Well, I guess the most obvious question is are you happy with these. If not, what kind of critique do you want? An honest critique would probably create a long list of things to change or work on.
Can you tell us what gear you used for these? Soccer can be tough to shoot without longer lenses. While you did catch some action, the second is just too far away to have much impact. I also find that facial expressions in these soccer photos are just as interesting as the soccer action. The backs of players will not do much for most viewers.
Well, I guess the most obvious question is are you happy with these. If not, what kind of critique do you want? An honest critique would probably create a long list of things to change or work on.
Can you tell us what gear you used for these? Soccer can be tough to shoot without longer lenses. While you did catch some action, the second is just too far away to have much impact. I also find that facial expressions in these soccer photos are just as interesting as the soccer action. The backs of players will not do much for most viewers.
In this shot I actually purposely wanted the sense of distance. I was trying to show to players battling it out in their own world, sort of alone in the expanse of the field.
In this shot I was shooting from the other end with a 300mm on a D7000, 1.5x crop factor (I think).
1. You're sitting in the wrong place. Get on the end line and away from where the parents sit.
2. Neither of these shots appears sharp
3. Use your maximum aperture. F2.8 if you've got it, or F4 if that's what you've got. The backgrounds are far too prominent.
4. For maximum impact we need eyes, ball, and some conflict. You can successfully make strong photos without one and sometimes without two of these elements, but it requires a lot of skill.
Both of these shoots look like they were taken by a parent from the sideline with a point and shoot. Numerous factors contribute to that. Location, positioning, focus, timing. You are going to need to work on those elements if you want to raise your game. Here is a link to a gallery I shot last fall. Take a look at the difference in my positioning, timing, etc. I was also using a 300mm lens.
1. You're sitting in the wrong place. Get on the end line and away from where the parents sit.
2. Neither of these shots appears sharp
3. Use your maximum aperture. F2.8 if you've got it, or F4 if that's what you've got. The backgrounds are far too prominent.
4. For maximum impact we need eyes, ball, and some conflict. You can successfully make strong photos without one and sometimes without two of these elements, but it requires a lot of skill.
Both of these shoots look like they were taken by a parent from the sideline with a point and shoot. Numerous factors contribute to that. Location, positioning, focus, timing. You are going to need to work on those elements if you want to raise your game. Here is a link to a gallery I shot last fall. Take a look at the difference in my positioning, timing, etc. I was also using a 300mm lens.
Thanks for the tips. I checked your photos. Very nice shots. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while to get more soccer shots. But summer basketball is starting, so I'll start working on that.
In this shot I actually purposely wanted the sense of distance. I was trying to show to players battling it out in their own world, sort of alone in the expanse of the field.
In this shot I was shooting from the other end with a 300mm on a D7000, 1.5x crop factor (I think).
Sports photos need at least two of these three: face, ball, action/conflict. A shot that doesn't show the player(s)'s face(s) has to be something really special, otherwise the face is required. Your shots do not show the faces enough or at all, and the action isn't captivating enough to make up for that. Other things...
Get low and shoot from the players' waist level. This makes younger players look like pros. It looks like you might have been standing.
Shoot/crop tightly. Reduce dead space and extraneous/unengaged players.
Shoot with your lens wide open to blur the background and make your subject pop. If your lens was wide open, maybe it's time to think about a lens with a wider aperture, ideally f/2.8, but f/4 can work too.
Wait for the action to come closer to you so you're not shooting all the way across/down the field. This will put more pixels on your subject for better detail, and will throw the background more out of focus.
If you do these things you can get good shots from the sidelines if you can't be behind an endline.
-Jack
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I'm not sure I should mention anything here, I've never shot this kind of stuff. But in the second photo it seem's to me that the composure is bad also. If the girl's faces had been in the photo, they would have been running into the photo. The goalie is doing nothing and the play is away from him.Seem's to me that all the space behind the player's is just MTY space that add's nothing to the photo. I always try to have the subject, dog's, running into the photo, not out of it.
I don't know how people shoot these but with dog's moving fast, I go with the center of the view finder and that focus point and then crop out what I want. My D5000 has enough resolution to do that pretty well. My D70 is a little low on resolution so I crop what I can in the view finder and live with it. I don't use the D70 a whole lot.
Question for jmphotocraft. Beautiful photo's. Like the out of focus back ground and are you shooting in continuous mode? I figure you must be because I can't see timing the shot's you got just right. And do you use the center focus point and then crop as needed? I found I can't get very good shot's unless i keep the focus point on the running dogs heads as best I can. Maybe there is another trick to this?
Here is an example of why I like sitting down on the end of the field. As has been mentioned, the action comes toward you. Even though I had to crop heavily the pictures were still usable for small prints (8x10) and social media:
Original SOOC
That being said I am still in need of lots of practice and technique refinement, but you can get some totally decent captures without super long glass. These were shot on a D300s and a 70-200 at 70mm f/3.5. Obviously I should have zoomed out to 200mm, but you get the idea.
Question for jmphotocraft. Beautiful photo's. Like the out of focus back ground and are you shooting in continuous mode? I figure you must be because I can't see timing the shot's you got just right. And do you use the center focus point and then crop as needed? I found I can't get very good shot's unless i keep the focus point on the running dogs heads as best I can. Maybe there is another trick to this?
Thanks Don. Yes, I use continuous focus and high speed drive on my 5D3. I use an upper focus point with expansion and I aim it for the collar or face, and then crop as needed. I don't shoot long sequences, just short bursts of 2-4 shots to get "the one". Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
-Jack
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
Question for jmphotocraft. Beautiful photo's. Like the out of focus back ground and are you shooting in continuous mode? I figure you must be because I can't see timing the shot's you got just right.
I don't understand what is tricky about timing these shots. Many people do it every day. I shoot single frame 95% of the time.
I don't understand what is tricky about timing these shots. Many people do it every day. I shoot single frame 95% of the time.
Problem is, at least with dog's, they change position so fast you can't see the photo and get it. You have to let them run into it. I don't think there's any way to see this shot coming and time it to get this shot. I did try that early on but not for long. I ended up with dog'd heads behind bush's and body sticking out or a pair of legs disappearing in the sage. I look at the dog going toward some objective I hope will work and hold down the shutter release. Keep in mind that this is at the start of a brace and these dog's are flying off the line, you couldn't time a shot and get what you wanted, dog's are just to fast.
Thanks Don. Yes, I use continuous focus and high speed drive on my 5D3. I use an upper focus point with expansion and I aim it for the collar or face, and then crop as needed. I don't shoot long sequences, just short bursts of 2-4 shots to get "the one". Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
thank you sir. I usually get off three or four and have to swing to the other dog if I'm to get it. I have tried shooting them after they have past but I get the same thing as the soccer players above. Without the dog's fact, the photo's just are not the same.
Thanks Don. Yes, I use continuous focus and high speed drive on my 5D3. I use an upper focus point with expansion and I aim it for the collar or face, and then crop as needed. I don't shoot long sequences, just short bursts of 2-4 shots to get "the one". Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
Here is an example of why I like sitting down on the end of the field. As has been mentioned, the action comes toward you. Even though I had to crop heavily the pictures were still usable for small prints (8x10) and social media:
Original SOOC
That being said I am still in need of lots of practice and technique refinement, but you can get some totally decent captures without super long glass. These were shot on a D300s and a 70-200 at 70mm f/3.5. Obviously I should have zoomed out to 200mm, but you get the idea.
Love that first shot! The concentration on the girls face kicking the ball is super!
Problem is, at least with dog's, they change position so fast you can't see the photo and get it. You have to let them run into it. I don't think there's any way to see this shot coming and time it to get this shot. I did try that early on but not for long. I ended up with dog'd heads behind bush's and body sticking out or a pair of legs disappearing in the sage. I look at the dog going toward some objective I hope will work and hold down the shutter release. Keep in mind that this is at the start of a brace and these dog's are flying off the line, you couldn't time a shot and get what you wanted, dog's are just to fast.
I generally try to time my first shot, but I'll let the burst go for 2-4 shots just in case. Usually just 2. I have better luck that way rather than just holding the shutter button down for a long sequence when I think something might happen.
I've never shot dogs though.
-Jack
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I went to a baseball game in Bend a few years ago with my kids and tried to get a photo of the ball at the batter. Didn't care if it was hit or missed, just wanted to try to get it. I have one of myself when I was a lot younger batting and it's like that. Played a lot of ball in my youth.
While I was in Bend I tried to get shot's of play's at first base, always the back of the first baseman. And ground balls to the infield, well so so and not enough resolution in the camera, Nikon D70.
Comments
perroneford@ptfphoto.com
Can you tell us what gear you used for these? Soccer can be tough to shoot without longer lenses. While you did catch some action, the second is just too far away to have much impact. I also find that facial expressions in these soccer photos are just as interesting as the soccer action. The backs of players will not do much for most viewers.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Well, give me the list, I can take it.
In this shot I actually purposely wanted the sense of distance. I was trying to show to players battling it out in their own world, sort of alone in the expanse of the field.
In this shot I was shooting from the other end with a 300mm on a D7000, 1.5x crop factor (I think).
Ok...
1. You're sitting in the wrong place. Get on the end line and away from where the parents sit.
2. Neither of these shots appears sharp
3. Use your maximum aperture. F2.8 if you've got it, or F4 if that's what you've got. The backgrounds are far too prominent.
4. For maximum impact we need eyes, ball, and some conflict. You can successfully make strong photos without one and sometimes without two of these elements, but it requires a lot of skill.
Both of these shoots look like they were taken by a parent from the sideline with a point and shoot. Numerous factors contribute to that. Location, positioning, focus, timing. You are going to need to work on those elements if you want to raise your game. Here is a link to a gallery I shot last fall. Take a look at the difference in my positioning, timing, etc. I was also using a 300mm lens.
http://www.ptfphotoarchive.com/FSUAthletics/Soccer/FSU-Soccer-v-Virginia-Oct-2012/25935688_6nKfnC
If you have more specific questions, just ask.
-P
perroneford@ptfphoto.com
Thanks for the tips. I checked your photos. Very nice shots. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while to get more soccer shots. But summer basketball is starting, so I'll start working on that.
Well then, you got what you wanted.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Get low and shoot from the players' waist level. This makes younger players look like pros. It looks like you might have been standing.
Shoot/crop tightly. Reduce dead space and extraneous/unengaged players.
Shoot with your lens wide open to blur the background and make your subject pop. If your lens was wide open, maybe it's time to think about a lens with a wider aperture, ideally f/2.8, but f/4 can work too.
Wait for the action to come closer to you so you're not shooting all the way across/down the field. This will put more pixels on your subject for better detail, and will throw the background more out of focus.
If you do these things you can get good shots from the sidelines if you can't be behind an endline.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I don't know how people shoot these but with dog's moving fast, I go with the center of the view finder and that focus point and then crop out what I want. My D5000 has enough resolution to do that pretty well. My D70 is a little low on resolution so I crop what I can in the view finder and live with it. I don't use the D70 a whole lot.
Original SOOC
That being said I am still in need of lots of practice and technique refinement, but you can get some totally decent captures without super long glass. These were shot on a D300s and a 70-200 at 70mm f/3.5. Obviously I should have zoomed out to 200mm, but you get the idea.
Thanks Don. Yes, I use continuous focus and high speed drive on my 5D3. I use an upper focus point with expansion and I aim it for the collar or face, and then crop as needed. I don't shoot long sequences, just short bursts of 2-4 shots to get "the one". Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I don't understand what is tricky about timing these shots. Many people do it every day. I shoot single frame 95% of the time.
perroneford@ptfphoto.com
Problem is, at least with dog's, they change position so fast you can't see the photo and get it. You have to let them run into it. I don't think there's any way to see this shot coming and time it to get this shot. I did try that early on but not for long. I ended up with dog'd heads behind bush's and body sticking out or a pair of legs disappearing in the sage. I look at the dog going toward some objective I hope will work and hold down the shutter release. Keep in mind that this is at the start of a brace and these dog's are flying off the line, you couldn't time a shot and get what you wanted, dog's are just to fast.
thank you sir. I usually get off three or four and have to swing to the other dog if I'm to get it. I have tried shooting them after they have past but I get the same thing as the soccer players above. Without the dog's fact, the photo's just are not the same.
Thanks again for your time. Greatly appreciated.
Love that first shot! The concentration on the girls face kicking the ball is super!
perroneford@ptfphoto.com
I generally try to time my first shot, but I'll let the burst go for 2-4 shots just in case. Usually just 2. I have better luck that way rather than just holding the shutter button down for a long sequence when I think something might happen.
I've never shot dogs though.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
While I was in Bend I tried to get shot's of play's at first base, always the back of the first baseman. And ground balls to the infield, well so so and not enough resolution in the camera, Nikon D70.