JV Basketball

Here are a few from a game a couple weeks back that I was finally able to get to.

#1 1/640 ss, f/2.8. ISO 4000

Hi Chris:

Im having difficulty wrapping my head around the shots. All shot at 2.8 menas that you probably used the 70-200 f/2.8 L lens and the ISO at 4k says 7D? If so, the shots don't look right for the settings unless you shot everything at 70mm? I can't see exif data.

Nice gym to get 1/640 for you. IMO, the shots would look more pleasing if you used longer focal length to bring the action closer to the lens and blur out the BG stuff that is too evident like on most of the shots. Even at 200mm I don't think shooting the other end of the court works well.

If you haven't tried this angle, setup about 2' inside the sideline and 2-3' back from the baseline. Set the 70/200 to 100mm and shoot action from the 3-point line and in. You'll get some great tight shots and good backgrounds.

dave

Dave

I'm not sure what you mean that the shots don't look right. With the exception of #5 all were shot at or near 70mm, #5 was at 200. Also with shooting at 2.8 in this gym if I shoot lower that 3200 the shots are underexposed so I am trying to get things right in the camera to avoid a lot of PP. When I shoot in this gym the blue walls and stands really seems to absorb the light.

These images are cropped and PP'd. I usually stand about 2' outside the sideline at or just below the baseline. I try to move around a bit, but I will try your suggestion on Monday and see how it works for me.

Thanks for the suggestion and please let me know what doesn't look right. If your interested the game photos are on my flickr page under vs. Granite Bay and the EXIF is posted. Sorry about it not being with the pics, but I don't know how to embed the info.

Chris

Nice timing and good images for ISO 4000.

Next time, keep working to capture faces and "shoot tight, crop tighter." Get rid of those extraneous players.

I think a couple seem too early maybe.. lacking the action or importance maybe? The layup one would be nice if he were actually going up for the layup, and of course #2 would be nice to see head on instead. They all seem "far away" to me but obviously the blocked shot one IS far away, I wonder if you could crop most of the basket and the free space on the left away to focus on the block rather than a panorama type of the whole other side?

what doesn't look right is that the shots should have much less in focus BG for f/2.8. Unless of course, your shooting far away action ... like the shot at the other end of the court. Here's an example of background at 2.0 with 85mm lens: