk III 85 f/1.8 at ISO 500 1/250 f/4. Lights were (2) Elinchrom Rangers using the "B" connection for max flash duration and shot at full power. The last two are to provide a similar example showing the difference between ambient and strobed in this gym. The last shot was with same camera and lens at ISO 2000, f/2, 1/640.

1

Forgot, here are some set up shots of the lights. I didn't have a wide enough lens with me to shoot both lights at the same time, but the second light is in the exact same position on the opposite side of the court.

I aimed them at the ceiling directly above the free throw line to get some direct spill on the floor and to try and flood the rest of the background with some light.

#5.. wow.. major surgery scars on both knees but not wearing knee braces? Unless it's something else that just looks like surgery scars?

Thanks for posting the 'strobed vs ambient' comparison. The colors and skin tones are just day and night better with the strobes. I hate fighting those sickly, jaundiced, ambient skin tones in low light gyms.

The high angle shot in #6 is a refreshing new perspective to the action. SI and other sports magazines seem to look for a variety focal lengths and vantage points when they cover an athletic event--especially in basketball. It seems like a nice attribute to try to emulate.

The team wearing the same shoe? Part of the uniform? I don't see that these days.

I noticed the shoes as well...I've never seen those flaps over the laces, and they all have them (both teams). I must not be in the basketball loop.
Nice shots.

ahhhh ... I love strobed indoor sports! So crisp!

These are great ... one question?

Did you produce those posters in the back?? That's awesome! (* and must be big bucks! *)

Great shots you have there.. so you are only using one light on each side of the court... but if you are how does it look like you have some kind of fill light on those shots.... is it from the bounce effect.?
I tried that once and all I had was one side of the body lit.. what do you guys do if you ever run into a ceiling that is red color..??
I also like your clamp setup too.
Thanks,
Joe

DHMN wrote in post #9077771
#5.. wow.. major surgery scars on both knees but not wearing knee braces? Unless it's something else that just looks like surgery scars?

Yeah, tore ACL's in both knees last season. She actually played through most of last season with them and had the surgeries last spring and was back for soccer season this fall. She is as tough as they come and one of the better players in this part of the state. If she had not had the surgery in the spring and missed tennis, she would have finished with 12 varsity letters.

Zivnuska wrote in post #9078122
Thanks for posting the 'strobed vs ambient' comparison. The colors and skin tones are just day and night better with the strobes. I hate fighting those sickly, jaundiced, ambient skin tones in low light gyms.

The high angle shot in #6 is a refreshing new perspective to the action. SI and other sports magazines seem to look for a variety focal lengths and vantage points when they cover an athletic event--especially in basketball. It seems like a nice attribute to try to emulate.

Thanks. I really like that high angle and actually thought of you when I was up there remembering some of your volleyball work.

Sibil wrote in post #9079207
The team wearing the same shoe? Part of the uniform? I don't see that these days.

Yes, shoes are a required part of their uniform, as are the socks. Their coach is on it and they really look professional when they are on the floor.

VinnyC01 wrote in post #9079289
ahhhh ... I love strobed indoor sports! So crisp!

These are great ... one question?

Did you produce those posters in the back?? That's awesome! (* and must be big bucks! *)

Thanks Vinny. Yes, I also did the banners. It was a nice (profitable) project. I have been doing them for this school for a couple of years and now am doing them for several other schools after they come in and see them, they want them for their kids. Here is a better view of one of them.

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Joe300 wrote in post #9079408
Great shots you have there.. so you are only using one light on each side of the court... but if you are how does it look like you have some kind of fill light on those shots.... is it from the bounce effect.?
I tried that once and all I had was one side of the body lit.. what do you guys do if you ever run into a ceiling that is red color..??
I also like your clamp setup too.
Thanks,
Joe

The fill look is a result of the direct light spill from the heads onto the floor and some bounce from the ceiling. One of the benefits of using some pretty powerful lights. The reflectors on the lights throw a pretty wide beam so there is a lot of light going every direction.

I had several shots where there were problems with shadows from arms, etc. so it was not perfect by any stretch, but worked well for the majority of the shots.

Fortunately, I don't have any gyms in my area with a colored ceiling but if I did I would either try to bounce off a wall if it was not colored, shoot direct, tough it out and shoot ambient only or go sit in the stands and watch the game.

nice work

Big K wrote in post #9079501
The fill look is a result of the direct light spill from the heads onto the floor and some bounce from the ceiling. One of the benefits of using some pretty powerful lights. The reflectors on the lights throw a pretty wide beam so there is a lot of light going every direction.

I had several shots where there were problems with shadows from arms, etc. so it was not perfect by any stretch, but worked well for the majority of the shots.

Fortunately, I don't have any gyms in my area with a colored ceiling but if I did I would either try to bounce off a wall if it was not colored, shoot direct, tough it out and shoot ambient only or go sit in the stands and watch the game.

I see what you mean... I am going try with strobes soon as the season kicks off here in my area.. if I am shooting ambient I am not going to get many keepers...and if I sit in the stands I am not going to make any money...lol but it gives me a chance to watch the game and have popcorn for a change.....

what type of arm clamp is that you are using...I found teh clamp but not the arm @ B&H photo.. I will keep looking.
thanks enjoy the holiday,
Joe

Really like the shots, especially #6 angle. I am like the others, strobes just make the colors so vivid. Couple of questions, are you using 2nd shutter curtain sync? 2nd question is when shooting for newspapers, does using strobes improve their print quality of the picture? I had heard that a strobed picture when printed in a newspaper won't do it justice. I really like strobing the games so I will keep doing it for now. What are you mounting the strobes to? Again, they look great.

Joe300 wrote in post #9079563
I see what you mean... I am going try with strobes soon as the season kicks off here in my area.. if I am shooting ambient I am not going to get many keepers...and if I sit in the stands I am not going to make any money...lol but it gives me a chance to watch the game and have popcorn for a change.....

what type of arm clamp is that you are using...I found teh clamp but not the arm @ B&H photo.. I will keep looking.
thanks enjoy the holiday,
Joe

Joe,

Here is the arm.

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …iable_Friction_​Magic.html

They make two types, you definitely want this one if you are going with a Bogen product. The other version does not hold its positions near as well.

Have a good turkey day!!

Golferdude1977 wrote in post #9079574
Really like the shots, especially #6 angle. I am like the others, strobes just make the colors so vivid. Couple of questions, are you using 2nd shutter curtain sync? 2nd question is when shooting for newspapers, does using strobes improve their print quality of the picture? I had heard that a strobed picture when printed in a newspaper won't do it justice. I really like strobing the games so I will keep doing it for now. What are you mounting the strobes to? Again, they look great.

Thanks.

No, I am using regular sync. The flash duration on these strobes is awesome so as long as I am far enough above ambient, everything is good.

Regarding newspaper printing, it really depends on how good their press operators are and the quality of the paper. If they are good printers, yes, the improvement is very noticeable. Granted, it is not the same as glossy magazine printing, but the skin tones and overall tonal range really does look better.

I am mounting them to the handrail on the second level of the gym using superclamps and the magic arm mentioned in the post above.