Basketball. Camera angle.

[Editorrr]

Sometimes I shoot basketball. I found a good shot under the basket. I shoot at 24 mm. I've tried shooting at 135mm, but I don't like the way the players feel small and unnatural. Can anyone suggest other interesting angles?
Sorry if I wrote it wrong and clearly, English is not my first language.

 

[Editorrr]

Some of my shots are 24mm.

--
Sorry! I speak English badly.

I am Photographer - Mikhail Baltaksa

The shootings of basketball and volleyball games are always dynamic and exciting. Mikhail Baltaksa is a professional photographer who specializes in the field of sports photography.

baltaksa.com

 

[Editorrr]

Some of my shots are 24mm.

--
Sorry! I speak English badly.

I am Photographer - Mikhail Baltaksa

The shootings of basketball and volleyball games are always dynamic and exciting. Mikhail Baltaksa is a professional photographer who specializes in the field of sports photography.

baltaksa.com

 

[OSP2017]

I guess it'll be me again lol. 24mm works from right under the basket but you need a 70-200 to cover action away from the basket - drives, jump shots, etc. - and an even longer lens for the opposite end of the floor. Defense, blocks, rebounds - they are all great and give you a shot variety. Same thing with shooting from the stands - you need a longer lens.

Sorry to sound like a broken record but again, all of your shots are vertical and they are almost never used. Take a look at news sites and social media - horizontal pictures. Here is a Best of Rio gallery on the FIBA site - see the ratio of horizontal to vertical here:

Tokyo 2020 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament | FIBA Basketball Events

Re-live the competition - Tokyo 2020 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament. Explore all games & results, stats, highlights, participating players & teams.

www.fiba.basketball

Also check out the variety of shots and see all the celebrations and off-the-court coverage. Clients just love these shots; same with volleyball. There, jube shots are especially awesome.

 

[Editorrr]

Thanks again for your help and participation!
But if in volleyball I saw the advantage of horizontal strikes and crop, then I find it difficult to agree with basketball. Even following your link, all vertical shots look more dynamic and interesting. In my opinion...

 

[OSP2017]

Unfortunately, if you shoot for a federation/team/event organizers/publication/agency, you have to furnish what they need, and they need landscape shots. Look at the FIVB and FIBA sites or something like ESPN - everything is horizontal. If you shoot for parents, vertical is great, but these athletes look somewhat old for that.

 

[Scott Larson]

What's wrong with 135mm? It's one of my favorite focal lengths for basketball.

 

[Scott Larson]

Unfortunately, if you shoot for a federation/team/event organizers/publication/agency, you have to furnish what they need, and they need landscape shots. Look at the FIVB and FIBA sites or something like ESPN - everything is horizontal. If you shoot for parents, vertical is great, but these athletes look somewhat old for that.

My vertical shots are used for the front page of the game programs. I usually shoot landscapes during the first half (24mm-85mm) and portraits in the second half (135mm-300mm).

 

[Editorrr]

Unfortunately, if you shoot for a federation/team/event organizers/publication/agency, you have to furnish what they need, and they need landscape shots. Look at the FIVB and FIBA sites or something like ESPN - everything is horizontal. If you shoot for parents, vertical is great, but these athletes look somewhat old for that.

I'm shooting for the club. I have no requirements for frame orientation.

 

[Editorrr]

What's wrong with 135mm? It's one of my favorite focal lengths for basketball.

Obviously my problem is that I want the legs to always be visible in the picture. The whole player.

 

[OSP2017]

My vertical shots are used for the front page of the game programs. I usually shoot landscapes during the first half (24mm-85mm) and portraits in the second half (135mm-300mm).

Nice!

 

[OSP2017]

I'm shooting for the club. I have no requirements for frame orientation.

is this their site?

https://prometeybc.com/ua

I see plenty of landscape shots there. All news stories are accompanied by landscape shots and the photo galleries are mostly horizontal:

https://prometeybc.com/ua/photo

I would ask them and see if they would like to get more landscape shots from you - and also a better variety. They definitely need feature shots in the landscape format.

 

[Scott Larson]

What's wrong with 135mm? It's one of my favorite focal lengths for basketball.

Obviously my problem is that I want the legs to always be visible in the picture. The whole player.

I guess if your boss is into legs, shoot nothing but wide angle. I personally haven't found that feet and ankles contribute much to basketball photos.

 

[Editorrr]

I'm shooting for the club. I have no requirements for frame orientation.

is this their site?

https://prometeybc.com/ua

I see plenty of landscape shots there. All news stories are accompanied by landscape shots and the photo galleries are mostly horizontal:

https://prometeybc.com/ua/photo

I would ask them and see if they would like to get more landscape shots from you - and also a better variety. They definitely need feature shots in the landscape format.

The club is one. But I'm filming for a volleyball site - https://prometeyvc.com/ua The basketball site has its own photographers.
Sometimes we publish a glossy fan magazine. Only my photos of volleyball and basketball are published there.

 

[Editorrr]

What's wrong with 135mm? It's one of my favorite focal lengths for basketball.

Obviously my problem is that I want the legs to always be visible in the picture. The whole player.

I guess if your boss is into legs, shoot nothing but wide angle. I personally haven't found that feet and ankles contribute much to basketball photos.

Thanks to you and OSP2017, I also thought about it.

 

[OSP2017]

The club is one. But I'm filming for a volleyball site - https://prometeyvc.com/ua The basketball site has its own photographers.
Sometimes we publish a glossy fan magazine. Only my photos of volleyball and basketball are published there.

Was, say, this photo originally shot vertically?

https://prometeyvc.com/ua/voleybol/novosti/oglyad-matchiv-4-go-turu-superligy-vid-fvu

This is exactly what I'm talking about: they need landscape photos and are forced to crop yours - often with poor results. I usually find out what aspect ratio is required and give my clients several photos in this specific format. (Plus a bunch of others, of course.) I would hate to see my name appear under a butchered photo like the one above.

It's interesting how the photo quality varies on this site - I guess the sharp and clean photos are yours. :-D

 

[Editorrr]

Was, say, this photo originally shot vertically?

https://prometeyvc.com/ua/voleybol/novosti/oglyad-matchiv-4-go-turu-superligy-vid-fvu

This is exactly what I'm talking about: they need landscape photos and are forced to crop yours - often with poor results. I usually find out what aspect ratio is required and give my clients several photos in this specific format. (Plus a bunch of others, of course.) I would hate to see my name appear under a butchered photo like the one above.

I agree with you. Thanks! You are helping me a lot.

It's interesting how the photo quality varies on this site - I guess the sharp and clean photos are yours. :-D

Yes it is

--
Sorry! I speak English badly.
http://baltaksa.com

 

[Saint 112]

Sometimes I shoot basketball. I found a good shot under the basket. I shoot at 24 mm. I've tried shooting at 135mm, but I don't like the way the players feel small and unnatural. Can anyone suggest other interesting angles?

Your angles are excellent to me . There is a great sense of drama and action in your shots and that's what counts. Don't change anything!

Sorry if I wrote it wrong and clearly, English is not my first language.

Your English is excellent. There is no problem. Yet instead of "I found a good shot under the basket" you should have written "I found a good spot under the basket". Just a typo. ;-)

Nick

 

[Editorrr]

Today

--
Sorry! I speak English badly.

I am Photographer - Mikhail Baltaksa

The shootings of basketball and volleyball games are always dynamic and exciting. Mikhail Baltaksa is a professional photographer who specializes in the field of sports photography.

baltaksa.com

 

[tdbmd]

Sometimes I shoot basketball. I found a good shot under the basket. I shoot at 24 mm. I've tried shooting at 135mm, but I don't like the way the players feel small and unnatural. Can anyone suggest other interesting angles?
Sorry if I wrote it wrong and clearly, English is not my first language.

With a 70-200, I like to shoot from either corner of the baseline. Sometimes even 1 row up, if the bleachers are close. Shooting directly from the baseline is good too but I don't have a fast/wide lens and there is a lot more movement and congestion that you have to shoot around