Lakeview Inv. Track and Field - Lots of photos

nicki2414 · May 7, 2009

winger · May 8, 2009

Hey great set, looked like it might of been a gray day out?

I have one comment that will really help these photos pop more.

Let me first say all the things you are doing right, to be a good sports shooter.

You are in nice and close, great shots of faces (nice forward facing, as backsides are generall not that interesting), and you seem to have a real sense of catching the peak action (handoffs, high jump, long jump are just a few examples).

That being said, and I know at a meet this can be difficult, try to keep an eye on your backgrounds. Even if it you end up shooting the infield it will proably be less distracting to some of the photos than say the fence and the parking lot.

JustPlainMe · May 8, 2009

#14 and #16 are just amazing. Good set, it brings back memories of looonnng boring track meets (I threw shot and discus), sleeping in the grass . . . enjoyed looking at them!

JESTER · May 9, 2009

Nicki, You have some great action shots here. Track and Field are fun to shoot. Lots of action! I am currently (today) shooting the Florida State Championships. A suggestion I have for you is to shoot at a smaller aperture to blur out the backgrounds. No matter what directions you shoot at there is always something distracting in the background. If you shoot at a smaller aperture you can up your shutter speed which is great for track because of the speed they are doing things. Here is a photo I took recently so you can see what I am talking about:

nicki2414 · May 9, 2009

thanks for the advice! I typically shoot softball were it doesn't seem to be an issue all that much. I will try it out at the next softball game I go to and see how it works out!

nicki2414 · May 9, 2009

JESTER wrote:

Nicki, You have some great action shots here. Track and Field are fun to shoot. Lots of action! I am currently (today) shooting the Florida State Championships. A suggestion I have for you is to shoot at a smaller aperture to blur out the backgrounds. No matter what directions you shoot at there is always something distracting in the background. If you shoot at a smaller aperture you can up your shutter speed which is great for track because of the speed they are doing things. Here is a photo I took recently so you can see what I am talking about:

i was thinking... do you mind giving me your shot settings for this pic so I can have an idea of where to be at?

Thanks again

JESTER · May 10, 2009

Certainly. This photo was taken at f5.6 @ 1000 at 300mm. Here are a couple from yesterday. They were shot at f2.8. Can you see the difference in the background between f5.6 and 2.8? These two were taken on the Nikon D3 at f2.8 @ 1000 at 450mm.

nicki2414 · May 10, 2009

awww... that would be it! Unfortunately my 300mm is 4-5.6 so 2.8 is only a dream! I have to start making some more money before I upgrade to that lens! hahaha

JESTER · May 11, 2009

Hi Nicki, As stated before, you have some excellent shots. The action and faces are great. Just shoot at your lowest aperture. If it is a 4.5 then shoot at that. Your #9 and #10 are good examples. The girl stands out from the background. I'll be looking for more of your photos. Our Track and Field just finished up this weekend so I will have to wait until next year for more. Good luck and keep posting.

Lakeview Inv. Track and Field - Lots of photos

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