Wrestling Photos

crazy7photography

Just uploaded 2200 Wrestling Photos to the website Here are just a few:
Please any C&C:

1.


2.


3.


4.


5. and the last one for the dramatic effect



let me know what you think?

TangoJuliet

I'm viewing these at work, but the highlights appear blown out. Otherwise I really like the dramatic lighting you achieved. Apparently one team was more dominant than the other. Unfortunately, I've been in position #3 when I was a Freshman High School wrestler (98 lbs - at 38 years old, I'm twice that now).

Macushla

I think they are great. The lighting is really interesting, they look like they are under spotlights. It is very dramatic. The first one is my favorite. In #2 I would have liked to see the feet of the guy on top.

Would you mind sharing your settings / lighting etc?

EDIT: I figured out why they are so cool - the background is totally black. No spectators or anything - how did you do that???

SnapLocally

That first shot is one of the coolest amateur wrestling shots I've ever seen.

crazy7photography

Macushla wrote:

I think they are great. The lighting is really interesting, they look like they are under spotlights. It is very dramatic. The first one is my favorite. In #2 I would have liked to see the feet of the guy on top.

Would you mind sharing your settings / lighting etc?

EDIT: I figured out why they are so cool - the background is totally black. No spectators or anything - how did you do that???

Well, All the high school wrestling darken the gym and bring one spot light on the main mat for the varsity wrestling. It's actually hell tring to get a shot. I don't like the use of flashes.everytime it usually blows out the subject/ caused shadows / lightens the background. I shoot iso 2500 shutter 320 and F2.8 with a Canon 5D Mark ii or my canon 7D. and my 70-200 2.8. I really like the dramatic effect, but I miss alot of shoots do to no flash. I have set up a few actions to eliminate noise / sharped the photos in PS.

crazy7photography

SnapLocally wrote:

That first shot is one of the coolest amateur wrestling shots I've ever seen.

Thank you, I'm trying to get to the professional level. Like every potographer you have to find a nitch that pays, or else its just a very expensive hobby. I would like to get the next level (getting paid to shoot professional or main events.) Right now I've been working my way up. I found a nitch - youth team photos and then I do action shoots. parents like it but the action shoots don't pay that much. I'm working on marking myself to get the bigger accounts and the major youth programs.(ie soccer, baseball, softball) I'm starting to get more and more high school teams but it's a hit or miss if they are a money maker.

Any helpfull hints to get published? One of my main goals for this year.

Macushla

crazy7photography wrote:

Well, All the high school wrestling darken the gym and bring one spot light on the main mat for the varsity wrestling. It's actually hell tring to get a shot. I don't like the use of flashes.everytime it usually blows out the subject/ caused shadows / lightens the background. I shoot iso 2500 shutter 320 and F2.8 with a Canon 5D Mark ii or my canon 7D. and my 70-200 2.8. I really like the dramatic effect, but I miss alot of shoots do to no flash. I have set up a few actions to eliminate noise / sharped the photos in PS.

I've never seen that. Our varsity wrestling team are still wrestling with 2 mats next to each other in the gym just like every other level. I would guess that there are very few people who are getting good pictures in your situation.

crazy7photography

Macushla wrote:

I've never seen that. Our varsity wrestling team are still wrestling with 2 mats next to each other in the gym just like every other level. I would guess that there are very few people who are getting good pictures in your situation.

I think thats why all the parents love the photos. They try to get shoots and there isn't enough light.

JSPhotography

crazy7photography wrote: »

Well, All the high school wrestling darken the gym and bring one spot light on the main mat for the varsity wrestling. It's actually hell tring to get a shot. I don't like the use of flashes.everytime it usually blows out the subject/ caused shadows / lightens the background. I shoot iso 2500 shutter 320 and F2.8 with a Canon 5D Mark ii or my canon 7D. and my 70-200 2.8. I really like the dramatic effect, but I miss alot of shoots do to no flash. I have set up a few actions to eliminate noise / sharped the photos in PS.

Glad I found this again. Last week I shot a spotlighted wresting match like this. Gave up and started using my flash with a diffuser. Tonight I try it again and came looking for your setting information.

Bumped it for any one else who runs into this lighting situation.

cmkultradome

SnapLocally wrote: »

That first shot is one of the coolest amateur wrestling shots I've ever seen.

Very cool!!!! Really like the lighting on all of them. I bet that didn't feel to good in px #1 when he hit the mat.

Stephanie

beetle8

#5 is my favorite.

attorneyjay

Macushla wrote: »

I've never seen that. Our varsity wrestling team are still wrestling with 2 mats next to each other in the gym just like every other level. I would guess that there are very few people who are getting good pictures in your situation.

The single spotlight overhead is common in my area of South Central PA also. Some mats are dark and nullify the light reflectivity thus making it extremely difficult to get good shots. One gym has a new, very bright halogen-like spotlight with a white mat, so that actually works pretty well for non-flash shots.

I've seriously considered flash for spotlight only wrestling but have decided against it so far. I prefer continuous shooting and don't like flash effects. On some weekends there are multi-team meets where all gym lights are on for multiple mats so I try to take advantage of these events for much better lighting conditions.