Shooting Wrestling Tournament Tomorrow!

Im shooting for the Youth Wrestling Team tomorrow morning.. does anybody has any good adice for me this will be my first sports event for the school's

Would help if we knew what equipment you have.

all i have is a Canon Rebal T1i. i dont have the strobes or nothing but i will be close up to the mat, if that helps

I'll assume you also have the kit lens as well. I hope the lighting is better then most the gyms but for optimum settings shoot AV, (unless you are comfortable with M) highest aperture (lowest number) and most likely will be maxing out your iso. Wrestling isn't as fast as most sports so you can probably get away with some pretty slow shutter speeds (200s) but try to keep it above 400s if you can. Center point auto focus, Al Servo.

Expose the scene correctly. Do not try to make up shutter speed or shoot at a lower ISO then needed by under exposing. You will just increase the noise.

If you are really hurting for light you will just have to pick your moments when the action slows down.

Yes. Yes.

(1) Display your credentials so everyone can see them otherwise you have have parents flock next you with any camera they have (video or photo)
(2) Usually mats are arranged in 4 squares, or 2 in a rectangle. Sit the exact middle so you can shoot all matches from the correct angle.
(3) Get you white bal from the ref's shirt.
(4) With no strobe/flash shoot in Manual as open as possible 2.8 ISO 640-800 if possible. Stay above 1/400, 1/250 will blur.
(5) Avoid shots of Buts, checking the oil, and franks-and-beans when a kid is getting pinned.
(6) Do get emotions after matches, hands being raised with ref!
(7) Flash the medal stand if possible. Get every weight class.
(8) Wait during actions shots, do not burst 100 shots and all you have is elbows and shoulders. Wait for at least one face.
(9) Shoot from your knees, Indian style or belly down (but remember that mats carry ringworm and other dirty dirty stuff! You stand in a parents way and they will never buy from you.
(10) remember to eat!
(11) do not be afraid to offer the refs a photo or two. They are hams and love the shot of themselves smacking a pin. Doing this also means they will face you when raising hands.

These are all strobed, I hate gym light ...

(1) http://www.smugmug.com …508_bjiZr#46540​6116_vxFnm

(2) http://www.smugmug.com …187_aBE4Y#46479​1122_rkpys

(3) http://www.smugmug.com …795_JPSjr#46253​6868_HmhKS

...

Agree with Vinny on shutter speed. Even at SS 1/400 you can end up with motion blur on the extremities. 70-200 f2.8 is the lens I prefer.

You might be better off using an 85mm F1.8 Lens if you can not use a strobe. You will need the extra light gathering capability.

You're probably already out the door, but I'll chime in anyway.

Set your ISO at 1600 and use the pop up flash (unless you have a speedlight then use that). Set it to M 1/250th and wide open aperture. Check the histogram - if the frame is too dark, go to ISO 3200.

If all you have to work with is the kit lens, all the discussion of shooting at 2.8 or with lenses you don't own isn't going to mean much. If you have a lens faster than the kit use it.

55mm matside is not going to allow you to shoot tight. Just play the hand you're dealt. At the youth level you will likely be a lot closer than you would be at the high school level, the action is slower and the kids are smaller. You have to be at their level - which means at least sitting. If you are shooting more than one mat you have to be incredibly aware of what is going on behind you, or you run the risk of having kids being taken down on top of you.

Try to sit so that when they start with one wrestler down that they are facing you. Easiest stock shot to get - and they aren't moving. If the kids are any good - it's also the best location to get an image of a switch.

Faces are good - great expressions and smiles. Crying faces at that age are everywhere - I don't shoot them.

Shoot every kid in your organization if you can - even if it's just tying his shoes or the prematch staredown. They could get pinned in three seconds and you've got nothing otherwise.