Varsity Baseball?

jimqjr

When the umps wont let you stand where you want you get basically nothing. Oh yea, I got a few outs at second with the slide and tag though what good is it if you can not see the eyeballs? Oh, well...I wish I knew how the pros did it. Enjoy....
1



2



3

MDalby

I LIKE these shots. good action. What shutter speed do you use for baseball?

Where do you ideally like to be for baseball shots? Where do the umps not let you go? I am shooting a game Thursday and I am not experienced in baseball.

jimqjr

MDalby wrote: »

I LIKE these shots. good action. What shutter speed do you use for baseball?

Where do you ideally like to be for baseball shots? Where do the umps not let you go? I am shooting a game Thursday and I am not experienced in baseball.

Hello Mark,
Not a big baseball shooter either.
Day was nice so I was around 400-500 iso shooting at 1,250th of a second. The pitcher shots were from behind the backstop shooting through the cyclone. Didn't realize I could do that without getting a picture of the fence.
Best thing to do is talk to the umps before the games starts. It is best if you can get them to let you be between the dugout and homeplate. Lately they want you to stand either out of bounds or in one 2x2 spot usually near the dug out. Tough spot because you have the base coaches in the way of any action shots most of the time. I like being near 3rd base the best, you can usually get sliding in to second or third if you can wait long enough. In picture #1 his arm is blurry so I would say 2,000th of a second would have been better. I liked the picture because the eyes were really bright.
Good luck shooting Thursday.
Just talk to the Ump prior to the game you will get further than showing up late. You need to talk to them before they talk with the coaches because then they can get the approval of the coaches where you are. Also let them know that in sports you know you might take a hit from the ball and if it destroys the camera or lens that's just part of the game. Usually they are concerned about safetly of you and your equipment. One game they agreed to let me wear a helmet which was the best for shooting because I was just anywhere up and down the fence lines. The coaches agreed that if I was in the way it would be a foul ball. Championship game and both teams wanted to be in the paper. Now if I could figure out how to sell the pics that would be a good thing. I had over 4,000 views of that game and no buyers. I got paid to be there so I guess who cares.
Good luck have fun post your pics.

JimKarczewski

If it wasn't 38 degrees out today, I'd shoot some baseball while I still have the 1D4 from CPS. But I'm not freezing my butt off, so instead I'm going to do an Indoor track meet. MUCH better.. HEAT! lol, That is assuming they even let them start the baseball games today. If it's under 40 at the time of start, it's cancelled. If it drops below 40 after they start..too bad.

johng

jimqjr wrote: »

Hello Mark,
Lately they want you to stand either out of bounds or in one 2x2 spot usually near the dug out. Tough spot because you have the base coaches in the way of any action shots most of the time.

The reason for that 2x2 spot is it can be designated as "out of play". Otherwise, if there is no designated shooting area and you interfere with a play, one or the other coach is going to be angry. And in the end, we need them more than they need us. Now, I agree - it would be much easier for photogs if they enforced the coach's box as well - but again, the game needs coaches a lot more than it needs photographers.

For example, according to the official OHSAA (Ohio) guidelines, photographers aren't allowed on the field at all unless thir is a painted/chalked out-of-bounds circle. Now, must umpires don't enforce that, but they certainly can and some do. I shot a game a while back where the umpire required me to move to the dugout - next inning of course a foul ball came careening right at me in the dugout

donek

I shot a triple header on Saturday and the umps kicked me outside the fence because there wasn't a press box painted on the field. This is actually a first for our area, so I called my editor. Luckily the office is less than a mile away and he came over and had some words with the ump, but he wouldn't budge. One of the parents suggested we go get a can of paint. The editor went to the hardware store, got some spray paint and painted two nice little boxes along the fence. Problem solved. I guess I'm carrying a can of white marking paint in my kit from now on.

While I was waiting, I played a bit behind the fence.

MDalby

Sean... NICE Detrick!

Share how you did it!

donek

MDalby wrote: »

Sean... NICE Detrick!

Share how you did it!

Sorry jimqjr. Didn't want to hijack your post. Maybe a moderator will move this.

It took about 4 pitches. I used my D300 and the 200-400 f4 and manually focused on each player and then turned the focus ring 1/2 way between the two. I shot at 8fps and just did a little spray and pray.