Slam Dunk Contest

Shot a slam dunk contest here at school on friday night. I was playing with a new off camera flash set up I got for my birthday. I used a guide off this website for my ocf set up. 2 Nikon sb-26s, ctr-103's, calumet stands, and calumet brackets, first time using it. These are straight out of the camera besides a little bit of cropping.


These are from the "tall man's" dunk contest, so everyone was 6'0 and over on a normal height hoop.
#1

I like off camera flash pictures when it seems like it's natural light - In these the obviousness of the flash sort of ruins it for me. That's my purely aesthetic opinion, I don't know how to setup off camera flashes and have never shot basketball with them, so I can't help in that regard!

Dennis Valet wrote in post #9747398
I like off camera flash pictures when it seems like it's natural light - In these the obviousness of the flash sort of ruins it for me. That's my purely aesthetic opinion, I don't know how to setup off camera flashes and have never shot basketball with them, so I can't help in that regard!

Thanks for the insight. I agree I need to figure out how to balance ambient and the flashes. That's going to come with time and experience I believe. This was my first time playing with strobes. So it's time for me to do some more reading. Thanks again.

-Keith

for your first time with strobes its pretty darn good.. I like the way the contestants are lighted up against the dark gym in some pics...good job

ca7696 wrote in post #9747549
for your first time with strobes its pretty darn good.. I like the way the contestants are lighted up against the dark gym in some pics...good job

thanks bud. It means a lot to me. I can't take any credit I owe it to "northpointphoto" on here a while back he wrote a how to on strobe sporting events. I'll post a link later I'm posting this off my phone.

-Keith

On your next trip out set your Camera to manual, shutter speed at sync which is what? 1/200th on your camera? Expose the ISO and Aperture for the scene lit by ambient. Then turn the flashes on and adjust the power accordingly via your histogram readings... IE: In these photos the whites are all blown, not badly but they are clipped. Your histogram will show this on your camera. Also the ambient lit scene is more than 2 stops dropped back. Try to balance at closer to 2 stops darker than the proper exposure of your flash exposure.

Remember that shutter speed does not affect the flash exposure at all (WITHIN SYNC SPEED) so if you have your ambient dialed down at like 1/100th ISO 1600 and F4 or something like that then adjust your strobe power if it is blowing things out.

Nice shots and good luck.