More girls basketball with 200 f2

gnagel said:

Pro sports photographers do use flash. All those Sports Illustrated cover shots are strobed...from the rafters.

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Are you kidding me? Not only do they use it, they use it a LOT! I was watching a pro basketball game the other night. I was amazed at the number of flashes that I could pick up on his HD TV. Just about every goal attempt the screen went white. It is really only noticeable when you are looking for it. But once you do notice it, you can't miss it.

Fantastic photos btw. I would really love to have this lens, if only I had the moula!

gnagel said:

The flashes are bouncing off the ceiling...and the flash units are positioned quite high...so the burst of light can't be seen.

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Ceilings are usually pretty hight aren't they. I had no idea that the SB series flashes were strong enough. Do you have to have them at full power?

Nice work! I applaud you for getting some revenue for you and the league with the photos. However I think you lose a bit of creative freedom by mainly going after shots to sell to parents ie. shots that look good printed out to put on mantle or send to grandparents. The shots are nicely done but they are like bubblegum card style shots not the most exciting for the photographer IMO. I take pictures of my kids doing bball/soccer and I tend not to shoot them dribbling up the court by themselves but only when they're struggling/fighting; to go around someone, trying to get ball, make shot etc. I like getting 'action' expressions on their faces.

Ofcourse I dont sell anything to anyone but I do post the shots after the game for parents.

Another question - dont you find the 70-200 more useful in a moving game like bball? What makes you use the 200 esp now that the new 70-200 is so good IQ wise? Do you shoot only at f/2?
--
John

Yes...the ceiling are high. Fortunately, they are white.

I didn't expect the SB units to have so much power until I watched David Hobby (The Strobist) demonstrate this in one of his training DVDs.

I have them at 1/2 and 1/4 power.

Glenn

mjskier said:

Ceilings are usually pretty hight aren't they. I had no idea that the SB series flashes were strong enough. Do you have to have them at full power?

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I couldn't agree more about how this stifles creativity. That's the main reason I'm debating whether I should continue doing this.

I enjoy shooting the games, but prefer to concentrate on images that I find exciting. But, when parents view the photos after the game they expect to see at least one image of their daughter--even if she is nowhere near the ball! So, I end up taking some images of girls just standing there. They aren't the most exciting to process either. But, those are the ones that sell!

It was the same when I covered some softball games for the league. It's not the most exciting thing to get an image of every girls on both teams (20 plus girls) in a batting stance at home plate. But, these are the expected shots.

I only tried the 70-200 VRII once for this. It's a great lens--but isn't nearly as fast focusing as the 200 f2 in dark gyms. Also, when I shoot my 200 f2 at f/2.8 I'm using it stopped down rather than wide open for image quality. Finally, the prime really forces me to get really close into the action.

I really need to go back to the 70-200, though. I shot with it one night and my setting weren't the best for sharpness. So, in all fairness, I need to give it another try.

Glenn

trickortreat said:

Nice work! I applaud you for getting some revenue for you and the league with the photos. However I think you lose a bit of creative freedom by mainly going after shots to sell to parents ie. shots that look good printed out to put on mantle or send to grandparents. The shots are nicely done but they are like bubblegum card style shots not the most exciting for the photographer IMO. I take pictures of my kids doing bball/soccer and I tend not to shoot them dribbling up the court by themselves but only when they're struggling/fighting; to go around someone, trying to get ball, make shot etc. I like getting 'action' expressions on their faces.

Ofcourse I dont sell anything to anyone but I do post the shots after the game for parents.

Another question - dont you find the 70-200 more useful in a moving game like bball? What makes you use the 200 esp now that the new 70-200 is so good IQ wise? Do you shoot only at f/2?

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Glenn,

If you are not being hassled for firing strobes off the ceiling, the go ahead and shoot direct. You'll gain at least a stop or more, add more pop, use less juice/increase recycle time, and you'll also have a greater sense of control over light direction. Since you understand feathering, your shots won't have that extreme flash look.

And if SI images are a kind of reference for the direction you'd like to go creatively, try cutting ambient to only minus one and gel your flashes to match ambient. One of the great things about the NBA shots we see is that the crowd/shadows are sufficiently illuminated while still freezing the action. You can get there, especially with the kit you've already got...
--
Paul

“The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love”
Henry Scougal

Paul,

Thank you for the suggestions. I'm going to try them out--maybe even tomorrow night.

The gels might present a challenge as the lighting in the gymnasium seems to shift between orange and green. I'm not sure whether to go with a green or orange gel.

Since there aren't any bleachers, my flash units are usually positioned along the sides of the baselines. I might also have a shadow problem with the more direct approach--but maybe the feathering will help with that as well.

Glenn

P Hartung said:

Glenn,

If you are not being hassled for firing strobes off the ceiling, the go ahead and shoot direct. You'll gain at least a stop or more, add more pop, use less juice/increase recycle time, and you'll also have a greater sense of control over light direction. Since you understand feathering, your shots won't have that extreme flash look.

And if SI images are a kind of reference for the direction you'd like to go creatively, try cutting ambient to only minus one and gel your flashes to match ambient. One of the great things about the NBA shots we see is that the crowd/shadows are sufficiently illuminated while still freezing the action. You can get there, especially with the kit you've already got...

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