daw Loc: Sydney Australia

So yesterday I had my first 'sports shoot' outing with my new Canon 80d, shooting my daughter competing at a gymnastics comp.

I chose to shoot in full M - I kept aperture at f5.6. As the shoot was indoors, I chose the 'preset' WB for fluorescent, but I found it difficult to get; stable exposure, image clarity and enough 'action freeze'.

There was a perpetual trade-off between the shutter and ISO balance

In trying for the highest shutter speed I could to reduce blur, I found as I had to push the ISO up, the image started to get grainy but I got a good 'freeze' on motion.

This pic has ISO AT 3200 and shutter at 1/400 - ok exposure but still some motion blur.

Any advice on whether this could be improved? Should I just opt for Tv and auto ISO, and what of the preset white balance - should I just stick with AWB? (something I'm still trying to get my head around)

(Download)

Brokenland

It would be helpful if you listed what lens used in this shot.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

If the gym uses fluorescent lighting, I would use the fluorescent sync feature of the camera to insure proper exposure. It is hard to get freeze action, large depth of field, and eliminate noise, all at the same time. The image does seem a little soft to me.

The mode was shutter speed preferred.
You had the aperture at 4 which is wide open and minimum depth of field.
Shutter was 1/400. If you see some action motion then you can’t go slower without making it worse. I didn't see motion blur.
ISO is whatever needed with those settings, here 3200. I did see some noise.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Grahame Loc: Fiji

From the Exif: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM, Shot at 70 mm (shot wide open). Manual exposure, 1/395 sec, f/4, ISO 3200.

You are shooting at the extremities and without using a faster lens there's not many options.

It looks to me that this is a SOOC image and some basic work to correct the WB (warm it up), increase the exposure slightly, lift the shadows and some local sharpening makes a 'big' difference.

As for the motion blur, in my opinion it adds to the image.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Indoor school sports are typically poorly lit.

My first advice is don’t freak out about using higher ISO as some hear do, the main thing is to get the shot.

The second thing I would suggest is shooting wide open ... lowest f number ... of you have another f stop available. F 2.8 is preferable, but if f5.6 is as wide as you have it’s as wide as you have.

Next, I’d try 1/1,000 as a shutter speed or 1/500 and auto ISO.

Lastly, and I know you are just starting, but developing hand held skills will do wonders.

My technique is hold the camera with my R hand and balance the lens with my L. Point my L foot at the subject and keep my R foot about a sep behind and to the R at something as close to a right angle as is comfortable ... then bend the front leg slightly.

This will give you stability with minimal stress.

Next, be sure you press the shutter with just the pad of your finger, a common mistake of beginners is to squeeze the whole hand.

Last I’d to either breathe in or out just before you fire the shutter. To demonstrate this, point at something across the room and stare straight down that line and watch how much your finger bobs as you breathe. Then don’t breathe for a split second and see how it stabilizes.

The moral of the story is that vibration you don’t put into the system is vibration that the system doesn’t have to contend with.

I know that sounds like s lot, but it actually becomes second nature and can be quite comfortable once mastered.

I hope this helps.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

This shot according to EXIF data was shot at F-4. When it comes down to it you need a faster lens. A 2.8 lens would allow faster shutter speed and/or lower ISO or a combination of both.

daw Loc: Sydney Australia

Sorry - Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM - shooting in AI Servo mode

daw Loc: Sydney Australia

thanks Graeme - what is an 'SOOC image'?

daw Loc: Sydney Australia

Thanks LLW - some great tips I will put into action!

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

YVW. Also use AF settings where the camera will follow focus a moving object. Not sure what CANON calls it.

Bipod

That photo isn't bad at all--just a tad dark, perhaps--which you can fix in processing.
It's a "normal" exposure, but since the subject is the darkest part, it would look better if it
were a little lighter overall. The contrast is necessary to make the subject stand out.
You might even try lightening it until the white background loses some detail.

The image also has a bluish cast -- perhaps from the fluorescent lights and perhaps
from the blue colored floor. You could try making it a bit more reddish, which might
also improve the skin tones. (Don't over-do it.)

The motion blur in the feet isn't necessarily a defect, since the faces and torsos are fairly sharp.
It depends on what you want. I lot of photographers try to get motion blur in action scenes.

You were very lucky not to have a distracting background--usually this kind of shot does.

When shooting indoors with available light, some noise (or grain, if shooting film) is to be
expected. But if noise really bothers you, there's always film -- grain sticks to the highlights.

A faster lens would definitely help--but might be expensive. And its possible that the largest
aperture on any lens might not be acceptably sharp (if you get rid of all the motion blur and
try to produce a pristine "stop action" photo). Again, it depends on what you want.

But it would help if you displayed ir right-side-up.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

SOOC = Straight out of camera.

A term commonly used for an image that has had no 'additional' post processing to 'improve' it to its full potential.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Straight Out Of Camera I assume.

daw Loc: Sydney Australia

Thanks bipod great feedback - I think you are right on the bit of motion blur - the more I look at the image the more I think it adds to the overall composition. Maybe a full freeze of action would be too sterile