HS Track

After shooting a lot of other sports, this has been my first season trying some track and field. So far, the jumping events seem to be providing the best opportunities- the running events are.... well a little dull. I need to find a way to make those shots more interesting. Here's a few from this past week-

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more-

http://www.fotofink.ne​t …207/830995874_m​dTPa-M.jpg

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Sports shooter but haven't shot track and field event, but here are a couple of comments for you to take as you like.

1) Like most other sports, camera perspective makes the shot interesting. The pole vault shot, while completely nailed with focus and exposure lacks context due to no points of reference to how high the jumper is.

2) The high jumper (boy) shot in your link could have been shot from a really low angle. This way, you would have gotten both feet (!!!) and the ground and landing mat giving the shot a real sense of height.

3) Matter of taste, but I'm not liking the straight on long-jumpers, either. Experiment with angles on those shots. My guess would be a 45 degree angle would be more interesting. You don't get any sense of height or distance with the straight on shot.

4) Running is running. Agree with you that it's kind of boring!

5) In my experience shooting high school sports, establish yourself as a shooter then work to move into positions where you can get the best shots. I haven't seen any 'no photographers beyond this point' signs anywhere, yet! To date, I haven't been asked to leave a shooting position, either. Common sense approach.

Keep shooting and posting. You got some good shots. Now try for better angles that tell the whole story.

dave

The trick is figuring out where the action...with running catch them in the curves, last turn for distance events. Get low, never shoot from a standing position (except for pole vault.) The best place for running is relays:

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Looking at this thread has helped me too, I am shooting HS track for the first time tonight and its some great tips. Ill post some photos in my own thread after i try tonight and see what everyone thinks!

There are several reasons track meets are very difficult challenges photography wise. Especially on the high school level.

1. There are so many people around and simultaneous events going on its near impossible to get clean backgrounds most of the time. Or to get in a suitable location for perspective and clean shots.

2. They are normally mid-day with direct overhead lighting

3. There just normally isn't a lot of dynamic action to running sports.

4. Re-read #1.

Anyone that has the skill to get decent, respectable and note-worthy shots at a high school track meet has my tip of the hat.

Another attempt this past week- I was able to seek out some more interesting (I felt) running shots- the starts and the sprints seemed to provide the best photos- more intensity from the athletes.

I am still enjoying the jumping events much, much more- but not every athlete is in the high jump.

Thanks for all the advice- as always, my shots are better for it.

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As a high school track coach / former athlete I've discovered you will very rarely get a good expression from a athlete just running. The best way is to really find new angles to shoot from. Curves work nicely because they slightly lean into them giving them more of action look. Field events,Hurdles and Relays will give you the best expressions. The grimace of them going over a hurdle, landing in a sand pit, or soaring over a crossbar. Keep shooting past the jump and you occasionally get lucky with a great reaction. Also something I've learned is a high school runner will almost never cross the finish line with arms high in the air and smiling. Most finish and have the pale look of death on their face.

Hope these tips help. I have tons more... PM me if your interested in specific events

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Some good advice here.

What you really want to do in conditions when getting clean shots is hard is to look for angles - meaning either top down or from very low up. This will greatly help clean up your shots. For example, in your long jump shot, had you shot from hear ground level, the background would have rotated down, creating more focus on the jumper. A great couple of tools that can help with this is an angle view finder and a mini pod or mounting plate. Once setup, you can actually shoot from a few feet away using a remote release.

I love shooting track because it is all just right there. No helmets or equipment to obscure your shots. Keep at it, you will love some of the stuff you can get from this sport.

I agree with Mark- and the other great thing about track (at least high school) is that if you show up with a big camera no one gets in your way or asks questions.

I guess some of this is a matter of preference, or at least degree. I understand about shooting low to get a clean background, but then the pole vault shot took some criticism for being too low, I suppose.

You have all given me lots to work with. This is my first season shooting track, and I have found it to have it's own set of "tricks", many of which I am still getting. The comments here are definitely shortening the learning curve.

The other good news is that I have a very enthusiastic group of parents and coaches, so there is lots of encouragement all around.

Now if I could just find out where they are holding the Javelin throw- I have missed it in all 3 meets that I've shot....

Long very fast glass will help isolate the subject to kill some of those bad backgrounds as well. Even when I'm shooting track in bright daylight I still shoot at 2.8 - 4.0 at the most to help isolate the subjects from the busy backgrounds.

sfinkernagel wrote in post #10000096
I guess some of this is a matter of preference, or at least degree. I understand about shooting low to get a clean background, but then the pole vault shot took some criticism for being too low, I suppose.

You have all given me lots to work with. This is my first season shooting track, and I have found it to have it's own set of "tricks", many of which I am still getting. The comments here are definitely shortening the learning curve.

The other good news is that I have a very enthusiastic group of parents and coaches, so there is lots of encouragement all around.

Now if I could just find out where they are holding the Javelin throw- I have missed it in all 3 meets that I've shot....

Cheer up! If you want to see a lot of bad track photos, check out what the pros are offering on the ESPN Track and Field Photo Wire.

http://espn.go.com …photo/wire?id=1​700&page=1

What would be said if these pics were posted here?


http://espn.go.com …rtId=1700&photo​Id=2528684

http://espn.go.com …rtId=1700&photo​Id=2528675

http://espn.go.com …rtId=1700&photo​Id=2528662

Take the best of the hints posted here and try to emulate the better photos posted on this forum. There are some excellent shooters here.

Zivnuska wrote in post #10000762
Cheer up! If you want to see a lot of bad track photos, check out what the pros are offering on the ESPN Track and Field Photo Wire.

http://espn.go.com …photo/wire?id=1​700&page=1

What would be said if these pics were posted here?


http://espn.go.com …rtId=1700&photo​Id=2528684

http://espn.go.com …rtId=1700&photo​Id=2528675

http://espn.go.com …rtId=1700&photo​Id=2528662

Take the best of the hints posted here and try to emulate the better photos posted on this forum. There are some excellent shooters here.

Yeah no kidding Dr Z. But you know, I see a lot of things in SI and such magazines that I cant believe the printed, even stuff with simple fixes like just straightening the horizon etc. But then again I'm constantly shocked at which ones of my images the editors choose to use as well. Its not always the photographers fault.

Funny side note, many of those images are from the Kansas Relay's T&F meet, I was supposed to cover that event but had a scheduling conflict. We could be talking about my terrible results!

Yeah, I noticed the same thing...I'm trying to see if I can get into the high school ones to do some shooting. That would be so tight.