My first sports photos, on a budget

These are the very first sports photos I've ever tried, my brother's basketball team. Taken with a Canon t1i and the nifty fifty 1.8. I found the focus speed of the 1.8 to be the main barrier - it just couldn't keep up with the action. The rate of keepers/garbage is pretty high. I probably took about ~400 photos and only took ~25 ones I liked out of them.

There were some challenges with the location as well. I was told by the ref that I wasn't allowed any kind of strobes, so that wasn't too fun. The gym itself is 2 gyms divided by a huge heavy plastic cloth divider, which makes for unappealing backgrounds, and the faux tile concrete is seafoam green (someone fire that designer) so none of the backgrounds are very fun.

still I think some of these turned out great, especially since this was my very first time and the lens is just not quite up to the job.

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I would suggest that you plant your rear behind the baseline on the right hand side and shoot em as they come to you. Not under the basket but over to the right even up to the corner.

Also, why were you shooting at ISO 800? Crank up the ISO like the others. The light must be pretty good for the settings you were using. The gyms I shoot in typically require ISO 3200, 1/400ss and f/2.8

Were you shooting on manual? If not, I think you should consider shooting in manual. Afterall , the lights are what they are. Take a few shots and figure out what you like best. Use those settings and start shooting. If necessary, make a change or two to the f/stop. Keep the shutter speed at least 1/400 or higher.

They look pretty good.
Good luck and keep shooting.
Mike

The lighting in the gym was really really good - I was looking up bball shooting before I went and I heard lots of horror stories. The metal halide lamps were 40' up, but there were lots of em.

some of these are at ISO 800, some at 1600. Since this was the first time, I was playing around a bit. Even at ISO 800 I could stop the action at 1/320th - I had the camera on shutterspeed priority and had a period of 1/320th and 1/400th. I didn't want to push the t1i further than ISO 1600 - I think thats the max of its actual ISO and I was getting decent shutterspeeds.

I was shooting automatic, AI servo. I did spend some time in each of the corners, and some time at both sides of half court, to try and judge which was best.

It was a good learning experience I think, one I'm likely to repeat a couple times for sure.

spiralspirit wrote in post #9396018
I didn't want to push the t1i further than ISO 1600 - I think thats the max of its actual ISO.

Nice start.

Go ahead and bump up the ISO... get the SS faster than 1/320". The T1i is fine at 3200... that'd give you SS=1/640"... much better for HS BB. You'd probably double your keeper rate.

And you can use 6400 with a touch of NR in PP. I've even used 12800 on the T1i, but it's quite noisy and a bit more than you'd need here.

most of my "missed" shots more had to do with the really really really slow AF on nifty fifty. That being said, next time I'm doing it I'll be using a new lens (sigma 24-70 f/2.8) and I'll try and bump up the ISO and shutterspeed as suggested, and we'll see what that gets me.

Nice start!
I think he reason you are able to get what you got with those ISO's is that there is so much white in all the BG's. White curtains, white(ish) tile walls and just white painted walls. Did someone get a good deal at a White Sale?
Anyhow, that's cool, all that reflected light off those white surfaces helps you out. Just make sure that you're not metering for those surfaces instead of the players.

I really like your last shot. It really tells the story of a Highschool Bball game. Maybe next time some crows shots to help out the total coverage. Was there a crowd other than the few kids sitting on the old sofa in the corner?
I need to get a simular shot for my son's Youth Bball Prep league games tonight.

Need to get list:
Crowd - check
Team hudles during TO - check
More in focus shots of the kids playing - check