Strobes Direct vs Bounced
I always shoot direct... Until last night.
In my time shooting with strobes, I haven't ever had a complaint. I had my first issue last night. The person at the score table complained that the strobes were hindering her ability to see how many fingers the refs were holding up when there were fouls etc. I was shooting direct. I at first offered to try to direct my one strobe a little off center court to try to direct the light a little from her. That worked until half time when I was asked to bounce rather than shoot direct.
I am not happy with the results. Here are a few shots from the game so you can see the difference. Generally if I can't see the grain of the ball, it doesn't pass the mustard.
Strobe Direct
Strobe Direct
Strobe bounced from ceiling - Maybe I should have tried bouncing off the wall.
In my time shooting with strobes, I haven't ever had a complaint. I had my first issue last night. The person at the score table complained that the strobes were hindering her ability to see how many fingers the refs were holding up when there were fouls etc. I was shooting direct. I at first offered to try to direct my one strobe a little off center court to try to direct the light a little from her. That worked until half time when I was asked to bounce rather than shoot direct.
I am not happy with the results. Here are a few shots from the game so you can see the difference. Generally if I can't see the grain of the ball, it doesn't pass the mustard.
Strobe Direct
Strobe Direct
Strobe bounced from ceiling - Maybe I should have tried bouncing off the wall.
Nikon D4, 400 2.8 AF-I, 70-200mm 2.8 VR II, 24-70 2.8
CBS Sports MaxPreps Shooter
http://DalbyPhoto.com
CBS Sports MaxPreps Shooter
http://DalbyPhoto.com
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Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
We have a winner on the winer!!!!
Hell, last night I had a light mounted 6ft left of the backboard to try to fill in under the basket, created more shadows than I would like at certain positions on the court but not one player complained about it!
If there's no action, you wouldn't be shooting (using the strobes), would you?? Sounds lame.
I think both of your images are great. I understand the desire to see the texture of the basketball, but I do like the last one!
Just like the other day I went to shoot a girls game and I was setting up during the JV game and one of the guys from the school told me, "Varsity coach said no lights." So I went and talked to him, told him that they were explicitly ALLOWED by Indiana's IHSAA and that I would bet his players wouldn't notice them. He told me if he saw them go off and it distracted him, he would have me turn them off. Well, game started and not a single complaint. I think he was too worried about having his team's a$$ handed to him and yelling at his players vs actually paying attention to my lights. In over 200 games, not one player/coach has said the lights were an issue.
BTW, funny thing is, if these teams make it to the state tourney, you can sure as hell bet they will be strobed..
One very basic question. Generally speaking what shutter speed is sufficient to freeze action at a basketball game? Thanks
WIthout strobes: 1/800, sometimes 1/640. With strobes, 1/200 or 1/250. I say that because I use whatever the max X-Sync speed is for the camera I'm using and right now that is 1/250. Last year my camera only sync'd at 1/200. The only difference shooting with strobes and sync speed is the amount of residual ambient light you are letting into the camera.
At last night's game, I do what I always do when I get there, I set my camera to 1/250 @ 3.5, ISO 320 and see how dark the image is. This (after shooting so many games strobed) tells me if I'm going to have to crank my lights up really high or I'll be able to use them at a lower power setting. From there, it's just setting up the lights.
CBS Sports MaxPreps Shooter
http://DalbyPhoto.com
Thing is though, you don't need a lot, you can pick up 2, Canon 540EZ flashes for under $50 ea, or Youngnou flashes for the same price... A couple of cheap triggers (your choice) I use PocketWizards and also occasionally Cactus V5 if I'm using more than 4 flashes.
My typical setup is this, 1 flash on each baseline, usually attached to the bleachers. Aimed at the freethrow or 3 point line, depending on how far back my lights are. Typically I'm shooting all 580EXII's these days at 1/8 power, 50mm zoon for the lights on the baseline. I've started adding a 3rd light at mid-court set anywhere from 70-105mm depending on how high up in the bleachers I have to mount it. Purpose? Rim lighting. Now, this is only on one side of the court. If I put one on both sides, I would end up shooting into it a LOT! 90% of the time it's on my right, but there are just some gyms where that isn't possible... Reason is, I typically sit to the right of the basket since most players are right handed and when doing layups and drives they are coming from the left. I've also experimented with adding a 4th light at the same mid court location pointing at the other basket to light the back court a bit. Jury is still out on this one.
Even after 4 years of doing this I still have issues. My battery packs and or triggers (I'm upgrading SLOWLY to all PW3's) are causing random outages in my shots. WHen I test at home I can shoot 40 shots in a row at at 1/8 power with NO gap in lighting. When I get to a game.. It's a completely different story and I have to believe it's my triggers. I'm driving PW2 transcivers from a PW3. So I'm not sure what's going on but hopefully when I change over things will be different.
This is a typical shot with my 3 light setup... There are more if you scroll through the gallery it's in and you'll notice some darker shots where my lights aren't properly firing..
Sorry, I tried posting a ZenFolio link, but they don't do image sharing like Smugmug so you'll have to click on the link to view!
Like this?
Looks like the link it gives you is for the gallery. If you select the "Share" menu (upper right corner), you can "get the embedded code" and grab the image link from that.
What a PITA.
No problem.
I have been taking basketball photos for 5 or so years now and normally use one Einstein off the ceiling - two at home playoff games and quads - and will use TT5s for the second year this season. I have been experimenting with a battery pack - which works well for single games, it seems. A spare battery module should be delivered on Wednesday.
I have never shot direct - with SB or other. I think there is a 98% chance of no impact - but still some chance. But, as you indicate, virtually no one who is really into the game sees the flash. I had the einstein on a tripod high in the stands at a volleyball game this last fall, and at one of the breaks (when I would move the head to favor the changed home team side of the court), a parent who sat next to it asked what it was. I told him it was a remote strobe - and he asked me to prove it. Not only did he not hear anything during the game, but he also didn't see any flash going off. He was mighty surprised when he saw the light from the strobe - and then the light on the court. Yes, I used strobes at a volleyball game (actually about 6 this year - home and away).
And, indirect lighting has very little (if any) shadow vs the harshness of direct flash (just like anywhere else you take pics).
Direct isn't that hard unless your flash is right on the subject. Remember, The further the light is from the subject the softer and larger it becomes and the closer it is the harder and smaller it is regardless if it's a speedlight or a 20" reflector on a studio strobe.
And, take a look at image #1 above. the shadow is very well defined.
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.