Was just asked by my boss about shooting a gymnastics event.. told him "only if it's not a cave." , We'll see... Super Bowl Sunday, 8AM. Ugh, going to be a LONG day that day.
These are from the girls first two home meets in December. I have access to the gym floor at home meets so I find that the 85mm 1.8 prime is my best friend (a little short for floor but it was too cumbersome to keep changing lens with my 70-200 2.8). These were all shot with a 40D. I just bought a 7D so now I figure I can keep one camera with the 85mm and the other with the 70-200. I can't wait to try out the 7D at my son's gymnastics meet in two weeks. I've been shooting hockey with it and the autofocus has been awesome. I've also been happy with how it handles the high ISO so I'm going to try and push it to see if I can get some faster shutter speeds and catch some of the action (flipping & twisting) instead of just the posed shots that you're limited to with the slower shutter speeds. These were a few of my favorites.
Keith-
I was looking at your website from the gymnastics meet and saw that you were covering a boys gymnastics session and realized you live in New England. I live in RI. I'll probably run into you at some point during the season since there are a limited number of boys meets in New England. Do you have a child who is a gymnast or do you just cover the meets?
Keith-
I was looking at your website from the gymnastics meet and saw that you were covering a boys gymnastics session and realized you live in New England. I live in RI. I'll probably run into you at some point during the season since there are a limited number of boys meets in New England. Do you have a child who is a gymnast or do you just cover the meets?
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I actually don't cover many boys meets. The recent boys meet that I covered was part of a larger invitational meet with 7 sessions of girls and 2 of boys, and I only sent a shooter to the lower levels of the boys. I enjoy shooting boys/mens gymnastics, but from a $ standpoint there isn't enough to make it worthwhile and I'm not sure why. Traditionally the boys meets sell far less than the girls.
Your right there are few boys meets here in New England and that is sad, and probably goes hand in hand with the lower sales. The interest up here isn't as strong as it is further south. The same goes for girls to, the participation level further south and west is much higher.
My son competed years ago but no longer does, my step daughter still competes as a level 7 gymnast.
I have scaled way back this year from 6 meets last year, and over ten in years past to only covering 2 invitationals and the NH state championship this year.
These are from the girls first two home meets in December. I have access to the gym floor at home meets so I find that the 85mm 1.8 prime is my best friend (a little short for floor but it was too cumbersome to keep changing lens with my 70-200 2.8). These were all shot with a 40D. I just bought a 7D so now I figure I can keep one camera with the 85mm and the other with the 70-200. I can't wait to try out the 7D at my son's gymnastics meet in two weeks. I've been shooting hockey with it and the autofocus has been awesome. I've also been happy with how it handles the high ISO so I'm going to try and push it to see if I can get some faster shutter speeds and catch some of the action (flipping & twisting) instead of just the posed shots that you're limited to with the slower shutter speeds. These were a few of my favorites.
Stephanie
Great shots Stephanie,
I like the vault shot a lot, I rarely bother with shooting vault, there is such a low keeper rate.
This WAS a cave...! This was a converted gym at one of the casinos in Vegas this weekend.
5D, 70-200 f/4L, ISO 3200, 1/60, f/4
Nice job making the best of what you had, I think if 1/60 was the best I could get I'd just sit and sulk, it must've been hard to even see for the spectators.
Nice job making the best of what you had, I think if 1/60 was the best I could get I'd just sit and sulk, it must've been hard to even see for the spectators.
I would have, but I knew this was her last meet. She decided to quit after this meet, so I HAD to try and capture her last meet. :cry
you guys are making me really jealous! our season ended in December, so now it's just practice for next level tryouts in march (that's how our gym moves up). my daughter is almost certain to move to level 5, and I already have level 4 parents asking if i'll still come and shoot their meets. this was my first year and thanks to this forum it was tremendously successful.
secret sauce for me has been 1/500 f/2.8 ISO 3200.
My son competed down in PA this weekend. I was playing around with my new 7D and was experimenting with the different focus settings and also with the video feature. I didn't take very many px of my son (the last one is him) because he wanted me to video his routines (he's never seen himself compete on video). The other px are of his teammates. My white balance was all over the place, I'm assuming due to the cycling lights. I adjusted in post. Most were shot at ISO 3200, still couldn't get the shutter speeds I would have liked.
Those are some nice shots there Stephanie. Handsome group. Even at the slower shutter speeds you were able to get some nice captures.
I usually stick it in manual, drop aperture to the lowest value (2.8 or 1.8 depending on which lens I am using), and stick the shutter at 500. I know others use slower shutters, but for some reason anything less than 500 for me starts getting pretty soft. I also use auto-ISO, maxing at 3200, which is usually where it lands. Anyway, I just plan on brightening the good shots in post because dang those gyms just can't figure out how to get good lighting. I've always been amazed by that fact, that for such a visual sport they don't focus on lighting more similar to basketball.
My son competed down in VA this past weekend. Lighting was actually pretty good. Viewing area was great, all photos below taken from the stands. The furthest event was rings. All shot at ISO 3200, I adjusted white balance in post. My son is in #5 & #6, the other photos are of his teammates. He bombed his pommel horse routine but posted his highest scores of the year on parallel bars and high bar.
You Realize We are Sitting on a "Gold Mine"?
I have already had my gymnatisics evolve into other work. 1# at a Boise Meet (Jan 2010) with 50mm f/1.8, that evolved into #2 a Sr Portrait from last summer and #3 was an entry into the Eastern Idaho State Fair.
#1
#2
#3 (same girl as #1 different venue)
I am 4 girls into 15 girls total in a special Studio set-up at the gym. I am exicted at this years photography prospects!
Still shooting in New England. Season should wrap up here in the next month with States and Regionals. My son's team hosted a large invitational 2 weekends ago and I've just finished going thru about a zillion pictures. Since we host the meet the owner lets me out on the floor to follow our team around (there were two professional photographers there taking pictures of beam & floor ex for the girls and rings and floor ex for the boys). They were great and didn't mind me being there. The first two days lighting was absolutely horrible which was ashame because that was when the boys (my son) and the high level girls competed. The meet was held in a casino event center and they only had half the lights on which gave a very warm glow to everything. The last two days they finally turned the other half of the lights on which were large fluorescent domes. They made it much brighter so not as many shadows but the cycling was crazy. The pros and I agreed though that the second two days were much better. Anyway, here are some of my favorites.
#1
Level 10 - this girl had major elbow surgery 2 months again and competed on beam & floor one-armed
#2 Level 10 - This gymnast won the vault with a 9.625
Some great shots you guys and gals!! Our first meet is 9/10, and we had a practice meet last night....so I'm back at it too. Daughter is in Level 6 this year and competing for a new gym.
Here's an interesting one from the practice meet yesterday. It probably doesn't look like it, but this was a full speed Level 5 vault, with a coach spotting. I shot this with the 85/1.8 at f2.2, 640SS, 1250ISO. I love shooting vault from this angle.
Level 5 Meet 9/10/11
Took the Nikon 85mm 1.4g to the meet yesterday. It was a typical youth gym - terrible light, terrible setup, limited clear lines of sight, seats far from the action, terrible backgrounds, etc. Thought I'd share a few shots with you. Overall I'm very pleased with how this lens performed. I shot it wide open all night, and despite what I had expected the auto-focus speed was plenty fast to keep up with this action.
Nice! 3 and 4 are excellent captures of some very fast motion!
We had our first USAG sanctioned meet yesterday in Santa Cruz, CA (actually Scotts Valley about 7mi east). We're off next weekend and then Visalia, CA is next.
Just processing now, and here's a couple of my daughter:
If things go well enough for me this season, I will be contributing to this thread soon. Shot some meets last year but was not pleased with my results so I didn't post any of the shots. I will be trying again this year so I'm hoping I can post something worth looking at...
Comments
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
Thank You.
I'll be using a D300 so 3200 is all the ISO I've got but will be using the same lens.
Thanks
Stephanie
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
I was looking at your website from the gymnastics meet and saw that you were covering a boys gymnastics session and realized you live in New England. I live in RI. I'll probably run into you at some point during the season since there are a limited number of boys meets in New England. Do you have a child who is a gymnast or do you just cover the meets?
Stephanie
I actually don't cover many boys meets. The recent boys meet that I covered was part of a larger invitational meet with 7 sessions of girls and 2 of boys, and I only sent a shooter to the lower levels of the boys. I enjoy shooting boys/mens gymnastics, but from a $ standpoint there isn't enough to make it worthwhile and I'm not sure why. Traditionally the boys meets sell far less than the girls.
Your right there are few boys meets here in New England and that is sad, and probably goes hand in hand with the lower sales. The interest up here isn't as strong as it is further south. The same goes for girls to, the participation level further south and west is much higher.
My son competed years ago but no longer does, my step daughter still competes as a level 7 gymnast.
I have scaled way back this year from 6 meets last year, and over ten in years past to only covering 2 invitationals and the NH state championship this year.
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
5D, 70-200 f/4L, ISO 3200, 1/60, f/4
Images in the Backcountry
My SmugMug Customizations | Adding CSS to Your Site | SEO for the Photographer | Locate Your Page/Widget Number | SmugMug Help Desk
I like the vault shot a lot, I rarely bother with shooting vault, there is such a low keeper rate.
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
I would have, but I knew this was her last meet. She decided to quit after this meet, so I HAD to try and capture her last meet. :cry
Images in the Backcountry
My SmugMug Customizations | Adding CSS to Your Site | SEO for the Photographer | Locate Your Page/Widget Number | SmugMug Help Desk
secret sauce for me has been 1/500 f/2.8 ISO 3200.
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
Stephanie
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
That flag makes a really cool background!
Stephanie
I usually stick it in manual, drop aperture to the lowest value (2.8 or 1.8 depending on which lens I am using), and stick the shutter at 500. I know others use slower shutters, but for some reason anything less than 500 for me starts getting pretty soft. I also use auto-ISO, maxing at 3200, which is usually where it lands. Anyway, I just plan on brightening the good shots in post because dang those gyms just can't figure out how to get good lighting. I've always been amazed by that fact, that for such a visual sport they don't focus on lighting more similar to basketball.
Stephanie
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
I have already had my gymnatisics evolve into other work. 1# at a Boise Meet (Jan 2010) with 50mm f/1.8, that evolved into #2 a Sr Portrait from last summer and #3 was an entry into the Eastern Idaho State Fair.
#1
#2
#3 (same girl as #1 different venue)
I am 4 girls into 15 girls total in a special Studio set-up at the gym. I am exicted at this years photography prospects!
Back to work
Keep Posting-
Don
Keith Tharp.com - Champion Photo
#1
Level 10 - this girl had major elbow surgery 2 months again and competed on beam & floor one-armed
#2 Level 10 - This gymnast won the vault with a 9.625
#3 Level 6
#4 Level 8
#5 Level 8
#6 Level 8
#7 Level 10
#8 Level 8
#9 Level 5
Here's an interesting one from the practice meet yesterday. It probably doesn't look like it, but this was a full speed Level 5 vault, with a coach spotting. I shot this with the 85/1.8 at f2.2, 640SS, 1250ISO. I love shooting vault from this angle.
And one of my daughter on beam:
Canon 7D... Canon 70-200/2.8L IS... Canon 28-70/2.8L... Canon 135/f2L... Canon 85/1.8... Canon 50/1.4... Canon 28/1.8
Took the Nikon 85mm 1.4g to the meet yesterday. It was a typical youth gym - terrible light, terrible setup, limited clear lines of sight, seats far from the action, terrible backgrounds, etc. Thought I'd share a few shots with you. Overall I'm very pleased with how this lens performed. I shot it wide open all night, and despite what I had expected the auto-focus speed was plenty fast to keep up with this action.
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
We had our first USAG sanctioned meet yesterday in Santa Cruz, CA (actually Scotts Valley about 7mi east). We're off next weekend and then Visalia, CA is next.
Just processing now, and here's a couple of my daughter:
#1) 85mm at 2.5f, 1/400th SS, 2000ISO
#2) 85mm at 2.8f, 1/400th SS, 3200ISO
Canon 7D... Canon 70-200/2.8L IS... Canon 28-70/2.8L... Canon 135/f2L... Canon 85/1.8... Canon 50/1.4... Canon 28/1.8