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gymnastics competition
- Thread starter gymmum
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dad_of_four
Veteran Member
In most sports, photographers strive to get 3 things in an action shot:
- Eyes/Faces
- The Ball
- Some type of conflict or peak of action
- Eyes/faces
- The apparatus/floor
- Some sort of action, peak, etc
lim yau tong
Senior Member
Try get closed to the gymnast will help to blur the background and capture more detail. A faster lens such as 85mm f1.4 will help to reduce iso thus reducing noise. Of course a full frame camera such as 5D MIII will help further. Below are some of my take using the Sony full frame camera A99 with Sigma 85mm f1.4 and I position myself on the floor at proximity to the gymnast. For this sport obviously the Nikon D4S of the Canon 1DX are the best choice but they are very expensive.
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yau tong
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yau tong
golfhov
Forum Pro
I am not an expert on this subject but.....
Cleaning up the background of a lot of these photos would help. As people have said getting lower, using a shallow depth of field, if there is any way to get higher. You will have to find an angle that works best. If you cannot get a good angle then I guess just go for shallow depth of feild. Capturing the apparatus is always a good idea. There are tons of composition options. I would suggest a google search as you can find a few detailed article that give more detailed suggestions
Your white balance seems off. Did you just use auto?
You seemed to have focused well and caught some good moments. The one of the team on the floor is nice if it was not for the photo bomber in the background. You often have to look past your subject and think about your photo as a whole. Not just the subject you are focusing on.
Another question. Can you get closer during warmups. That may be a way to get more detailed shots or different angles.
Have fun with it and I am sure you will get better results with practice. You already did the hard part by seeking help and wanting to achieve better results
As people have said a 85-135 1.8 prime could help but I would wait to spend money until you have exhausted your other options at improvement. To me the single biggest glaring error is not cleaning up your backgrounds.
Cleaning up the background of a lot of these photos would help. As people have said getting lower, using a shallow depth of field, if there is any way to get higher. You will have to find an angle that works best. If you cannot get a good angle then I guess just go for shallow depth of feild. Capturing the apparatus is always a good idea. There are tons of composition options. I would suggest a google search as you can find a few detailed article that give more detailed suggestions
Your white balance seems off. Did you just use auto?
You seemed to have focused well and caught some good moments. The one of the team on the floor is nice if it was not for the photo bomber in the background. You often have to look past your subject and think about your photo as a whole. Not just the subject you are focusing on.
Another question. Can you get closer during warmups. That may be a way to get more detailed shots or different angles.
Have fun with it and I am sure you will get better results with practice. You already did the hard part by seeking help and wanting to achieve better results
As people have said a 85-135 1.8 prime could help but I would wait to spend money until you have exhausted your other options at improvement. To me the single biggest glaring error is not cleaning up your backgrounds.
Unfortunately, that's a big obstacle. That's a big part of quality sports photography. It's what makes it challenging in so many sports to take good sports photos as a parent. Some sports are worse than others. Gymnastics is one of those.
From the stands, you really would need 300-400mm 2.8 which is extremely expensive. Even then, you don't always get the best angles for a given apparatus
Beyond that, the images are rather dull looking. Did you adjust exposure in post processing? While WB may be off, they're a bit flat - you need to get more of a curve in these - bring in the brights and darks, get more contrast, etc.
So, you can do that to improve them for your own enjoyment. But those backgrounds that exist in gyms everywhere kill the ability for the average parent (even with decent equipment) to make quality images
You might consider renting a lens for a given meet where you have some ability to move around a bit. After all, in my view I'd rather have a few quality photos than 100s of mediocre ones.
Yes they are cropped - some more than others. Need to learn to frame better at the time. I also think I posted a relatively low resolution image for that one by mistake. (Have attached the original uncropped, just converted to JPEG.)
Not sure what the best AF setting should be - would that affect sharpness? Focus point for this one on the middle of chest of right hand girl - probably should have been face.
Also just letting camera do WB, should I set myself? I have been trying to use Manual but didn't want to miss the action and found the camera was doing a better job than I could so used the sports setting.
I did shoot these in RAW so when I get some decent software and learn how to use it will try and improve them. Looking at getting Lightroom. At the moment I just use the Canon software provided with my camera - Digital Photo Professional and "Tone Curve Assist - Standard". Improves dark shots but that is about all I am doing, and all I know how to do.
This will be my next learning curve. Appreciate your advice, thanks.
thanks - appreciate your assistance. I have been putting more effort into just capturing the moment - as you say now need to work on composition.
Yes I am using auto WB with the Canon sports setting. Have been trying Manual during warm ups but don't seem to nail it in time and revert to what I know so I don't miss anything. Need to improve. Have to do some research on white balance too. New to all of this - just realising how much I don't know and need to get a handle on.
Hadn't noticed the photo bomber until you mentioned it - haha. Was too busy looking at our lovely girls!
Can probably get closer - for the photos with the girl in orange I moved around the stadium with the girls but for the girl in white and black I moved for beam only but was worried about someone noticing me wandering around with a big lens. They are starting to impose their 100mm lens limitation.
A few have suggested an 85mm f1.4. Can source in Australia for under $400 for a Canon EF. Your thoughts, given I am not supposed to be using my 70-200mm?
Bev
Looking for some feedback on my first attempt using new lens (Canon EF 70-200mm IS II USM) at my daughter's gymnstics competition. Thanks.
In response to OSV, It is cropped. Look further down for another from the OP. I had a shot at it. A bit too much sharpening, but not a lot of pixels to work with.
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Wow - big difference anyway. I posted the uncropped image, in highest resolution, in my reply to OSV. Sorry, what is OP?Looking for some feedback on my first attempt using new lens (Canon EF 70-200mm IS II USM) at my daughter's gymnstics competition. Thanks.
In response to OSV, It is cropped. Look further down for another from the OP. I had a shot at it. A bit too much sharpening, but not a lot of pixels to work with.
TacticDesigns
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I like the uncropped version!Yes they are cropped - some more than others. Need to learn to frame better at the time. I also think I posted a relatively low resolution image for that one by mistake. (Have attached the original uncropped, just converted to JPEG.)
Not sure what the best AF setting should be - would that affect sharpness? Focus point for this one on the middle of chest of right hand girl - probably should have been face.
Also just letting camera do WB, should I set myself? I have been trying to use Manual but didn't want to miss the action and found the camera was doing a better job than I could so used the sports setting.
I did shoot these in RAW so when I get some decent software and learn how to use it will try and improve them. Looking at getting Lightroom. At the moment I just use the Canon software provided with my camera - Digital Photo Professional and "Tone Curve Assist - Standard". Improves dark shots but that is about all I am doing, and all I know how to do.
This will be my next learning curve. Appreciate your advice, thanks.
Tells a story.
If you can't get the position or the shot you want, work with the shot you get!
Take care & Happy Shooting!
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My Personal Flickr Favs . . .
that's a big improvement.
it looks to me like the o.p.'s camera setup just isn't delivering decent p.q.
can't see any obvious front/back focus issues in his pics? but something is way wrong.
I also was drawn to the white balance (WB) question. Many (most?) gymnasiums use either fluorescent or sodium lights - not great. If you shoot in RAW uou don't need to set it yourself on the camera, but you can easily change it in post processing to get the effect you want. In truth, the optimum WB will change remarkably from shot to shot owing to subtle changes in light throughout the gym - so no matter what you set on the camera you'll want to edit the WB in post processing on a lot of your shots. It's not hard (and certainly DPP has the capability). Another couple of thoughts:
1. There is a Donald Chin who posts a lot on this forum and I noticed a technique he uses that he confirmed in a message exchange: Set the ISO to auto. from there you can operate in Manual, setting whatever shutter speed or aperture you want and the ISO will compensate.
You can't use exposure compensation when you do this in Manual because the computer just sets to a 'centered' exposure, so if you want to open up or shut down the exposure you can put it in aV or tV mode (tV is probably better for sports - set the shutter speed and let the camera pick the aperture/ISO). What this does is save you the trouble of making lots of camera adjustments for slight changes in light as the athlete moves around the gym, thus keeping you focused on the action and not the dials on your camera.
2. Look into renting a longer lens. I rented a Canon 400mm 2.8 for a weekend at only $100 and it's a life altering experience! Seriously, it was only $100 and it was every bit as sharp as that 70-200vII (a lens which I LOVE).
I was nervous carrying around a $13,000 lens (don't forget the monopod) but the results from a rowing regatta my son raced in were incredibly sharp, and with the 2.8 aperture the 'bokeh' (as they say) was also quite appealing. I don't know if that's an option where you are but you might look into it.
3. Back to post processing (or maybe in camera settings) - the flat light of a gymnasium begs for more contrast - in my opinion and maybe more saturation. It's easy to overdue that, but experiment with it and get what you'd like.
1. There is a Donald Chin who posts a lot on this forum and I noticed a technique he uses that he confirmed in a message exchange: Set the ISO to auto. from there you can operate in Manual, setting whatever shutter speed or aperture you want and the ISO will compensate.
You can't use exposure compensation when you do this in Manual because the computer just sets to a 'centered' exposure, so if you want to open up or shut down the exposure you can put it in aV or tV mode (tV is probably better for sports - set the shutter speed and let the camera pick the aperture/ISO). What this does is save you the trouble of making lots of camera adjustments for slight changes in light as the athlete moves around the gym, thus keeping you focused on the action and not the dials on your camera.
2. Look into renting a longer lens. I rented a Canon 400mm 2.8 for a weekend at only $100 and it's a life altering experience! Seriously, it was only $100 and it was every bit as sharp as that 70-200vII (a lens which I LOVE).
I was nervous carrying around a $13,000 lens (don't forget the monopod) but the results from a rowing regatta my son raced in were incredibly sharp, and with the 2.8 aperture the 'bokeh' (as they say) was also quite appealing. I don't know if that's an option where you are but you might look into it.
3. Back to post processing (or maybe in camera settings) - the flat light of a gymnasium begs for more contrast - in my opinion and maybe more saturation. It's easy to overdue that, but experiment with it and get what you'd like.
Unfortunately if I was following the rules 100mm is the maximum lens allowed. Have a meet today - hope I don't get chatted for my 70-200mm lens. Not sure why but assume because kids involved. We do have a local that rents - looked yesterday $200 for a weekend. Would rather invest towards another lens - don't have prime or wide angle yet for travel and family shots.
Someone commented on something being wrong with my camera setup (last post) - could it just be the flat light?
Thanks,
Bev
Flat lighting can be dealt with (to a certain extent) depending on how much time and expertise can be brought to bear on the photo. I worked over the single girl sitting.
I have heard of venues limiting the length of the lens, something along the lines of 7 inches or shorter', which I suppose is about 100mm if using the metric system. That may not actually be in reference to the focal length. So just have the zoom contracted all the way when you enter, and you can honestly tell them its shorter than 100mm!
As for camera settings, I do think some of the posters have improved the image-which means they have done things in post processing but the original image was at least okay. You can't fix out of focus in post processing - so you've got that right (a monopod may draw too much attention, but work on minimizing camera shake with faster shutter speeds). I use the 60D so my menus may not be the same as yours, but there is a 'Picture Style" menu that lets you set contrast and saturation settings. You might try more of both but these will only affect your JPEG output from the camera. The RAW image will be unchanged, and that is the file you'll want to do your post processing on anyway.
I don't think your images show things "way off" in terms of your camera - other than what I've been talking about. You can certainly get better images from some judicious editing - which is true of virtually every digital image ever taken!
Good luck.
As for camera settings, I do think some of the posters have improved the image-which means they have done things in post processing but the original image was at least okay. You can't fix out of focus in post processing - so you've got that right (a monopod may draw too much attention, but work on minimizing camera shake with faster shutter speeds). I use the 60D so my menus may not be the same as yours, but there is a 'Picture Style" menu that lets you set contrast and saturation settings. You might try more of both but these will only affect your JPEG output from the camera. The RAW image will be unchanged, and that is the file you'll want to do your post processing on anyway.
I don't think your images show things "way off" in terms of your camera - other than what I've been talking about. You can certainly get better images from some judicious editing - which is true of virtually every digital image ever taken!
Good luck.
Thanks - much improved. Colours look more real - wonder if ISO5000/graininess contributing to softness. Will try ISO1600 and see how we go.
Bev
Bev
Flat lighting can be dealt with (to a certain extent) depending on how much time and expertise can be brought to bear on the photo. I worked over the single girl sitting.
Flat lighting will not be helped by decreasing the iso. U must process the raw image to get acceptable results. Saturation and dynamic range by be helped, but U gotta work the other parameters, clarity, contrast, vibrance, etc.
ICU have just a few posts here. Does this mean that U are a newbie to DSLR photography. If so, very large improvements may be yours for the taking by reading a few online tutorials on basic processing. By the nature of how the image is captured essentially all DSLR shots will need at least some sharpening.
ICU have just a few posts here. Does this mean that U are a newbie to DSLR photography. If so, very large improvements may be yours for the taking by reading a few online tutorials on basic processing. By the nature of how the image is captured essentially all DSLR shots will need at least some sharpening.
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