Nicely done ... 1, 4 and 7 are good ... you caught the action at it's peak, #4 is very well exposed and processed (getting detail in both faces under terrible lighting is challenging), you didn't use a camera mounted flash (a crutch many photogs utilize at poorly lighted sporting events), the ball is in every shot ... as stated earlier ... nicely done.
Negatives, #2 - not the peak of action, #3 the arm is blocking the face, #5 while some player isolation is good, this has too much isolation and not enough other basketball game reference stuff to tell the viewer a story; 1, 4 and 7 can stand alone and represent the game between Lady Wildcats and Lady Grizzlies, #5 cannot, #6 is a bit ho-hum when compared to 1, 4 and 7.
Next time - try a longer lens to help isolate the background from the subject.
Does it help if I mention that it's my daughter and it was the peak of "unencumbered" action? As Paul Harvey would say, here's "the rest of the story..."
I went back and forth about whether to use the main "foul" shot instead, but her face was blocked. Probably the more interesting action shot...
#3 the arm is blocking the face
Yeah, I debated whether to include this one or an earlier one in the sequence where her face wasn't blocked, but it wasn't as close to peak action. I needed to take door #3 and just filter it out. Hard to do when any sort of vertical action is so rare at this level, but I need to be disciplined and take what I can get.
#5 while some player isolation is good, this has too much isolation and not enough other basketball game reference stuff to tell the viewer a story; 1, 4 and 7 can stand alone and represent the game between Lady Wildcats and Lady Grizzlies, #5 cannot
Agreed, good point.
#6 is a bit ho-hum when compared to 1, 4 and 7.
/nod
Next time - try a longer lens to help isolate the background from the subject.
Any recommendations on where to shoot from? I'm probably over-thinking it, but there just isn't much vertical to the game in MS girls basketball. I generally shoot from the baseline near the edge of the key to make sure I get faces.
For MS gyms, there is usually about 6 feet from the baseline to the wall and a single level of bleachers down the side(s).
I have a 70-200/2.8. Maybe that would work from the corner? Probably right-side since most of the girls are right-handed.
I tip my hat to Paul Harvey ... the rest of the story is much better than the beginning. I completely understand the problem with "discipline" between uploading only the best and uploading less than top-notch images because the kids and parents will like and appreciate the photos. In forums I only post my very best ... on Smugmug I post all the rest for interested parties to download and flood Facebook.
I've never shot MS Basketball ... so I haven't any personal experience to relate. But the 70-200 will let you get some non-shooting action shots. Under the basket from the edge of the key to the corner is usually the best place to shoot, but try new locations for a different look and different types of action. With the 70-200 you can even shoot from the stands. The longer lenses will allow straight on shots, (as opposed to shooting up the noses), which sorta brings the viewer into the photo on a much more personal level.
Gary
PS- ... in #2 the little girl is identifying herself as the fouler prior to committing the foul.
G
PPS- Did the Lady Wildcats win?
G
Really nice series. Gary's critique hit the high points. Again - great job on exposures and WB. On APS-H, 70-200 is a great lens. You don't need to move all the way to the corner - I like just inside the arc along the baseline. But you'll need to get comfortable framing tightly in camera. In looking at the EXIF of the photos you posted it looks like you like to frame rather loosely and crop down. You'll just have to get used to framing tighter - and accepting that sometimes you won't get full bodies near the rim:
but you have plenty of room for other action nearby:
No, but they played a good game. Much better than last year when they were in 7th grade. Plus, their best player was out with an ankle injury a few days before the game.
Really nice series. Gary's critique hit the high points. Again - great job on exposures and WB. On APS-H, 70-200 is a great lens. You don't need to move all the way to the corner - I like just inside the arc along the baseline. But you'll need to get comfortable framing tightly in camera. In looking at the EXIF of the photos you posted it looks like you like to frame rather loosely and crop down. You'll just have to get used to framing tighter - and accepting that sometimes you won't get full bodies near the rim
Thanks, John. I'm particularly happy to hear that I'm getting the WB correct. That's something I'm not confident in yet, so I probably spend more time in post jacking around with WB than anything else. Of course, it might be more accurate to say that PP isn't my strong suit. One of these days, I need to find someone that is willing to take one of my RAW files and have them do their typical PPing on it and compare it to mine to see how far off I really am.
I'll give the 70-200 a try at tonight's game. My framing isn't loose because that's what I want to do strategically... Part of it is because I have this "thing" about chopping off limbs that I need to loosen up on a bit - ie., adjust the style. I'm generally aiming for tight framing/cropping but without amputation.
The other part is more inadvertent... I've been shooting a lot of volleyball, which is much more difficult to shoot (at least for me). It's very random, yet still relatively quick at the MS level. I tend to frame more loosely so I have better odds of getting the ball. I need to not do that in basketball
Thanks for the feedback and the suggestions. We'll see how it goes with the 70-200 tonight!
In looking at the EXIF of the photos you posted it looks like you like to frame rather loosely and crop down.
Hey John,
I, for one, would find it helpful if you'd make your EXIF available in your images. Your stuff is good, and I often find myself asking, "how'd he do that?"
John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Hey John,
I, for one, would find it helpful if you'd make your EXIF available in your images. Your stuff is good, and I often find myself asking, "how'd he do that?"
John - it's not intentional. It's the way old smugmug galleries were. As far as I know I'd have to re-load shots to get exif to show up.What little sports work I do since smugmug changed their system to show exif in the resized images I do for disc sale so I don't bother loading to smugmug. The images I have from a year ago or older are usually good enough to show the points I'm trying to make. So, it's not that I'm trying to hide my exif - it's just not worth my time to re-load images I already have on smugmug.
John - it's not intentional. It's the way old smugmug galleries were. As far as I know I'd have to re-load shots to get exif to show up.What little sports work I do since smugmug changed their system to show exif in the resized images I do for disc sale so I don't bother loading to smugmug. The images I have from a year ago or older are usually good enough to show the points I'm trying to make. So, it's not that I'm trying to hide my exif - it's just not worth my time to re-load images I already have on smugmug.
I hear you.
John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
Comments
Negatives, #2 - not the peak of action, #3 the arm is blocking the face, #5 while some player isolation is good, this has too much isolation and not enough other basketball game reference stuff to tell the viewer a story; 1, 4 and 7 can stand alone and represent the game between Lady Wildcats and Lady Grizzlies, #5 cannot, #6 is a bit ho-hum when compared to 1, 4 and 7.
Next time - try a longer lens to help isolate the background from the subject.
Good Luck and Good Shooting,
Gary
Unsharp at any Speed
Thanks much for the feedback. Exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for so I can improve.
Does it help if I mention that it's my daughter and it was the peak of "unencumbered" action?
I went back and forth about whether to use the main "foul" shot instead, but her face was blocked. Probably the more interesting action shot...
Yeah, I debated whether to include this one or an earlier one in the sequence where her face wasn't blocked, but it wasn't as close to peak action. I needed to take door #3 and just filter it out. Hard to do when any sort of vertical action is so rare at this level, but I need to be disciplined and take what I can get.
Agreed, good point.
/nod
Any recommendations on where to shoot from? I'm probably over-thinking it, but there just isn't much vertical to the game in MS girls basketball. I generally shoot from the baseline near the edge of the key to make sure I get faces.
For MS gyms, there is usually about 6 feet from the baseline to the wall and a single level of bleachers down the side(s).
I have a 70-200/2.8. Maybe that would work from the corner? Probably right-side since most of the girls are right-handed.
Thanks!
Jay
I tip my hat to Paul Harvey ... the rest of the story is much better than the beginning. I completely understand the problem with "discipline" between uploading only the best and uploading less than top-notch images because the kids and parents will like and appreciate the photos. In forums I only post my very best ... on Smugmug I post all the rest for interested parties to download and flood Facebook.
I've never shot MS Basketball ... so I haven't any personal experience to relate. But the 70-200 will let you get some non-shooting action shots. Under the basket from the edge of the key to the corner is usually the best place to shoot, but try new locations for a different look and different types of action. With the 70-200 you can even shoot from the stands. The longer lenses will allow straight on shots, (as opposed to shooting up the noses), which sorta brings the viewer into the photo on a much more personal level.
Gary
PS-
G
PPS- Did the Lady Wildcats win?
G
Unsharp at any Speed
Really nice series. Gary's critique hit the high points. Again - great job on exposures and WB. On APS-H, 70-200 is a great lens. You don't need to move all the way to the corner - I like just inside the arc along the baseline. But you'll need to get comfortable framing tightly in camera. In looking at the EXIF of the photos you posted it looks like you like to frame rather loosely and crop down. You'll just have to get used to framing tighter - and accepting that sometimes you won't get full bodies near the rim:
but you have plenty of room for other action nearby:
No, but they played a good game. Much better than last year when they were in 7th grade. Plus, their best player was out with an ankle injury a few days before the game.
We'll see how they do this evening!
Jay
Thanks, John. I'm particularly happy to hear that I'm getting the WB correct. That's something I'm not confident in yet, so I probably spend more time in post jacking around with WB than anything else. Of course, it might be more accurate to say that PP isn't my strong suit. One of these days, I need to find someone that is willing to take one of my RAW files and have them do their typical PPing on it and compare it to mine to see how far off I really am.
I'll give the 70-200 a try at tonight's game. My framing isn't loose because that's what I want to do strategically... Part of it is because I have this "thing" about chopping off limbs that I need to loosen up on a bit - ie., adjust the style. I'm generally aiming for tight framing/cropping but without amputation.
The other part is more inadvertent... I've been shooting a lot of volleyball, which is much more difficult to shoot (at least for me). It's very random, yet still relatively quick at the MS level. I tend to frame more loosely so I have better odds of getting the ball. I need to not do that in basketball
Thanks for the feedback and the suggestions. We'll see how it goes with the 70-200 tonight!
Jay
Hey John,
I, for one, would find it helpful if you'd make your EXIF available in your images. Your stuff is good, and I often find myself asking, "how'd he do that?"
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
John - it's not intentional. It's the way old smugmug galleries were. As far as I know I'd have to re-load shots to get exif to show up.What little sports work I do since smugmug changed their system to show exif in the resized images I do for disc sale so I don't bother loading to smugmug. The images I have from a year ago or older are usually good enough to show the points I'm trying to make. So, it's not that I'm trying to hide my exif - it's just not worth my time to re-load images I already have on smugmug.
I hear you.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.