Best way to light a high school gym

AZTarHeel

I shoot mostly high school sports with a Nikon D200, and there are some really dark gyms on my beat. Just curious about the best way the light these gyms up. I hate, hate, hate using straight-ahead on-camera flash. Some places I can bounce a flash off the ceiling but I just get one shot and that's it because I have to power the flash so strong. (And one gym I frequent has a black ceiling).

I'd like to get some kind of remote flash set up, where I could power 2-3 speedlight flashes placed around the gym. Just curious the best way to coordinate this remote set-up (pocket wizards, something else?), where to place the lights, etc..

Thanks for any help folks can provide...

Ultimately, I'd like to be able to get the Nikon D700 or D300 and just shoot without a flash 95 percent of the time, but I'm not there yet. There is one gym where I've shot 2000 ISO with the D200 and it's OK, but overall most look pretty crappy above 1600...

AZ

bikingbets

I am no expert on lighting but remember reading about a bounce technique during last year's basketball season. After a couple minutes' search I came up with johnh68's thread: http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=81609&highlight=rwells+lighting

However, I couldn't find the original thread by rwells...maybe someone can point you in the right direction.

Good luck!
Betsy

ian408

Here's something rwells did a while back. Might be what you are looking for.

jonh68

ian408 wrote:

Here's something rwells did a while back. Might be what you are looking for.

That's not for gyms. Rwells uses a technique of bouncing light off the backwalls of gyms which is a great way of lighting up a gym without carrying a bunch of stuff with you.

donek

I just posted a thread "Strobed Baskettball". I gave a brief description of my setup there.

time2smile

I'd like to get some kind of remote flash set up, where I could power 2-3 speedlight flashes placed around the gym. Just curious the best way to coordinate this remote set-up (pocket wizards, something else?), where to place the lights, etc..



I think your D200 has a built in commander, you can use that to trigger several of sb-600 or 800 falsh units.

tjk60

time2smile wrote:

I'd like to get some kind of remote flash set up, where I could power 2-3 speedlight flashes placed around the gym. Just curious the best way to coordinate this remote set-up (pocket wizards, something else?), where to place the lights, etc..



I think your D200 has a built in commander, you can use that to trigger several of sb-600 or 800 falsh units.

This will help

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/03/q-speedlighting-gym.html

sportsshooter06

tjk60 wrote:

This will help

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/03/q-speedlighting-gym.html

i would save my money and get a better camera. Pocket wizards are expensive, you need to buy them in pairs. transmitter, receiver.

Strobeing a gym with speedlights, who will give you permission, where will you put the lights, how will you attach them and to what. you need brackets, safety cables, light stands.
put it up and take it down.

When you add it all up you probably could buy a used d300, 1200.00 clean.

when i read thesethreads, i wonder if the op, really understands, how complicated it is to strobe correctly, time consuming, expensive etc.
i am not telling you not to do it, but it is not a simple thing to do, game after game. i feel it is also cost prohibitive, just the pw's alone are 350.00/pair.

save your money and buy a newer camera, it is easier and you at the end of the day, will be happier.

jonh68

+1

Get a good high noise performance camera and bounce flash for fill in if it's needed. That's a lot of equipment to be carrying around. I personally don't think having 4 strobes around a gym looks much better than bouncing off the ceiling or back wall.

Dbl

Um...the Pocket Wizards Plus II's which are the current model, and have been for some time are both a transmitter and receiver so they don't have to be bought in pairs. The price is under $200, remember each is a transmitter/receiver capable of either function.

The other equation not mentioned here is insurance. I do hope folks are not setting up flashes, strobes, running chords, setting up stands, etc. unless you are carrying liability insurance, generally 2 million. Most facilities I shoot in require proof of insurance. Common sense would dictate that you are insured before you light ANY gym.

I agree with sportsshooter06 that it is not a simple matter of throwing a few lights up and shooting away.

I personally don't think having 4 strobes around a gym looks much better than bouncing off the ceiling or back wall.

I do disagree with john68, I don't believe that a flash bounced off a wall can compete with the power of 4 correctly placed strobes. There is a reason many college gyms and all NBA courts use permanent strobes systems. One speed light or two or three can't match the power and the shadow less light of a strobed facility. Last I checked the basketball photos in Sporting News, ESPN the mag, SI, and on and on are usually strobed and have been for some time.

This brings us back to the original question. sportshooter06 I believe has the best idea, buy a camera that is capable of shooting clean high ISO shots. The expense of a flash or strobe system with the triggers to fire them, the cost of insurance makes it a rather expensive way to get basketball shots.

jonh68

I do disagree with john68, I don't believe that a flash bounced off a wall can compete with the power of 4 correctly placed strobes. There is a reason many college gyms and all NBA courts use permanent strobes systems. One speed light or two or three can't match the power and the shadow less light of a strobed facility. Last I checked the basketball photos in Sporting News, ESPN the mag, SI, and on and on are usually strobed and have been for some time.

You also notice the word PERMANENT with those strobes that are also set up in better lit arenas. For the amount of work it takes to set up strobes for a high school basketball game, I don't think they are much better than bounced off a wall. Comparing a high school gym and a pro arena set up for SI is apples to oranges. CORRECTLY placed strobes will beat a single flash for sure, but I don't think it's worth the extra trouble.

This brings us back to the original question. sportshooter06 I believe has the best idea, buy a camera that is capable of shooting clean high ISO shots. The expense of a flash or strobe system with the triggers to fire them, the cost of insurance makes it a rather expensive way to get basketball shots.

I am currently using a D700 that has great high ISO performance. For most situations, extra lighting is not needed. But under the basket or around the baseline are usually areas that are shadowed. The D700 can pick up detail without a problem, but it looks better with a bit of fill light. Again, just bouncing off the back wall, or even the ceiling gives enough fill light. Bouncing also is player friendly as it's not pointed straight at them.

This is a shot using rwells technique of bouncing off the back wall using a D50, Sb-800, and a 85 1.8. Simple and effective. I will not claim it's better than 4 strobes around the gym, but it sure is less trouble with not that great of difference in fill light.