Newbie knocking on your door.

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team. Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice. These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon. Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they would be.

I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300 III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results. If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Can we see some of your pics?

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

--
-Stan
http://forums.stanc.net
http://www.stanc.net

Hey, Opie.

Your story sounds similar to mine. After 6 weeks I've shot a belly dancing pageant and a bluegrass festival. But a wedding -- that's risky, mess that up and you'll never hear the end of it. You'd better have backup.

On the sports shooting, I'm certainly no expert, but it occurs to me that the long lenses that can do the job from the sidelines in all kinds of lighting are the real big guns, with large objectives and fast optics. They're also astronomically expensive. You might be better off for the moment finding a lens that can do a good job in the medium telephoto range and moving around the field to get closer to your subjects. Since this is little league, that shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as you keep out of the players' way, just clear it with the coaches.

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

If your doing the wedding as a free bee and you make a mistake you should be fine

But if your charging for it and muck up then can take you to court for the entire wedding !!!!!!!

I used that to shock you .

You have the gear to do a great job but as you said your a newbie.
so be carefull , as you have only one chance to do it right .

Any way if your stuck for ideas , visit ur local libary and look a wedding mags
that will help out lots

good luck

socratease said:

Your story sounds similar to mine. After 6 weeks I've shot a belly
dancing pageant and a bluegrass festival. But a wedding -- that's
risky, mess that up and you'll never hear the end of it. You'd
better have backup.

On the sports shooting, I'm certainly no expert, but it occurs to
me that the long lenses that can do the job from the sidelines in
all kinds of lighting are the real big guns, with large objectives
and fast optics. They're also astronomically expensive. You might
be better off for the moment finding a lens that can do a good job
in the medium telephoto range and moving around the field to get
closer to your subjects. Since this is little league, that
shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as you keep out of the
players' way, just clear it with the coaches.

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. The wedding shoot sounds a bit scary to me. This I will think about a lot.

I'm hoping that the 100-400 IS will do a much better job than my 75-300.

By the way, what is the best way to upload pis for this forum?

Ron

socratease said:

Your story sounds similar to mine. After 6 weeks I've shot a belly
dancing pageant and a bluegrass festival. But a wedding -- that's
risky, mess that up and you'll never hear the end of it. You'd
better have backup.

On the sports shooting, I'm certainly no expert, but it occurs to
me that the long lenses that can do the job from the sidelines in
all kinds of lighting are the real big guns, with large objectives
and fast optics. They're also astronomically expensive. You might
be better off for the moment finding a lens that can do a good job
in the medium telephoto range and moving around the field to get
closer to your subjects. Since this is little league, that
shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as you keep out of the
players' way, just clear it with the coaches.

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Thanks Zipp! I'm one step ahead with several sources for the wedding pics. Unfortunately, my biggest fear is controlling the lighting. The couple have told me to use whatever I want for the shoot. This will be not be a super formal church wedding. My friends are roadies (cyclists). They'ver probably already got a ride in mind for after the wedding.

Zipp said:

But if your charging for it and muck up then can take you to court
for the entire wedding !!!!!!!

I used that to shock you .

You have the gear to do a great job but as you said your a newbie.
so be carefull , as you have only one chance to do it right .

Any way if your stuck for ideas , visit ur local libary and look a
wedding mags
that will help out lots

good luck

socratease said:

Your story sounds similar to mine. After 6 weeks I've shot a belly
dancing pageant and a bluegrass festival. But a wedding -- that's
risky, mess that up and you'll never hear the end of it. You'd
better have backup.

On the sports shooting, I'm certainly no expert, but it occurs to
me that the long lenses that can do the job from the sidelines in
all kinds of lighting are the real big guns, with large objectives
and fast optics. They're also astronomically expensive. You might
be better off for the moment finding a lens that can do a good job
in the medium telephoto range and moving around the field to get
closer to your subjects. Since this is little league, that
shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as you keep out of the
players' way, just clear it with the coaches.

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Your photos have to be uploaded to a site like pbase.com which I recommend. Once you have the photo on that server, go to the photo and copy its URL (address), then go to your message and paste the URL into it. If you want it to show up automatically, add .jpg to the end of the URL. If not, it will just be a link which many prefer because it gives the dialup folks a choice about viewing it.

Ron Howard,

Get the 70-200 IS. It is a great lens. Add a 1.4x extender and it is still awesome.

Resize images to 525 x whatever.
Save as jpg.
Upload to pbase.
Copy shortcut.
Paste shortcut in DPreview post add .jpg at the end of the link
Post ... walla.

--
Jason

Ron Howard said:

By the way, what is the best way to upload pis for this forum?

Ron

Click to expand...

Get a PBASE account (www.pbase.com), pay for it, and put your pics there. Then link to them here. If you do it Like this...
http://www.pbase.com/image/8862062

you will just put in a link that people can access with a mouse click.
If you put in the URL to the pic and add .jpg at the end, you get this:



Good luck.

PS: I have some athletic (girls softball) galleries on pbase and they suck. I think it may be a "workflow" issue. I shoot RAW then screw the pics up in the conversion/re-sizing for WEB process. Back to the drawing board. If you go to my PBASE galleries to see the two softball ones mentioned and they are not there, I nuked them to start over.

Have fun...and I second the emotion on the wedding pics issue. If you tell your friends you are an amature/hobbyist and will do it for fun with no $ requirement on their end...have at it. But if you are charging them, you better get it right...no "do-overs" on a wedding shoot.

--
Marc Ward
Milwaukee, WI
Canon 10D - 70-200 F4L USM + 50 1.4
Epson Stylus Photo 2200
PAYING PBASE SUPPORTER
My Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/mward
Some good, some bad. But all were fun to take.

Welcome aboard Ron!!

I shoot a lot of youth baseball and I shot with the 75-300 for a long while. But I have recently upgraded to the 70-200 f4. I do miss the 300 range, but the sharpness and performance of the L lens is amazing!!!

To post your photos, you need to upload your pictures to a site and then link to the site from here. A lot of people use pbase.com, you can use whatever site you can upload your photos to. Then you can just include the link in your message here like this: http://www.pbase.com/image/18103522

Or, if you add ".jpg" at the end of it, it will automatically add the photo inside your message. Like this:



Scott
http://www.pbase.com/scottprussell
http://www.russellphotography.com

Ron Howard said:

Thanks for the advice. The wedding shoot sounds a bit scary to me.
This I will think about a lot.

I'm hoping that the 100-400 IS will do a much better job than my
75-300.

By the way, what is the best way to upload pis for this forum?

Ron

Click to expand...

Jason B1 said:

Ron Howard,

Get the 70-200 IS. It is a great lens. Add a 1.4x extender and it
is still awesome.

Resize images to 525 x whatever.
Save as jpg.
Upload to pbase.
Copy shortcut.
Paste shortcut in DPreview post add .jpg at the end of the link
Post ... walla.

--
Jason

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=19579
Canon 1oD, C-21ooUZ, C-3o4oZ.
Juli



http://www.pbase.com/image/12306088.jpg

Juli Valley said:

Jason B1 said:

Ron Howard,

Get the 70-200 IS. It is a great lens. Add a 1.4x extender and it
is still awesome.

Resize images to 525 x whatever.
Save as jpg.
Upload to pbase.
Copy shortcut.
Paste shortcut in DPreview post add .jpg at the end of the link
Post ... walla.

--
Jason

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=19579
Canon 1oD, C-21ooUZ, C-3o4oZ.
Juli



http://www.pbase.com/image/12306088.jpg

Click to expand...

--
Jason

Game shots: I would try to boost the DoF by closing down the aperature in Av mode or going with a slower shutter speed in Tv mode to get a smaller aperature. If the ball is blured that adds motion to the shot. Also, unless your target is moving toward or away from you at a good speed, I would use One-Shot mode. Servo and AI Servo have given me focus issues shooting people, lateral moving objects or stationary objects. (Especially weddings)

Weddings: Again, I would use One-Shot mode and the flash. I have had very good results using the 550EX and the 10D in P mode. AE lock on the dress or chest area below the neck and AF on the face or chest and shoot. 3/4 shots you should be able to have the AF/AE sensor cover the face of the bride, use center sensor. If you pose any shots, take one with AE lock on the face and one with AE lock on the dress - Brides like to see their dress and you don't want to blow the highlights - faces can be brought back into exposure in Photoshop. I use evaluative metering and it works good for me but you may want to try the other two depending on your preference for backlit subjects. Anything over 3/4 shots, include the feet and don't chop at the knees. Turn on preview so you can look at the shot after you see it (about 3 seconds is good) if it doesn't look good - shoot it again. This is the best thing about digital.

Make sure you get everything in the frame and allow for the 8x10 crop (about 1 inch each side). Remember you can always crop but cannot add what is not there.

Best of luck. And Opie, I thought you were directing now. Take care and have a good time.

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I'll take it!

Ben Strasser said:

Ron Howard said:

Hello to all!

This is my first posting. I've been listening in for several weeks
now. What a great learning tool this forum has been for me.

First things first... yes you can call me Opie. I am used to it by
now.

I have had my 10D for a month now. I have little experience with
DSLR's. Well, I have little experience in photography. But I am
shooting everyday and researching like a possessed mad man.

Recenly, I've been asked to shoot a wedding, a body building
competition with promo shots and a little league baseball team.
Wow! Did I say I was new?

I took a lot of shots of the baseball team during their practice.
These turned out really nice. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Not the best time of day for these shots I know.

I used a 75-300 III for most of these shots.

The following weekend I shot their game. The weather was cloudy and
hazy. My pictures were a little less sharp than I thought they
would be.
I shot in Shutter Priority and AV at 200 to 400 ISO with fast
shutter(600-2000). I would gather it is the aperature of the 75-300
III, combined with my lack of experience that gave such results.
If there is sun this lens works fairly well. But on overcast days I
have to work really hard at it. (Blurville)

I am contemplating the 100-400 IS.

My other lenses are 50mm 1.8, 28-135 IS, & 17-40 L.
I have a 550EX for flash, Omnibounce and grip.

I would like to share a few pics if somebody can guide me through
it. Give me the proper settings while you are at it so I don't
inconvenience anyone with file size issues.

Thanks for reading several postings in one.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Thanks Scott,

I just go my new 70-200 IS this afternoon. I tried the 100-400 as well. It was a tough decision.

Scott Russell said:

I shoot a lot of youth baseball and I shot with the 75-300 for a
long while. But I have recently upgraded to the 70-200 f4. I do
miss the 300 range, but the sharpness and performance of the L lens
is amazing!!!

To post your photos, you need to upload your pictures to a site and
then link to the site from here. A lot of people use pbase.com, you
can use whatever site you can upload your photos to. Then you can
just include the link in your message here like this:
http://www.pbase.com/image/18103522

Or, if you add ".jpg" at the end of it, it will automatically add
the photo inside your message. Like this:



Scott
http://www.pbase.com/scottprussell
http://www.russellphotography.com

Ron Howard said:

Thanks for the advice. The wedding shoot sounds a bit scary to me.
This I will think about a lot.

I'm hoping that the 100-400 IS will do a much better job than my
75-300.

By the way, what is the best way to upload pis for this forum?

Ron

Click to expand...

--

Click to expand...

OK Jason,

I bought the 70-200 IS this afternoon.

Thanks!

Jason B1 said:

Ron Howard,

Get the 70-200 IS. It is a great lens. Add a 1.4x extender and it
is still awesome.

Resize images to 525 x whatever.
Save as jpg.
Upload to pbase.
Copy shortcut.
Paste shortcut in DPreview post add .jpg at the end of the link
Post ... walla.

--
Jason

Click to expand...