My First Sport Action C&C

OnLooker

Eventually got the chance to give my new 400d a run-out over the weekend. Will definitely take getting used to coming from a bridge camera.

Here's some shots below. They have been cropped down to a standard size for the club website.

deegs

open in your editor of choice and clip the histogram. Then increase the saturation slightly.

Paulw

The images look a little stretched.

Otherwise, very good. I wouldn't change the saturation really. They look just right.

Calina

Okay,

just a couple of comments:

1) colour looks okay to me
2) pictures are very, very soft. What lens did you use?
3) I'm with Paul. The pictures look as though they are stretched horizontally. When you say you cropped them, to what width did you crop them?

OnLooker

I usually re-size the images to a standard 512 by 384 so thats why they seem stretched. I will get away from that now.

I was using the 70-200 f2.8 with 1.4 extender for some of the images & 70-200mm with other images.

I was trying different ISO & Shutter settings especially when it became dark & the floodlights came on.

Its all new to me so as much practice as possible will help.

OnLooker

Created a flickr & uploaded the original images before cropping.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrislynam/

Thanks for your comments.

Practice is the only way to improve so will be back out again this weekend.

Paulw

Those look a lot more normal.

Very nice images. Good cropping on these and you have a fine selection.

As always, practice makes perfect. Sometimes tracking the action can be the hardest part, especially to always get crisp sharp images.

Borderfox

Nice shots there Chris

RCNPhotos

Good shots, especially the last one, but just brighten them up I think, their quite dark. And then the whole stretching thing. But their good captures.

OnLooker

Thanks for the replies. Hopefully practice will make perfect.

It was quite overcast at the game. The floodlights were turned on for the second half. What shutter speed & ISO would you recommend for these conditions?

I have started off using ISO 400 & Shutter speed 1/500 as my default setting for day time shooting.

Borderfox

That would be what I would use for soccer/gaelic and then up the iso as needed. I wouldnt use the 1.4x tc as it slows up the focus and degrades the image quality. I would prefer to crop on the 70-200 instead..

Paulw

As Borderfox says, I'd use a min shutter speed of 1/500 and then increase ISO as needed to maintain that.

Although sometimes I set my ISO at 800, and then get the highest shutter speed I can, and then decrease the shutter speed as the ligh degrades, until you reach a min shutter speed of 1/500 and then I'd increase ISO again.

City-Exile

You certainly have the right idea anyway, OnLooker.

This one is particularly good.
Crop it as tight as possible.


You need to work on centering the action.

OnLooker

Cheers lads for the comments.

I can definitely see why you recommended a f2.8 lens. It can be quite dull & overcast.

OnLooker

Back out today trying to improve. Some of my images. Any comments greatly appreciated.



Was very happy with this image.









Still find it quite hard to shoot under floodlights but it will probably come with practice.

City-Exile

Massive improvement.
Especially the first one.
Well done!

Is that an all weather pitch?

Calina

first shot is excellent. I'm really impressed at the step forward over and above the first lot you posted.

elven

Wow, you've really started to get in on the action there, some of those expressions are fantastic and it's all frame filling stuff. Nice and sharp on the subjects too. If that's step two, i wonder what you'll be coming back with next week?!?!?!

Paulw

Brilliant improvement from the first set. Great detail, colour and action in the shots. Now, keep up the good work.

OnLooker

Yeah its an all-weather pitch. They are 3 full-size all weather pitches in Dublin now.

Thanks alot for the comments. I don't find the 200mm that restrictive as I have access to the sidelines at all games so I can move around.

OnLooker

I still find it quite difficult to shoot when under floodlights.

I will be going to a few games this week, probably Parnell Pk for the Dublin vs Carlow & the Division 1 League Final. Both games are under lights.

I used ISO 400 & 1/500 for yesterday. What do you recommend for games under floodlights? Still trying to get my head around all the settings.

Paulw

ISO 1600 for floodlights, and then 1/500 (or 1/400).

But it really depends on the lights. Some places need 1/3200 and some you can get away with 1/800. You'll have to work it out on the night.

OnLooker

Paulw wrote: »

ISO 1600 for floodlights, and then 1/500 (or 1/400).

But it really depends on the lights. Some places need 1/3200 and some you can get away with 1/800. You'll have to work it out on the night.

Cheers Paul. I will give these a good try-out over the week.

jamescrombie

Parnell Park settings are usually
500/1
2.8
1000 ISO

thats on a canon Mk2

if find it can vary on other camera's

if you are taking a light reading take it off the grass twenty or so feet infront of you ... probably a basic thing but a good tip

Dodgykeeper

I saw you there yesterday at the St Bridgets game you said hello, I was very hungover and might have ignored you, sorry!

Check out my flickr for my pics of that game.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fergusmcnally/

Think you may be in one of them

OnLooker

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

I saw you there yesterday at the St Bridgets game you said hello, I was very hungover and might have ignored you, sorry!

Check out my flickr for my pics of that game.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fergusmcnally/

Think you may be in one of them

Yeah you got me in one of them. Who were you covering the game for?

Dodgykeeper

Lucan and Dundrum Gazette! Any word on the Dubs match tonight.

Paulw

I covered a rugby game last Fri night for the Gazette. Horrible conditions for sport.

OnLooker

Handy enough work for the Gazette?

Have had a good few images published by them.

I see they are looking for sports photographers at the moment.

No word on the Dubs game. It will be some mud bath if it goes ahead.

Both the Hurling vs Kilkenny & Football Final vs Longford (if they win tonight) both won't go ahead in Parnell this weekend. Would say the hurling will be switched to somewhere else.

OnLooker

The O'Byrne Cup semi-final between Dublin and Carlow will go ahead tonight (Tuesday) in Parnell Park with a 7.30 throw-in after the Donnycarney pitch was passed playable. The winners have home advantage for Sunday's final against Longford.

Dodgykeeper

Thats a traumatic time for a match, its a long haul from Tallaght to Donnycarney on a wet tuesday evening, maybe wont bother.

The gazette are quite good to work for and as they have 8 (I think) papers now there should be a lot of work.

Dodgykeeper

OnLooker i will be in Russell Park For the Plunketts V Vincents game, give me a shout if your going.

OnLooker

I will there for deffo. Should be a good game. I would get there early enough as parking will mad. Big crowd expected.

OnLooker

Definitely alot harder shooting under flood lights. Some are quite dark cos I probably wasn't using the right ISO / Shutter speed combo. Tried a good few ISO / Shutter settings. Will eventually get some good shots through practice. (I hope in time). Any comments greatly appreciated.

challengemaster

the action is brilliant... but the lighting is abysmal

Unfortunate.

Was the camera in TV mode?

OnLooker

Yeah the camera was set in TV mode shooting at 2.8.

Probably so dark cos my ISO or shutter speed wasn't set correctly???

Only using the 400d two so still getting used of it.

floydmoon1

what lenses are good for taking sports shots like above.Would sigma 70-300mm be any good.

City-Exile

You'd want a very high ISO.
Probably have to drop the shutter speed down to 1/400

City-Exile

floydmoon1 wrote: »

what lenses are good for taking sports shots like above.Would sigma 70-300mm be any good.

NO! It's too slow & terrible in low light.
You'd want a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 minimum.
A 400mm f/2.8 is nice too, if you have €5K lying around.

OnLooker

City-Exile wrote: »

You'd want a very high ISO.
Probably have to drop the shutter speed down to 1/400

Cheers. I had the shutter speed too high.

City-Exile

You constantly need to check your settings, as the game progresses, in order to ensure you don't end up with unusable shots, as above.
One thing about shooting under lights, there's no fear you'll over expose, if you have an aperture of 2.8, so that's one less thing to worry about.

OnLooker

Cheers Peadar. Its all about trail & error and learning from your mistakes.

Back out again tomorrow morning.

Paulw

Sport really is trial and error, but you do improve with practice.

I'm off to the Leopardstown races now, so who knows what shots I'll get.

OnLooker

A few from today. A comments greatly appreciated:

Paulw

Some good images there. Daylight is always a great help.

The first one would do with a little straightening of the horizon.

I really like 1,3 and 4.

kensutz

Nice pics, daylight is great to help you out.

OnLooker

Daylight is a great help for definite but I can only learn by practicing a few more games at night.

I am jealous of all the lads with their 300 f2.8 but I will have to stay with my 200mm f2.8 for another while.

Paulw

Never mind the 300 f/2.8, look for the 400 f/2.8 for the gaelic football. You need that little extra reach.

OnLooker

Paulw wrote: »

Never mind the 300 f/2.8, look for the 400 f/2.8 for the gaelic football. You need that little extra reach.

Jasus she would kill me for definite if I got the 400mm but I might stretch to it later this year.

Paulw

OnLooker wrote: »

Jasus she would kill me for definite if I got the 400mm but I might stretch to it later this year.

Is 400mm enough though? What about 600mm ?? LOL.

I see someone on PI selling a 2nd hand 300mm for €3900. Mind you, I bought mine new for €3,400.

OnLooker

Paulw wrote: »

I see someone on PI selling a 2nd hand 300mm for €3900. Mind you, I bought mine new for €3,400.

And I would have to get a new body as well. The more you get the more you want. An ever growing list. :D