Shooting Sports: I must on occasion shoot a football or soccer game at the high noon or 1:00. The sunlight is terrible at the time of the day. I am looking for suggestions and comments...

Jules Karney Loc: Las Vegas, Nevada

I must on occasion shoot a football or soccer game at the high noon or 1:00. The sunlight is terrible at the time of the day. I am looking for suggestions and comments on what filter to use to minimize those terrible shadows and highlights.
Thanks in advance,
Jules

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DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I am a novice, but PP was no help?

Jules Karney Loc: Las Vegas, Nevada

DaveO wrote:

I am a novice, but PP was no help?

Not really Dave. It helped a bit. One of the club members mentioned nd filters but can't find the info he was talking about. A week or so ago.

Ob1 Loc: Utah

Fast shutter 4000, low ISO 100, and Circular Polarizing filter. That’s what I would try. Have fun. Brad

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

Still better than shooting night games! Or, pray for an overcast day? Sorry, but high noon might have been great for gun fighters in the Old West but not for photographers. No good suggestions other than maybe underexpose a little and correct where needed in PP?

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

Jules Karney wrote:

Not really Dave. It helped a bit. One of the club members mentioned nd filters but can't find the info he was talking about. A week or so ago.

Neutral Density (ND) filters probably not going to help because not your problem - you can always up the shutter speed if sun is intense. They would be useful if you want to slow the shutter speed for some blur to show the action or open the aperture more to blur the background more. Also, doubt polarizing filter will help if sun is directly overhead. Have never found a solution myself when I shot parades, sports, etc. at that time period.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Stardust wrote:

Neutral Density (ND) filters probably not going to help because not your problem - you can always up the shutter speed if sun is intense. Also, doubt polarizing filter will help if sun is directly overhead.

Yes. He's dealing with some overexposure and shadow and that's challenging. I would think someone experienced could get into the shadows and then change exposure on the other areas.

Ob1 Loc: Utah

I think the polarizing filter will cut about 2 stops of light and help with the glare on the helmets. It wouldn’t hurt to try it out. I often use it on a bright day. Just a thought.

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

Jules Karney wrote:

Not really Dave. It helped a bit. One of the club members mentioned nd filters but can't find the info he was talking about. A week or so ago.

Wouldn't an ND require slower shutter speed? Wouldn't you then have blur, or miss the shot altogether?
I'm sure someone will have the solution.
Luckily, my youngest grands (7&9) play baseball and soccer - slow enough for me to keep up with the action. ☺☺

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

FreddB wrote:

Wouldn't an ND require slower shutter speed? Wouldn't you then have blur, or miss the shot altogether?
I'm sure someone will have the solution.
Luckily, my youngest grands (7&9) play baseball and soccer - slow enough for me to keep up with the action. ☺☺

I'm still at a loss as to how an ND would come into play for this situation. Hopefully one of our experienced folk will weigh in.

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

DaveO wrote:

I'm still at a loss as to how an ND would come into play for this situation. Hopefully one of our experienced folk will weigh in.

One of the OP's club members suggested that and he just mentioned it. But the only way I would see a ND would be needed is if he wants to open the aperture up fully to blur the players behind the action and doesn't want to raise his shutter speed any further for some reason or it is already topped out.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Stardust wrote:

One of the OP's club members suggested that and he just mentioned it. But the only way I would see a ND would be needed is if he wants to open the aperture up fully to blur the players behind the action and doesn't want to raise his shutter speed any further for some reason or it is already topped out.

We differ in what we perceive could be improvements. Mine is some easily taken care of highlights and possibly shadowed faces be a little more discernible. I'm going to sit on the side until one of our PP guys steps in. I'm thinking it will be no big deal and filters are not the answer, but I am anxious to learn. Kids sports have become more important of late. It's called grandkid syndrome.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

DaveO wrote:

I'm still at a loss as to how an ND would come into play for this situation. Hopefully one of our experienced folk will weigh in.

Me too. It would just reduce the same light(ing).

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

In this situation, with areas of white lit by the sun, and faces in the shadow, it's just more dynamic range than your camera can handle. It looks like you are already letting the whites blow out a bit to get detail in the faces. You could lessen the exposure to get more highlight detail, and then lighten the faces in PP, but that could be a lot of work. The ND filter will lessen exposure throughout the image, so that won't help with highlight or shadow detail.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

If we accept that an ND filter is not the correct answer, but trying a CPL couldn't hurt, one remaining issue is overall results. One factor obvious in comparing these two is to keep those white bleachers out of the shot

#2 is far less "glaring" for that reason alone.

The whites of the "blown" shoulders are a relatively small aspect of the overall images. Perhaps more important to players or their parents is being able to see faces. But, again looking at #2 as an example, isn't it reasonable to think that only the ball carrier's face (and maybe the blue-uniform #1) should be light enough to see detail? Regardless of time of day, the helmets usually obscure the faces. So JohnSwanda's suggestion of shooting slightly under-exposed and then lightening the face of just a key player or two certainly seems worth attempting.