camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

No, you can shoot Aperture Priority but your ISO needs to be high so that you can use a fast shutter speed. Many photographers prefer to use Shutter Priority but I am not one of them.
Practice again using a high shutter speed. If the players are within a reasonable distance of your camera I am sure f8 should offer a good enough depth of field.

david vt Loc: Vermont

Hi

All suggestions above are good ones. You do likely need 1/500 to freeze the people, and maybe even 1/640 to freeze hands and feet. I think the suggestions go go to f8 or f16 will likely push ISO too high if you are already shooting ISO 2500 in these lighting conditions. I try to be very cognizant of my focus point and normally shooting f2.8 up to a max of f4 to keep the ISO from climbing too high (and to blur out the background)

My setup is to shoot AFC/single point Autofocus (BBF on specifically), manual SS and A, using AutoISO with a max setting of 12000. Overall, I try to not let it go over 5-6000, but the light dictates that. If your lens has VR, use that as you are most likely handholding.

Shooting sports at night, especially handholding to be able to track the action, under poor lighting (often on HS or MS sports fields), is a very hard challenge and is always a compromise.

One final hint - if you turn to shot other than action on the field (like the cheerleaders), you can generally drop SS, go to smaller A, and lower ISO as they are generally not moving as fast. Just remember to return to your settings when you turn back around.

IHH61 Loc: Homestead Fl

Have shot some sports with your setup. My suggestions: f2.8 (the guy who suggested f16 obviously has no clue), shutter speed of at least 1/500. AI servo and back button focus. ISO where you need it to get these settings. AP and auto ISO set to maintain 1/500 is easiest. Shooting sports at night is hard! Shooting high school football at night is very very hard.
If you are a KelbyOne member Scott and Dave Black have two great classes on this.

Hugh

Pepsiman Loc: New York City

Use manual focus...

ZPhoto Loc: Lancaster, PA

What?

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Ok here is my opinion. I think the shots are great as far as framing and what you captured. Your shutter speed is much to slow to stop the action though. For moving players if you want Sharp stopped motion you need to get up to 800-1000 as a minimum. 500 is not going to do it. That said 500 will leave some motion blur in the feet and hands which may be desirable because it will create the feeling of movement which you may want in sports action shots. Try it both ways and see what you prefer. As for your aperture 2.8 should be fine depending on what you want to accomplish with a shot. For example in the first shot if you want to isolate the quarterback. A shallow depth of feild creates separation of your subject. In my opinion in that shot having the defender and QB in focus is just a snapshot your not drawing the viewers attention to anything specific. But if you focus on the QB the shot becomes more interesting. Or you could go the other way and make the defender pursuing the QB the subject You don’t need every player in the frame in focus Just the opposite, you want to create separation to make the shot more interesting. Don’t be afraid to push your iso if needed. Don’t be afraid to set your iso to auto. AV is fine but try manual with auto iso so you can set the shutter speed and aperture. Let the camera choose the iso. Lastly take a look at proffesional football shots online to see what they are doing. Are pro’s getting everything in focus? Are the separating just the subject? Granted they are using the very best equipment but you can get a good idea what you want to do composition wise.

IHH61 Loc: Homestead Fl

Have you ever seen a high school football game, much less shot one??

Hugh

david vt Loc: Vermont

Mmmmm. Not recommended. You will more likely need that hand for adjusting zoom (unless you are just at 200 and leaving it there. It looks like in general you are close enough with the equivalent length, but, as Jules (a really, really good sports photog on this site would say), fill the frame and don’t crop (much - my add, not his)

To append to my suggestions for the OP, use AFC-S or D9 with BBF set to lock focus when released. this allows you to preset a distance and leave it if you want. Change your shutter release, assuming you are using BBF, to shoot on release, not focus (forgetting what option that is really called), and let your BBF with AFC do the heavy lifting.

The only issue. I have occasionally with AFC-S in team sports is if I am shooting a group of players. Occasionally, the focus point will “shoot through the gap” and pick up the background. Annoying, but I still find that overall, I can point at what I want with BBF active, release and recompose slightly, and shoot. This way i can pick the specific target to have tack sharp and not relay on an average, which for me results in everything being slightly soft.

Credit where credit is due. Steve Perry and his BBF techniques and Jules for helping me learn how to employ in sports.

YMMV with the above, but give it a try.

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

The hand movement is faster than the running so you may need a faster shutter speed. The softness may be do to a few things, depth of field and your focus tracking as the subjects move toward you. Check out you camera's focus settings, ability to focus track, etc.

Deb Gieser

I was always told not to shoot in sports mode, no control!

Deb Gieser

Hugh, I'm doing what you mentioned, it definitely looks like my shutter speed is too slow, so I'll bump it up this week and see what happens, I'll keep ya'll posted! Do appreciate all the comments! :)

Deb Gieser

I'm going to try this! Not all of my shots are bad, I do ok, but I want to get better. I've been shooting football for a while now, but I throw away more than I keep! If anyone is interested, you can see my shots on my website, debgieser.smugmug.com. Started shooting my son years ago and now for him at the HS level. It just gets frustrating to have good shots, but not in focus!!!

Tinkwmobile

I have shot some HS football. Most (not all) HS football fields lack adequate lighting for good shots.

You will have to experiment with your settings to get the best for the particular field you are on. I generally start at ISO 2500 or so; f4-f8 range and shutter at 1/1000. I can brighten the pictures up in post processing. The pictures need enough light to bring out detail.

Good suggestion on movement, best works for legs, not so much for bodies/arms etc, IMO.

I have found there are bright/dark spots on most fields. Find your bright spots to get best results. Get as close to field as you can. However, if the light is good, I like shooting above the field from a low row in stands or on the bench. You can really get in tight looking slightly down on a play. Auto focus for sure. I use spot so if I frame properly the main subject is in focus.

Do you use monopod? I find that helps a lot, even in perfect lighting conditions.

Have fun!

Toby

I suggest manual, 1/500,ISO 3200-5000 as needed based on lighting. Use your 2.8 app. it will give you a small depth of field which highlights the subject as must good sports photos do. Oh yea, use spot focus. Lighten in LR if needed

Deb Gieser

Hi everyone, I'm back with an update and I'm so happy to say I am ecstatic with my shots this week! Thank you all for the input, I made adjustments and they are so much better!! I have to accept the lighting on each field is different and very frustrating, but I can deal with that! Here's just a couple, the second one is still a little soft, but it's not totally blurry!! Again everyone, THANK YOU!!!!!