Driving the lane

KMCC

I thought that I'd post a couple of shots from Saturday night's game, if for no other reason than to just celebrate the fact that new (somewhat brighter) lights have been installed since the last game that I shot at this gym.

(Click on image for EXIF information)





The first shot resulted in 2 points; the second in a blocking foul on #24.

wmstumme

Did they put in the lights just for you? THese are great.

KMCC

wmstumme wrote:

Did they put in the lights just for you? THese are great.

Thank you. Wouldn't it be great in we lived in a world in which all high school gyms came equipped with strobes permanently mounted above the courts!

I was amazed how much brighter the lights were when I walked in before the game. One of the referees, who knows something about photography, came over and was talking to me about lenses. He commented that he thought the gym was dark.

It's all a matter of degree, I guess.

wmstumme

I went to a Navy womens BB game a few weeks ago. It felt like I needed sunglasses the place was so bright. Unfortunately, didn't bring the camera along.

Maybe improving lighting for amateur photogs could be part of the new administrations public works projects, "No court left behind..."

KMCC

wmstumme wrote:

I went to a Navy womens BB game a few weeks ago. It felt like I needed sunglasses the place was so bright.

Oh yeah! College gyms/arenas which may, even occasionally, host TV coverage of games are on a whole different photon level.

MDalby

Kent,

These are fantastic. Oh that I can get shots like these some day. I'll keep tinkering and see.

Thanks for sharing

MD

KMCC

MDalby wrote:

Kent,

These are fantastic. Oh that I can get shots like these some day. I'll keep tinkering and see.

Thanks for sharing

MD

Thank you very much for the comments.

I have no unique ability with the camera. I've just listened to advice given to me by other shooters who have been kind enough to pass along their tricks, I've read about and learned lots of excellent tips here on DGrin, and I've taken (quite literally) hundreds of thousands of shots to practice.

Very little of what I know is original with me and I'm happy to share it. That's the best way I know to pay back those who taught me.

Keep shooting; practice may not make perfect, but it does make better.

ASkip

KMCC wrote:

I thought that I'd post a couple of shots from Saturday night's game, if for no other reason than to just celebrate the fact that new (somewhat brighter) lights have been installed since the last game that I shot at this gym.

(Click on image for EXIF information)





The first shot resulted in 2 points; the second in a blocking foul on #24.

Nice pictures! The guy in this first picture looks like he's modeling the ball.
So I have a question, the exif says it's an 85mm lens at 2.8. I assume it's a 1.8 lens, but you prefer to set it to 2.8... because you have more light in this gym now and don't need to open it up more? and you have enough shutter speed to pretty much stop most of the action? 1.8 seems like it would be really shallow.
I'm going to go try some more basketball tomorrow. I don't really get the game, but at least I know that if they run away from me to the other end of the court, they'll be running back in about 30 seconds, so I'll have another chance to take a picture. hehe.

KMCC

ASkip wrote:

So I have a question, the exif says it's an 85mm lens at 2.8. I assume it's a 1.8 lens, but you prefer to set it to 2.8... because you have more light in this gym now and don't need to open it up more? and you have enough shutter speed to pretty much stop most of the action? 1.8 seems like it would be really shallow.
I'm going to go try some more basketball tomorrow. I don't really get the game, but at least I know that if they run away from me to the other end of the court, they'll be running back in about 30 seconds, so I'll have another chance to take a picture. hehe.

Yes, it is a f/1.8 lens. And I shoot at f/2.8 for the exact reasons you point out - there's enough light to allow me to shoot at f/2.8 and get the increased depth of field while maintaining a fast enough shutter speed (1/400) to freeze the action.

I use a 70-200mm lens on a second body to shoot action down court.

You're exactly right! You don't have to run down 100 yards of sideline to keep up with the action as you do with football!

MDalby

Kent,

I have a different body. I use the Nikon D300. I have a 50MM 1.4. Should I also open this lens up to 2.8 to increase the DOF?

Thanks,

MD

KMCC

MDalby wrote:

Kent,

I have a different body. I use the Nikon D300. I have a 50MM 1.4. Should I also open this lens up to 2.8 to increase the DOF?

Thanks,

MD

That depends on the level of the light in the gyms your shooting in, the results that you're getting at the aperture that you're currently using, and how well you like the results.

I'm not trying to dodge your question, it's just one of those personal preference type of things.

I've shot at f/1.8 with my 85mm, but I just sort of settled in on f/2.8; probably because it matches the aperture of the lens that I'm using on the second body and it gives me the results I'm looking for.

MDalby

Thanks Kent!

attorneyjay

Questions
It looks as if you shot from behind and to the left of the basket? Is this your preferred location? If so, why would you prefer it to right side and behind basket which is I think conventionally "best" shooting spot?

I recently started shooting with two cameras - second with 70-200mm as you do. Problem I noticed is sometimes a fast break or team otherwise returns to near basket so fast I can't drop one camera and get close up camera set up quickly enough and miss some nice layups, etc. Do you experience this?

Really nice shots. What a difference decent lighting makes.

Jay

KMCC

attorneyjay wrote:

It looks as if you shot from behind and to the left of the basket? Is this your preferred location? If so, why would you prefer it to right side and behind basket which is I think conventionally "best" shooting spot?

I recently started shooting with two cameras - second with 70-200mm as you do. Problem I noticed is sometimes a fast break or team otherwise returns to near basket so fast I can't drop one camera and get close up camera set up quickly enough and miss some nice layups, etc. Do you experience this?

Really nice shots. What a difference decent lighting makes.

Jay

I shoot from behind the baselines and tend to move out toward the corners. When there are three referees working a game, the one on the baseline tends to stay closer in toward the basket, so shooting from out near the corners leaves more open lines of sight.

I shoot from both the left and the right sides. This particular night I was shooting from the left.

I don't see any advantage to either side, except to say that some of the gyms I shoot in have very bright back-lit advertisements in front of the scorer's table. That can cause exposure problems if it's in the shot. So depending on which end of the court I shoot from, I may try to shoot away from the scorer's table.

I sit cross-legged, flat on the floor when shooting basketball. The body with the 70-200 is laying across my ankles with the lens pointed down court. The other body with the 85mm is on the floor just to my right side.

I've had a fair amount of practice at this, but I can easily move back and forth between the two cameras. Even on a fast break, I can put the 70-200mm down and be picking up the 85mm in time to catch the action.

MDalby

KMCC wrote:

I shoot from both the left and the right sides. This particular night I was shooting from the left.

I don't see any advantage to either side...

Kent,

In my VERY limited experience, I have found it best to shoot from the right side when I face the players. I have found that in high school, the players are more apt to drive and use their right hand and I get more face shots if I am from the right side of hte basket facing the court. I had a lot of the back of the head shots when I was on the other side.

johng

MDalby wrote:

Kent,

In my VERY limited experience, I have found it best to shoot from the right side when I face the players. I have found that in high school, the players are more apt to drive and use their right hand and I get more face shots if I am from the right side of hte basket facing the court. I had a lot of the back of the head shots when I was on the other side.

While this is true - most players at lower levels can't finish with both hands (and a number of NCAA and some NBA players for that matter ) by the time they get to the basket for the peak shot of the layup if you're on the right side and not close to the basket you've got the back of their head anyway.

So, for the drive itself, no benefit to either side. FOr the early move to the basket the edge is to the right side of the basket. But by the time they finish the shot no edge again.

To be honest, if this is normal HS game (i.e. not post season and I'm the only photographer) I like to kneel rather than sit and switch sides of the basket based upon the officials. When play is at the other end of the court you can usually tell which official will be covering the baseline at your end so I slide to the opposite side of the basket. If there are other shooters I will refrain from that practice though.

rwells

johng wrote:

I like to kneel rather than sit and switch sides of the basket based upon the officials.

Better enjoy that while your knees are still young John

I'm with Kent, I sit with legs crossed.

johng

rwells wrote:

Better enjoy that while your knees are still young John

I'm with Kent, I sit with legs crossed.

Wanna know what's funny? Despite 8 years of martial arts, my groin/hips area never became flexible enough that I could sit with my legs crossed for more than a few minutes. I'm kinda freakish that way. Kneeling is actually more comfortable (with kneepads). If I sit, I have to do so with one leg out - not very good ettiquette on a bball court.

KMCC

I used to do a lot of kneeling at football, lacrosse, and soccer games. I started having trouble with one knee, so I gave that up and began using a stool.

I'm not nearly agile or fast enough to do much moving back and forth on the baseline of a basketball game so I just plant myself; at least for a quarter (or half) at a time!