Gymnastics I - 09/27/08

Hikin' Mike

It's a new season and my daughter moved from level 4 to level 5. She did better than me! I didn't know the routine yet....so I either missed the 'action' shots or there were people in the way. The nice thing is as I was able to stand (a first) and also I climbed up to the second floor and took the vault shots there.


Here's some selected 'action' shots. I'll post some more static shots in a bit.
These are all taken with 5D, 70-200mm f/4L, ISO 3200, 1/160 to 1/200 (yikes), f/4

ian408

Crisp. Nicely exposed. Looks like your daughter is having fun too

beetle8

Well congrats on the move to 5 my daughter is going to 6.

My advice on shooting gymnastics...
concentrate on
beam
floor
bars
vault
in that order
I don't even shoot vault unless I have nothing else to do. the shoot to kill ratio on vault is too low. 1 out of every 25 may be good vault shots but it's 1 out of 50 of those that are better than any other vault shot.
Un-even bars are best from the side of the higher bar, that holds true throughout all levels, you made get a good shot from somewhere else (and everyone has) but ratio-wise you'll be better of on the from there.
Floor... I can shoot 45&6 floor with my eyes closed, I have a joke (with those who know) that if I don't get the shot it's cause the gymnast messed up. It's just a joke. But the point is I know 4,5,&6 that well. (THE MUSIC)
I try to shoot floor from a corner and on slower meets I'll switch my corner based on where the gymnast sets up and which level I'm shooting.
Beam is my favorite just ahead of floor, and that is based solely on ratio. I get more shots that I like from beam, as far as sales go I'd say beam and floor are tied. For the third place contestant it is neither bars nor vault it is the candids that I take throughout.
In response to your shots I think your color is great! and that is a huge hurdle.
you can easily see how the second shot would have been better from low on the other side.
I shoot thousands of gymnastics shots a week through the winter and spring season, if I can be of any help please feel free to ask.

-Keith

jfriend

Hikin' Mike wrote:

It's a new season and my daughter moved from level 4 to level 5. She did better than me! I didn't know the routine yet....so I either missed the 'action' shots or there were people in the way. The nice thing is as I was able to stand (a first) and also I climbed up to the second floor and took the vault shots there.


Here's some selected 'action' shots. I'll post some more static shots in a bit.
These are all taken with 5D, 70-200mm f/4L, ISO 3200, 1/160 to 1/200 (yikes), f/4

Gymnastics is fun to shoot - there are so many things going on and when you get to know the routines, you can get to know some of the shots you're going for.

Here are few suggestions that I hope you find useful:

• Figure out a routine for nailing white balance. I shoot RAW and set it afterwards via one or two reference shots, but you can set it in camera accurately for JPEG shooting too. Your shots are enhanced quite a bit with some white balance adjustment in post processing (they need more blue in the mid-tones and more green in the blacks.
• Remember that most shots look best when you get the athlete's face.
• You're going to end up wanting a faster shutter speed for anything other than a shot when the body isn't moving. Since you were already at ISO 3200 (eeck the light was low), if you keep doing this, I bet you're going to want an f/2.8 lens. You can obviously still shoot at f/4, but it will be a struggle to get some of the action shots you want. The auto-focus system will do better with an f/2.8 lens also since it gets twice as much data.
• I agree with Keith that, except for a special effects shot, you rarely want to shoot from above eye level. I shoot a lot of young kids in soccer and the pictures have so much more life when I'm down low shooting up at them.
• Start thinking about what's in your background when you pick a shooting position. I know that gyms can be crowded places without alot of choice, but sometimes you will have options and you should pick your best option there. Being able to shoot at f/2.8 will also help blur the background more.

Good luck.

Hikin' Mike

I usually don't even try to shoot the vault as it's always in the back. In this meet there was a second floor and since I just started walking again (after 2 years in a wheelchair) I had to try it out.

I agree about faster glass....but I just can't afford it, so I make do.

Thanks!

kdog

Hikin' Mike wrote:

In this meet there was a second floor and since I just started walking again (after 2 years in a wheelchair) I had to try it out.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Sounds like you'll be back on the trail in no time.

Gym pics are great. I have two girls in gymnastics and you've done better than I've done yet. Keep up the great work.

Oh, and cute girl!

-joel