Golf Shots

crookesa

I'm looking to start taking some golf photo's and looking for some info on where to get started.
Found an article on NYIP website but looking for anything else if anyone has any advice or recommendations.

Thanks

City-Exile

Golf is a funny sport.
It's not something that you can really just walk up & shoot.
You need to contact a golf club & get their permission to cover a competition.
Then you'll need to agree where you can & can't stand.

It would be a good idea to agree to supply some images to the club, just so that they're getting something back.

That's just the golf side of things.
You haven't told us anything about your gear or your level of experience.

bbbbb

I might be stating the obvious, but golfers don't like noise, movement or other disturbances while preparing or during their shots.

City-Exile

A decent photographer would never be seen or heard by a golfer preparing to take a shot.

Chochese

There's pleanty of info, tips and anecdotes from golf shooters over at SportsShooter. Some of the tips gotten from there include:

* Don't shoot during the backswing!!! (unless you are extremely far away with very long glass. Players don't want to hear shutters going off before they swing.)
* Don't move around once a player has set up to putt.
* Don't be a distraction. Stay out of the line of sight of the players.
* Try not to move around too much, especially at the greens. Find a place and stay there. Players hate distracting movement.
* Watch cluttered backgrounds.

Also, Check out some of the articles there by Robert Beck: (most are aimed at pro sports photogs, but the tips are applicable to every game of golf photographes, whatever the level...)

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1927
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1910
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1749
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/825
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/148

Balfey1972

As peadar says, and being a golfer myself, you will need to do your homework in advance and check out potential areas that you can be out of sight. Rather than just speak to the secretary in the office, chat to a few low h/c golfers and they will give you advice on some of the best spots that will not interfere with the golfers and where you might be able to take in a number of shots. i.e. green on one side, tee near by and possible fairway from another hole nearby.

Also noise will drive any golfer mad so a decent zoom will be required.

crookesa

City-Exile wrote: »

Golf is a funny sport.
It's not something that you can really just walk up & shoot.
You need to contact a golf club & get their permission to cover a competition.
Then you'll need to agree where you can & can't stand.

It would be a good idea to agree to supply some images to the club, just so that they're getting something back.

That's just the golf side of things.
You haven't told us anything about your gear or your level of experience.

Thanks for the replies, I'm only starting out really and have a Canon 400D with the kit lens and I've bought a Canon EF 90-300 Zoom F/4.5-5.6 Lens. I was doing the C&G course in WIT but had to cut it short as I moved to the West for the job.
I play golf myself and am aware of the etiquette that goes with it. A friend of mine is playing a few competitions during the summer in the West and is off 1. He hasn't got many photos of himself playing and would like to get some while he's home for the summer. I plan to follow him around the course and maybe get some shots of him in action so am thinking that the zoom lens would be better to start far.
Here is what I tried to take at the Leinster Youths in Portarlington last week before the heavens opened I packed the camera back away.
Might give you an idea what I am trying to do.

City-Exile

Not sure you've the right approach.
Technical faults aside, you don't have nice angles on the players & you've failed to capture the essence of the game.
Those players could be absolutely anyone, on any golf course.

kensutz

Very weak shots IMO.

Balfey1972

you need to get much tighter on the player and get a frontal view as much as possible.
Keep on practicing though.