indoor basketball help

hpazphotos

hi -
i'm shooting an indoor basketball event at a local community center. i shoot with a nikon300 and would like to know what would be a good setting. the event will be held indoors. please if anyone can give your input.

johng

what lens?

hpazphotos

indoor basketball
i'll be shooting with 70-200mm f2/8 vr

aktse

dgrin has a basketball tutorial that you might find useful.

RickJohnsonPhotography

There are so many variables. However, assuming you're shooting ambient, I suggest initial settings of manual at f2.8 and 1/500. Although this may mean a fairly high ISO, the noise (after judicious post processing) is generally preferable to motion blur. Although I do not shoot a Nikon D300, I've read others using this body and shooting ISOs up to 3200 and even 6400 with good results (and others who find this too noisy). Shoot tight and nail the exposure to minimize noise. Focus using center point only and focus on a high contrast area of the uniform (e.g., numbers & lettering).

Assuming you're on the floor (and not in the stands), use your 70-200, shoot low (sitting or kneeling) from where the three point arc intersects the baseline. Also, in general, shoot from the right side of the basket with your team facing you. Watch the coaches, benches and stands for interesting interactions. Wear knee pads and watch out for big people entering your personal space at high rates of speed.

If it is critical to get good results, and this is your first time shooting basketball and/or first time in this gym, try to shoot practices and/or other games beforehand. This is my first season shooting basketball and after a dozen or so games this year, I'll still be trying something new at tomorrow's game--maybe I'm just slow, but I have found shooting basketball at the University level to be very challenging.