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JV Basketball - no flash?

jimqjrjimqjr Registered Users Posts: 250 Major grins
edited February 15, 2012 in Sports
So I took a spot and waited for something to happen. It has been over a year since I shot any basketball. These days I have found myself looking for shots where 200ISO is all it takes. Rusty to say the least. One day I might even try a flash.

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Typically I wouldn't keep a photo that did not have the faces though I liked this one.
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Do you like the refs arm?

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Hope you enjoyed. CC's always welcome and very important.

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    73Rocks73Rocks Registered Users Posts: 147 Major grins
    edited February 12, 2012
    Looks like you have the equipment and the technique that would sell a lot of images . . . but I would advise you to take your own suggestion and try your 580EX flash. I set my camera in shutter priority with a low ISO (normally 640/sec and 400 ISO) just to the point where the image is just a little bit dark. I then turn the flash on in Manual at 128/sec and start dialing it up until I have just enough "fill flash" to give some extra "pop and piazz" to the shot.

    Just give it a try once.
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    jimqjrjimqjr Registered Users Posts: 250 Major grins
    edited February 13, 2012
    73Rocks wrote: »
    Looks like you have the equipment and the technique that would sell a lot of images . . . but I would advise you to take your own suggestion and try your 580EX flash. I set my camera in shutter priority with a low ISO (normally 640/sec and 400 ISO) just to the point where the image is just a little bit dark. I then turn the flash on in Manual at 128/sec and start dialing it up until I have just enough "fill flash" to give some extra "pop and piazz" to the shot.

    Just give it a try once.

    Do you bounce it off a wall?
    Do you have it off camera?
    Do you get red eye?
    90% of the time if I use flash I end up wishing I hadn't?
    I know stick my toe in the water...
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    73Rocks73Rocks Registered Users Posts: 147 Major grins
    edited February 13, 2012
    jimqjr wrote: »
    Do you bounce it off a wall?
    Do you have it off camera?
    Do you get red eye?
    90% of the time if I use flash I end up wishing I hadn't?
    I know stick my toe in the water...

    At one time I tried bouncing the flash off of the ceiling with my 430EX and discovered that when I tried that the flash automaticly switched from "High Speed Sync" to it's highest default speed of 250/sec . . . just a little too slow.

    The flash stays on the camera.

    Just once in a great while I get a touch of "Red Eye".

    I personally think that if you would have used your flash with the displayed pictures the background would not be so bright . . . which to me detracts from the players and the action which is what should immeadiately stand out to the observer.

    Hope this helps you out -Mark
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2012
    Bouncing is going to be bad. Bouncing speedlights in a large place (like where you were) = not a good outcome
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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    Moving PicturesMoving Pictures Registered Users Posts: 384 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2012
    If you're shooting ISO 200, you're blessed with abundant light, and to be honest, flashes won't help a whole lot because your ambient is - geesh - off the top of my head at least four-five stops better than what I deal with in school gyms. Yet you still have motion blur in a spot here and there (ball dribble, at least.) Surely moving to 800 will give you all the stop-motion you need.

    I'd make one composition suggestion, however: one of the things you're facing, as another poster said, is bright background. Shooting up at the lights isn't helping one bit, and several images have that challenge.

    Frankly, I'm envious. I struggle to obtain 1/250 wide open (f2.8) at ISO 5000 (ambient) in some of the gyms around here.
    Newspaper photogs specialize in drive-by shootings.
    Forum for Canadian shooters: www.canphoto.net
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2012
    Moving Pictures wrote: »
    If you're shooting ISO 200, you're blessed with abundant light, and to be honest, flashes won't help a whole lot because your ambient is - geesh - off the top of my head at least four-five stops better than what I deal with in school gyms. Yet you still have motion blur in a spot here and there (ball dribble, at least.) Surely moving to 800 will give you all the stop-motion you need.

    I'd make one composition suggestion, however: one of the things you're facing, as another poster said, is bright background. Shooting up at the lights isn't helping one bit, and several images have that challenge.

    Frankly, I'm envious. I struggle to obtain 1/250 wide open (f2.8) at ISO 5000 (ambient) in some of the gyms around here.

    Don't feel TOO envious. These were shot at ISO 1600. Still . . .
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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    Moving PicturesMoving Pictures Registered Users Posts: 384 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    Don't feel TOO envious. These were shot at ISO 1600. Still . . .

    Reading comprehension are hard.

    Still ... you have me by a good two and a half stops.
    Newspaper photogs specialize in drive-by shootings.
    Forum for Canadian shooters: www.canphoto.net
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited February 14, 2012
    Moving Pictures wrote: »
    Reading comprehension are hard.

    Still ... you have me by a good two and a half stops.

    Not me pal. rolleyes1.gifI shoot in my local high school gym at ISO 6400, or 3200 with the f/1.4.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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    Moving PicturesMoving Pictures Registered Users Posts: 384 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2012
    Icebear wrote: »
    Not me pal. rolleyes1.gifI shoot in my local high school gym at ISO 6400, or 3200 with the f/1.4.

    Almost at night-vision goggles, that.
    Newspaper photogs specialize in drive-by shootings.
    Forum for Canadian shooters: www.canphoto.net
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited February 15, 2012
    This is why I love shooting basketball, always a challenge, especially when you light everything!

    One gym may be a dark hole in the wall, the next like daylight (sucks worse!)

    yes, I did say bright gyms suck more. I have to crank my lights that much higher and don't get a recycle as quick. :(Laughing.gif, I know, I'm demented.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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