Polo at The Villages

TonyCooper · March 17, 2009

Last week I went to my first-ever polo match. The Camacho Cup - Mexico vs USA - was held in The Villages, Florida. The whole series of shots can be viewed at my SmugMug site. Comments welcomed, but critiques must be accompanied by a gift certificate for a Nikkor AF-S 500mm F4G ED VR lens. Or not.

torags · March 17, 2009

Looks good... I love to shoot polo.. Did you have a CP?

Rags

TonyCooper · March 17, 2009

What's a "CP" when it's at home?

torags · March 17, 2009

circular polarizer... the sky is washed out. It also saturates colors subjected to glare.

The lens gift certificate is in the mail with my rent..

Here are some I've taken

http://ragspix.smugmug.com/gallery/5751315_HNpmn

TonyCooper · March 17, 2009

Yes, I have a circular polarizer. However, the sky is not washed out. That's was the Florida sky color that day. I can tweak the RAW photos in post-processing to bring out the sky, but I try to stay "as shot". If I'm doing just a few shots, I'll punch the sky or the grass, but on a series like this I stay with out of the camera.

Tell you what, though, next time I do a series with a similar situation I'll try it with the polarizer on and see what comes of it.

Stilltime · March 17, 2009

I miss polo! (Used to play.) I'd love to go to a game and take some photos. What's involved in getting close to the field so you can shoot? A lot of the clubs here have indoor viewing, and I'm not sure if I'd need a press pass.. or?

torags · March 17, 2009

Stilltime wrote:

I miss polo! (Used to play.) I'd love to go to a game and take some photos. What's involved in getting close to the field so you can shoot? A lot of the clubs here have indoor viewing, and I'm not sure if I'd need a press pass.. or?

In Santa Barbara for the national championship it was pretty lax and accessible.

You can get close, folks are real nice. It's not a big spectator sport and there was no admission.

Rags

TonyCooper · March 17, 2009

Re-reading my reply to Torags...I seem rather ungrateful for good advice offered, and I apologize for that. The sky is rather washed out here on some days, but I should try what Torags suggests. I'll go over to the high school's baseball field tomorrow (the closest similar scene) and shoot some with my CP and some without to see what the effect is.

Regarding the question about access to the polo field...I just wandered around, stayed out of people's way, and no one bothered me. I do wear a lanyard with an ID from my camera club attached, but that doesn't mean anything. People see an ID badge, though, and think it's some sort of official pass. No one actually reads it.

I shot almost everything from behind one goal with a 200mm lens. Eventually, the action will come to you if you stand behind a goal. The field is too large to get action in the middle unless you have a monster lens.

torags · March 18, 2009

Tony I was told by a player to set up at the goal, "because all the action goes there." Polo is pretty low scoring.

I found that to be untrue. There is a lot of action mid field as a result of fouls. Additionally, I see more of the horse and can use a 70/200 instead of a monster 200/400.

just my .02

BTW you might get some vignetting with the CP, I crop mine off. good luck

TonyCooper · March 18, 2009

If you do go to my SmugMug site and look at the series, (in Sports) you will see that the entire perimeter of the field (except for the north goal area) was lined with spectators in golf carts. I would have had to push through crowds to have shots. The crowd was in the thousands. The season paid attendance last year was 26,000.

I shot from the north goal area because it was clear of spectators since that's where the riders changed horses. Actually, I spent most of the time squatting in bushes under the scoreboard. While there were few goals scored at that end, there was a lot of action in the area.

I am not a polo photographer. I'm a hobbyist photographer who went to a polo match. The week before it was a cricket match, and the week before that it was an outdoor biker bar. A few weeks back it was a harness horse training facility. Friday it'll be a canoe trip to photograph alligators and other wildlife, and Saturday a rugby game. Tomorrow I'll test the CP.