Weekly Sports Thread 08-19-06

Bob Markey

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Put 'em here. It's high school football season and although I'm quite rusty, I'm fired up at the thought of lots of shooting following a sports-boring summer.

Please include camera, lense(s), flash and any interesting processing.

Thanks.
 
You could cut the humidity with a butter knife last night as the Palm Beach County high school football season started with a kickoff classic between The King's Academy and Cardinal Newman. The Christians defeated the Catholics 27-2.

These were made with a 1D, 70-200 2.8 at mostly 1/320 to 1/400 at F/2.8, 550EX (mostly on ETTL at -2/3 compensation, although some were shot with the flash on manual at 1/32 and 1/64 power), ISO 100 to 1600. They were cropped a bit and sharpened.















 
Thanks. Flash is pretty much necessary at most nighttime high school games in Florida and elswhere - at least until we can figure out how to stop action at 1/60 at F/2.8. :)

The players do not notice the flash at all. It's for a very short duration, usually not directly at them, and not very powerful. Even when asked, they say they don't see it.
 
realy like them , you got some realy nice panning and on others very pleasing bacground blur , well done.

all best
kristian
 
Thanks. Flash is pretty much necessary at most nighttime high
school games in Florida and elswhere - at least until we can figure
out how to stop action at 1/60 at F/2.8. :)

The players do not notice the flash at all. It's for a very short
duration, usually not directly at them, and not very powerful. Even
when asked, they say they don't see it.
.............I've always been hesitant to use a flash from the sidelines. The local newspaper guys here where I am don't do it and one of their explanations was that it gives the players an unreal vividness that doesn't look natural. To be perfectly honest, I see some of that in your shots. In real life, those faces inside the helmets shouldn't pop out with so much brightness and detail. It just looks kind of artificial and unreal.

.....Most of the time, the players won't be bothered by a flash going off nearby on the sideline but there are times when a receiver or QB is looking across the field that a flash could distract them. It's no accident that the NFL prohibits all flash photography from the sidelines during play.

......I asked an official about this once a few years back at one of my son's high school games and he said that they'd let it go until and if a player or coach complains. He said that if that happened, I'd be shooting from up in the stands from then on.
 
.........This is from last year with a 300D/70-200L and isn't the best quality shot from what I've seen from others. I've now moved up to a 5D and a 200/2.8 prime that would have done better I think. We'll see in about a month when my son plays in his first night game this year.



Full EXIF Info:
Date/Time 15-Oct-2005 19:36:18
Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
Flash Used No
Focal Length 200 mm
Exposure Time 1/320 sec
Aperture f/2.8
ISO Equivalent 1600
Exposure Bias +1/3
White Balance (-1)
Metering Mode matrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Program shutter priority (2)
 
The sample is OK, but it appears backfocused.

Flash-less football can be done if the stadium is well lit. Most here in Florida (thanks in part to three hurricanes that damaged light poles, bulbs and stansions), and in places like Alabama and other states, the exposure at ISO 1600 would be 1/60 to 1/125 at F/2.8. That's not acceptable to me.

Flash is not nor has ever been an issue here. It is accepted and I have never heard of it being blamed for any dropped pass, tackle or injury. It just doesn't happen.

I make the pics pop a bit because they look better on paper and sell better that way. Companies like MaxPreps (and newspapers that run color images) want it that way. Also, the dark areas tend to fill in and the highlights blow when these are printed on newsprint.

I have shot thousands of games and usually one of four or five shooters at each game will not be using flash. In most cases, every shooter will be using flash.

I tend to use my flash in manual mode to create more of a fill. I got multiple bursts that way, as well.

This time, I tried ETTL (with negative compensation) because, for once, the 1D and 550EX were not fluctuating their exposures all over the place.
 
Football starts for us here in Michigan this Friday, the 25th. To get back in the swing I went to the scrimmage this week. We got to play 3 other teams. 1DMK2, 100-400L AV mode wide open ISO 500-1600. Shot RAW and converted in C1Pro. I got a new flash for this year, the 580EX. We shall see if it recycles faster than the 550 did. Will be using a CP-E2 battery pack.
Here area a few shots.















--
Markov: The sub is Swiss.

Jackson: So they occasionally catch fire, but they keep perfect time. pause Sorry. I think I've been hanging around Jack O'Neill too much.
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root
Pbase supporter
 
Hey Bob, how you been? Good shots, I have to wait till next Friday for football here in Michigan. Are you using a Flash bracket? Noticed a few Goa'uld eyes in some of the shots.
What did you think of episode 200?
--
Markov: The sub is Swiss.

Jackson: So they occasionally catch fire, but they keep perfect time. pause Sorry. I think I've been hanging around Jack O'Neill too much.
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root
Pbase supporter
 
Flash is a necessary evil for High School Football. Most High School fields, and gym's dont have enough light to shoot without it.

I'm going on my 5th year shooting High School sports and have yet to hear a coach, player or official say anything about flash bothering anyone. I ask the players all the time and not a single football or basketball player has said they see it. To involved in the game. There are times I won't use it, like on a free throw or if a pass is going to be caught right in front of me, I will wait till I see the player catch or miss the ball before I take the shot. Of course YMMV so best to clear it before hand so there are no problems down the road.

--
Markov: The sub is Swiss.

Jackson: So they occasionally catch fire, but they keep perfect time. pause Sorry. I think I've been hanging around Jack O'Neill too much.
http://www.pbase.com/daniel_jackson/root
Pbase supporter
 

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