A few football shots from this year: Here are a few shots I have taken this year. New to action shooting so I am gradually updating my lenses as I get the extra cash. I have been...

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

Here are a few shots I have taken this year. New to action shooting so I am gradually updating my lenses as I get the extra cash. I have been trying to shoot all of our ball games this year from Jr Hi up to Varsity as we move on to playing for state 1 A in Texas

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Paul, you have a great eye for the action. Nice, like all three. What a difference daylight makes! Allows greater depth of field as illustrated in the second shot and fast shutter speed and lower ISO. A suggestion: since sometimes you have little to no control over the background consider trying a wide open aperature next time for shots like the first and third to better isolate your subject from the background. ;)

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

Db7423 wrote:

Paul, you have a great eye for the action. Nice, like all three. What a difference daylight makes! Allows greater depth of field as illustrated in the second shot and fast shutter speed and lower ISO. A suggestion: since sometimes you have little to no control over the background consider trying a wide open aperature next time for shots like the first and third to better isolate your subject from the background. ;)

I did that at the last ball game and had some success. Jpg 1 & 3 were both shot at max zoom (f7/300mm) on the TV setting. I think I might have had the ISO at 800 Every game the sun is going down quickly so I am having to constantly bring the shutter speed down. The lights at our stadium are horrendous. This shot I raised the aperture +2

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

PaulR01 wrote:

I did that at the last ball game and had some success. Jpg 1 & 3 were both shot at max zoom (f7/300mm) on the TV setting. I think I might have had the ISO at 800 Every game the sun is going down quickly so I am having to constantly bring the shutter speed down. The lights at our stadium are horrendous.

As I said in your intro post, I hear you. We also have the same problem as we get into the fall with evening baseball playoffs. I have gone as high as 2500 @f2.8 to maintain a decent shutter speed. It is nice when you can at least get a crappy background out of focus to better spotlight your subject but nights at stadiums are not a friendly venue for photographers for sure. I think you are doing very well. Keep shootin'

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

When I first started doing high-speed sports work, I tried football and found I wasn't good at it. My editor told me "always have the ball in the shot" and since I normally couldn't find the ball, I couldn't produce what he wanted. It's lots easier to shoot horses! You can always find them.

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

PaulR01 wrote:

Here are a few shots I have taken this year. New to action shooting so I am gradually updating my lenses as I get the extra cash. I have been trying to shoot all of our ball games this year from Jr Hi up to Varsity as we move on to playing for state 1 A in Texas

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Db7423 wrote:

Paul, you have a great eye for the action. Nice, like all three. What a difference daylight makes! Allows greater depth of field as illustrated in the second shot and fast shutter speed and lower ISO. A suggestion: since sometimes you have little to no control over the background consider trying a wide open aperature next time for shots like the first and third to better isolate your subject from the background. ;)

I was shooting HS football under the (really cruddy) lights this fall.
I shot a D7100 in Aperture priority @ f4 on a 70-200 2.8, ISO at 6400.
I was getting shutter speeds of 1/180-1/300.
With a custom white balance, they came out pretty good.

If I continue doing this, I'll buy that combination instead of renting it. Cost for a weekend (pickup on Friday return on Monday) was a little over $100.

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

Wall-E wrote:

I was shooting HS football under the (really cruddy) lights this fall.
I shot a D7100 in Aperture priority @ f4 on a 70-200 2.8, ISO at 6400.
I was getting shutter speeds of 1/180-1/300.
With a custom white balance, they came out pretty good.

If I continue doing this, I'll buy that combination instead of renting it. Cost for a weekend (pickup on Friday return on Monday) was a little over $100.

Looking to buy a Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM after I get my income tax back next year. Our local camera shop would want your next of kin for a rental.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

PaulR01 wrote:

Looking to buy a Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM after I get my income tax back next year. Our local camera shop would want your next of kin for a rental.

The price I quoted was for a large, local camera store.
For just about the same $, I could rent from BorrowLenses for a week.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Hope you will make it to the State title game and WIN! Let us know how it goes. ;)

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

They are a tuff bunch. For the smallest class of 11 man football we average 290 on the line. And the opponents have only scored 130 points in 10 games against us all year. Where we have scored over 500 mostly on the ground. Got a good game tonight to go shoot. Going to try to focus more on the defense and better close ups. The lighting is suppose to be exceptional at this stadium.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

PaulR01 wrote:

They are a tuff bunch. For the smallest class of 11 man football we average 290 on the line. And the opponents have only scored 130 points in 10 games against us all year. Where we have scored over 500 mostly on the ground. Got a good game tonight to go shoot. Going to try to focus more on the defense and better close ups. The lighting is suppose to be exceptional at this stadium.

Good luck, Paul. Can't wait to see what you get. ;)

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

This is a really nice shot! Shows the intentions of the players rfeally well.

PaulR01 Loc: West Texas

Db7423 wrote:

Hope you will make it to the State title game and WIN! Let us know how it goes. ;)

Really a tuff weekend for shooting sports. The wind at game time was steady at 30 with a slight haze of sand then the humidity jumped up to 80% during the 4th quarter. I had to shoot with a slower lens setting and try to bring them back in Photoshop. (Need a faster lens)We won 56-21. The next stadium is really lit well from what I have herd.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Congrats on the win. The next game is the big one, right? ;)