MiLB: SJ Giants vs LE Storm

I went to the local MiLB game to hang out in the sun, practice some baseball shots. Biggest thing I learned today: I need longer glass! My 24-105 is way too short (already knew that, but it won't stop me from shooting) and that my 3 fps is a little slow. I don't have the funds for new glass yet, but I'll add it to the list. Maybe next season.


#1. 3B diving, but the ball slipped through.

Here's one more for good measure.

#4.

Numbered images

For a 24-105mm lens, I think you did great. These must be significant crops, but the focus holds up well... the CA is heavy on the white edges. Nice action.

Easier to comment when pictures are numbered.

In #1, whites are a little hot, but you exposed well for his face. CA on his back thigh. Maybe a little late on the action, no ball, no eyes, but good dirt/chalk flying, which is always good to capture.

#2... again, good shot... Good fingertips, good dirt flying. A little late again, but I'm always guilty of that too... too much delayed reaction, not enough prediction. No ball. Cluttered background.

#3. Just OK. I like the manager's hand on the pitcher. I like the ball in his hand. But the mgr's face is obscured. And the background is very busy.

#4. Good job getting the ball in frame. A little loose, but understandable with your available lens. Good composition... outfielder on the left-third, ball on the right-third. Good background... I like the team URL.

clarence wrote in post #10537850
For a 24-105mm lens, I think you did great. These must be significant crops, but the focus holds up well... the CA is heavy on the white edges. Nice action.

Easier to comment when pictures are numbered.

In #1, whites are a little hot, but you exposed well for his face. CA on his back thigh. Maybe a little late on the action, no ball, no eyes, but good dirt/chalk flying, which is always good to capture.

#2... again, good shot... Good fingertips, good dirt flying. A little late again, but I'm always guilty of that too... too much delayed reaction, not enough prediction. No ball. Cluttered background.

#3. Just OK. I like the manager's hand on the pitcher. I like the ball in his hand. But the mgr's face is obscured. And the background is very busy.

#4. Good job getting the ball in frame. A little loose, but understandable with your available lens. Good composition... outfielder on the left-third, ball on the right-third. Good background... I like the team URL.

Thanks Clarence. You're really pulling through today with my threads

The 24-105 definitely is not ideal, but its all I had, and as you mentioned these were cropped pretty heavily. This was my first time experiencing the fringing with this lens; but then again it was also my first time shooting wide open in the afternoon sun with lots of whites.

You mention the backgrounds are distracting in a couple of shots, how would you make this better? I tried to blur them the best I could with f/4, but that introduced the fringing

Also, I agree with you, my timing is a little late. I was getting caught up in the game and kept forgetting to hit the trigger I think having a body capable of more than 3 fps would help get the ball in the shot more, maybe not.

Staszek wrote in post #10537917
You mention the backgrounds are distracting in a couple of shots, how would you make this better? I tried to blur them the best I could with f/4, but that introduced the fringing

Longer lenses will help a lot with this, so will wider aperture (f/2.8, f/2, or f/1.8), and so will your position... once you're closer to the action, like in the dugout or photo well, then your subject is closer to the lens and further from the background... this will really help background blur and will make clutter melt away.

An extreme example of all 3 at work (long lens, wide open, near MFD)...
3rd base coach with 600/4L:

Staszek wrote in post #10537917
Also, I agree with you, my timing is a little late. I was getting caught up in the game and kept forgetting to hit the trigger I think having a body capable of more than 3 fps would help get the ball in the shot more, maybe not.

Thus the biggest challenge in baseball... predicting where the bursts of action will be so your lens can be there before the action is.

Don't worry about fps. Timing is more critical. I tend to fire off a lot of double-shots, mainly because 10 fps in H mode tends to fire off the 2nd shot before I lift my finger off the button. But it's nice to be able to choose between 2 similar shots. I just wish it took a shot 1/10th of a second before my first click, instead of 1/10" after. I don't know when the last time that I fired off more than 3 rapid shots.

Ooo that's some juicy bokeh! Thanks for the advice.