Second try at Football pics

CalexPhoto

Mini Pee-Wee football, this was the only game I could get field access to :rofl ! Just was taking some pics for my friend, but thought I'd share some of them here. I know I could crop closer on some of these, but didn't, just kept most at the regular photo size.
#1
#2
#3 I couldn't move back away fast enough...

#4

#5

and last but not least...
#6

This was on a wierd day, sunny one minute, then cloudy like it might hail, then sunny again, then clouds, typical Nebraska day.

johng

#2 and #5 are really nice shots. Of the two, #5 is the best - that's a great shot there.
3 would be cool but it's a bit soft

Keep practicing and you'll keep getting more and more shots like 2 and 5!!

CalexPhoto

johng wrote:

#2 and #5 are really nice shots. Of the two, #5 is the best - that's a great shot there.
3 would be cool but it's a bit soft

Keep practicing and you'll keep getting more and more shots like 2 and 5!!

Thanks Johng, I appreciate your kind words, and encouragement. Yeah #3 was a bummer, was surprised when the play came my way, and I wasn't ready for it. Oh well, like you said "Keep practicing" which I intend to do now that I have the schedule of the 'Steelers' game in this league.

mercphoto

CalexPhoto wrote:

#3 I couldn't move back away fast enough...

Its not that you weren't far enough back, its that the focus is off. Looks like the back helmet is sharp, so the camera might have lagged in focus tracking, or you were too close to attain a focus. But the composition is fine, its just not in focus. Possibly pilot error, possibly equipment limitiation.

#4

Nice action but I don't like the composition. I'd like to have seen the runner's head.

CalexPhoto

mercphoto wrote:

Its not that you weren't far enough back, its that the focus is off. Looks like the back helmet is sharp, so the camera might have lagged in focus tracking, or you were too close to attain a focus. But the composition is fine, its just not in focus. Possibly pilot error, possibly equipment limitiation.


Nice action but I don't like the composition. I'd like to have seen the runner's head.

Thanks, Yep, my minimum focus distance is 6 feet, and when the play came towards me, my focus point was off the runner already and since I was playing around with the Continuos AF setting(first time using that setting), it just locked when the back helmet was in focus, and fired my shutter. Which was why I mentioned that I wasn't back far enough. Basically I didn't react fast enough by getting back a bit, to change my point of focus, to get the runner in focus. I'm still learning and getting used to my lens and camera set-up and also football action/plays.

I guess I was trying to get the tackle and missed, but you are right, a headless runner is a little wierd. Thank you for your kind words, I'm constantly learning from here. Best regards.

stephiewilliams

#2 is a great shot, as is $5 and even #6...one thing you may want to consider about football shots is in general you want to have one player from each team and the ball in each shot. Try to focus on the player with the ball...I use a center focus for this. Looks like you may need to up your shutter speed as they are a bit soft. Were you shooting in shutter priority, aperture priority or maybe even manual?

With the lighting conditions you described it can be hard to shoot football. I just shot a game like this last Saturday...had to do a lot of work in post to get the lighting right...Here is one from Sat on Aperture mode wide open which set the Shutter at about 1/1250

CalexPhoto

stephiewilliams wrote:

#2 is a great shot, as is $5 and even #6...one thing you may want to consider about football shots is in general you want to have one player from each team and the ball in each shot. Try to focus on the player with the ball...I use a center focus for this. Looks like you may need to up your shutter speed as they are a bit soft. Were you shooting in shutter priority, aperture priority or maybe even manual?

THANKS Stephie, I appreciate your encouraging words, and tips very much. I normally shoot in Aperture priority, and I think was shooting at f3.5 or F4 only that day, BUT was trying out the Continuos AF function of the camera, and I'm still not used to that. I think I will stick to my Center spot Single AF function the next time. Here's another one from the series that I wanted to puct on, but didn't get to the other day.

Thanks again folks.