1st Time Shooting NBA Game

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willshoot4food wrote in post #9533726
If you rent a 300mm it has to be a 2.8 the light at Staples will kill you at f4 and you don't need the IS version.

If you have an extra body smack the 24-70mm on it which will cover you at the base line and use the 70-200mm on the 5d mark II which will cover you out to the 3 point line. Light is minimal so you should be shooting somewhere at 1/500th - 1/640th wide open. You might also want to take the 16-35mm for some wide angle court shots at halftime or pre-game.

Keep an eye out for Billy Crystal and Frankie Munez they are regulars at the Clippers games and are usually court side.

i will most likely bring the 5D and throw the 24-70 on it. i'd love to get some wide shot underneath the basket. love those shots.

willshoot4food wrote in post #9532559
At the very least I would take a 24-70 and a 70-200 this will be enough to cover half the court assuming you are sitting baseline. Without a 300 you'll be missing half the game.

You are right on the money about this !

For me, I have the 5D2 and the 40D. The 5D2 will be fine, but you'll need that wide for those shots right in front of the basket. I was going to suggest the 24-70 and 70-200 2.8 IS combo and add in there the 85 1.8. That lens is amazing by the court.

willshoot4food wrote in post #9532110
I would suggest taking a 24-70, 70-200, and a 300 for down court action. I would also suggest getting a pad or something to sit on. Something like this back support seat

bigjon0107 wrote in post #9532294
I dont think he is interested in renting gear.

willshoot4food wrote in post #9532559
At the very least I would take a 24-70 and a 70-200 this will be enough to cover half the court assuming you are sitting baseline. Without a 300 you'll be missing half the game.

Maybe he should rent some bodies and triggers and flashes and card runners and magic arms and super clamps and gobos and card runners too!



Just take your 16-35 and your 70-200. Youll use the 70-200 95% of the time and you can shoot cross court with it just fine. I shot cross court with a 70-200 on a 5D classic so you can definitely do it with 21MP to crop from. Throw on the 16-35 if you feel the need.

simply work with what you gears you have. 70-200 2.8 will be your LENS of the night.

can someone shed some light, no pun intended....on the in house strobes they use in Staples and other arenas? i'm assuming those are only made available to larger publications.

but i am shooting the Harlem Globetrotters at the Honda Center and since it won't be covered by as many photogs, how would i go about using those strobes? would they be triggered by PW or something more complex?

from what I know with my 1/2 season with a local NBA team, I have observed that the setup is 70-200 and a 300.

I've seen them shoot with 30D's still, heck, even XSI as remote cameras, so that would mean that there is more than enough light. of course YMMV. The house photographer has access to 2 pairs of light each, one house photographer on each side, the setting with house lights are in the area of 1/160, f4, iso 320, ball park, been a while... Photographer from other agencies use ambient, and if it can be published in SI on ambient, light should be decent.

the only people allowed on the courts are house photographers AFAIK, i've seen SI and getty there, but they've never approached the courts, even when it was the NBA finals.

that's most of the info off the top of my head.

Aaagogo wrote in post #9541207
from what I know with my 1/2 season with a local NBA team, I have observed that the setup is 70-200 and a 300.

I've seen them shoot with 30D's still, heck, even XSI as remote cameras, so that would mean that there is more than enough light. of course YMMV. The house photographer has access to 2 pairs of light each, one house photographer on each side, the setting with house lights are in the area of 1/160, f4, iso 320, ball park, been a while... Photographer from other agencies use ambient, and if it can be published in SI on ambient, light should be decent.

the only people allowed on the courts are house photographers AFAIK, i've seen SI and getty there, but they've never approached the courts, even when it was the NBA finals.

that's most of the info off the top of my head.

i was assuming that i would be shooting on the baseline. is that not a safe assumption?

can someone that has shot the LA Clippers at the Staples confirm or deny? i am planning on bringing lens based on me shooting from the baseline, not up in the rafters.lol

**EDIT**
just exchanged email's with the VP of Clippers PR/Media and i am slotted for a spot on the baseline next to the Spurs bench. and i'll have access to the opposite baseline in the 2nd half.

If you are a credentialed photographer why don't you just get to the venue early and go into the media center and ask "who, what, when, where" and "what not to do."

The media center is where you leave your laptop that you use to submit your images, or get info. on the players and free water etc.

Also if you get there early enough you can shoot the players in the locker room (and that is the most fun that can be had as a credentialed photographer).

Send emails, but remember to talk to the people you emailed in person so you can work out your credentials for future games.

Oh, yea remember to have fun.

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AZAlphaDog wrote in post #9541682
If you are a credentialed photographer why don't you just get to the venue early and go into the media center and ask "who, what, when, where" and "what not to do."

The media center is where you leave your laptop that you use to submit your images, or get info. on the players and free water etc.

Also if you get there early enough you can shoot the players in the locker room (and that is the most fun that can be had as a credentialed photographer).

Send emails, but remember to talk to the people you emailed in person so you can work out your credentials for future games.

Oh, yea remember to have fun.

i plan on doing that, but i wanted to be prepared BEFOREHAND. thanks for the suggestions.

willshoot4food wrote in post #9542319
Wow really.... the guy was asking for suggestions, no need to be such a dick about it.

lol..he did come off a bit bullish, but all good. thanks for having my back nonetheless!

willshoot4food wrote in post #9542319
Wow really.... the guy was asking for suggestions, no need to be such a dick about it.

HAHA, Will meet Adam.

And they lived happily ever after.

mikeassk wrote in post #9542441
HAHA, Will meet Adam.

And they lived happily ever after.

WillShoot4Food's name is not Will (so your joke = fail)