david vt Loc: Vermont

Hi. Just started shooting sports, and only about 6 or games into shooting Bball. Wanted to post a few of my favorites so far to get some constructive help so I can improve.

This pics, as posted, are .jpegs that have been cropped, and that is the extent of the post processing so far. (I have the RAWs saved. Goal is to learn PP in the new year)

This is the whole reason I got back into photography (shooting my kids sports), so I want to get better. Subject matter is hard, not helped by the dark gyms and I am still learning how to time the movement. These were shot on a D7200 with a 70-200 f2.8 with VR on. Mostly wide open (or close to it at 3.2) and at 1/640. Auto ISO. In these gyms that starts to run uncomfortably high, which makes them noisy, but the gyms are what they are. Hoping that when I get into PP I can learn how to clean up the noise a bit.

Intended "market" is families of the athletes, not publication (at least not at this point!). Any hints or feedback appreciated.

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DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

My season starts Wednesday night!

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

Great first effort! One tip, watch your horizon (the floor line). Your second shot, for instance, looks like they are running downhill. You can straighten when you crop.

treadwl Loc: South Florida

Nice beginning. I shoot for a local college, so my advice is offered from that perspective. Basketball is fast--very fast. It is therefore hard to always get your camera level. But this is a must in post. All (every one) of your shots needs to be straightened. This is the first thing I do in post. the second and the fourth shots are the best. I hope you are shooting in burst mode and if so look for the shot with the ball touching the player's hand. In your second shot the ball is off the hand. The PR guy at the college would yell over the fourth shot. You are nice and tight---they like that, but don't chop off part of the ball.

Getting faces is important---expressions are great when thereis effort involved. Looks like you have good light at the gym. So just keep shooting.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Thanks much for what sounds like excellent tips!

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Amazingly good for a first effort!

Jules Karney Loc: Las Vegas, Nevada

Good morning David. The suggestions and comments here are right so I won't go through them again.
Basketball is a tough sport to shoot in regards to high iso creating more noise (grain) in your shots. I wouldn't set the iso to auto. These shots the iso is probably around 5000 or more. Try settings it lower, shoot manual. Kids are not that fast so you might be ok at 1/400 1/320 or 1/500 would stop the action. Wide open 2.8 with that lens and all in a gym that is poorly lit. You shoot tight and fill the frame which is very good. Your shots are very nice for beginning. They really are.
Good luck.

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

Hey David...
Again, great first efforts. # 4 has great potential, but don’t be afraid to see basketball as a horizontal sport. Look at this one in your post software again, and trim just below the hands, and just above their hands. As treadwl mentioned above see if you have the rest of the basketball. Shoot tight in camera as possible which will keep the noise to a minimum. I think I’d enjoy working beside you on the sidelines—you have a great natural approach.

david vt Loc: Vermont

@Acufine3200. thanks. Much to learn. Each time is a balance between experimentation to get better, and wanted to go with what may work, even if not optimal, as I don’t want to miss a game as I can’t get it back.

My PP is limited right now to cropping in apple Photos. Real PP learning is a new year resolution. What you are seeing are cropped jpegs, but I have all of the RAWS saved to go back through and work the ones I want.

Based on they above, I will try to rework some of these with the feedback given and repost.

Unfortunately, I know the rest of that BB is not there in #4. Wish it was. I am trying to shoot tight I am having to push ISO fairly high as these high school gyms are darker than they pics would seem, especially shooting here in northern Vermont (so far north that my phone switches to Canada networks occasionally). This makes evening games even darker!!!!

Jules - will try to shoot slower, but when I try, I find while the players are generally OK, the basketball and their feet have a bit of blur if I go slower then about 1/640 or 1/500. Will experiment a bit.

Acufine3200 Loc: Texarkana USA

I’m with you on the dark gyms...we even have one down here that’s only 3/4 court, so you can imagine the lighting. For rural high schools limited lighting seems to be the norm. Experimentation is great as long as you keep a record of results—good or bad.

Now that you have described your pp I’m impressed. Glad you kept the raw images for will be some you’ll want to take another stab at on one of those cold Vermont evenings.