My first attempt

ShepsMom

Of course i'm not happy :rolleyes

I decided to drag my 18-200 to the games, what was i thinking?? :dunno

I should have just watched the game instead. :rofl

All hell broke loose as I entered that stadium.

"I need MORE LIGHT" I screamed, as i ran around the field. Of course, i didn't even try to get on a sideline, who would let me? Well, maybe if i asked nicely.....
So, with low light, lens NOT made for sports, being far away from the actions.... you got the idea.....
I tried my hardest ( i swear), it's all in good fun after all. I even didn't notice my son playing, i'm such a bad mom :deal

You can laugh along with me, no prob! :barb


Spring football HS game.
































Thanks for looking! :lynnma

gus

You did very well Marina. Thats tought light to do deal with.

BRATCH

I think you did alright. You had tons more light than I'm used to having at the football games I shoot. Football is probably the second toughest sport to shoot. Volleyball is the first.

I use a Nikon 80-200 2.8 which works well on a Nikon DSLR with the 50% extra magnification. With football it's pretty much all about luck. You have to hope that a play comes your way and whatever position you get into only allows for specific shots. Then each time something doesn't work out you wonder if you should change positions. Even the teams switching directions at the end of a quarter changes what where you need to be.

If the players are into it you can get good sideline stuff. I like your triple cheerleader shot too. The cheerleaders at the games I go too don't seem to do that stuff too much.

Also, when it comes to HS football, when you walk in with a nice camera and especially a big lens, that gets you farther than a press pass ever will. And most of the time if you stay out of the chain gang and ball boys' way you can shoot from the 20 yard line to the goal since teams and coaches can be down on that part of the sideline. Most of the time the coaches are the only ones you have to worry about. You are on their sidelines for the most part. So get in good with your son's coach and/or athletic director. Those are the ones that will cause a problem, but most don't.

dbaker1221

good job..

try to go about 10 yards down field from the spot of the ball. That is where they are going & you'll get faces coming at you.

ShepsMom

Thank you everyone for nice replies and encouragement. I found football to be tough and mostly boring to photograph. You're waiting for them to huddle and then waiting for them to decide on the play, then you're waiting for them to get set, hike and then..... i'm having trouble keeping up with the ball while looking through camera. You pretty much have split seconds to get what you want to get and that it's over.

Most of the shots i posted were taken while there was some daylight. I wouldn't dare post any shots taken under big lights

Now i'll have to wait till August for the HS season to start. May be by then i'll get longer lens and most likely talk to his coach.

nipprdog

Well done, Marina. I can't wait for the little kids flag football to start. it's fun to watch and shoot.

WildWally

Very good job your first time out , Dang , I miss those days !!!!!!:D
What number is your son BTW ???
Question though . Is'nt it a little early for football ?? Our high-school des'nt even start there doubles until July I believe .

caero

Hi,

Just popping in to comment on one of your shots. I really really like the last shot of the 3 cheerleaders being hauled up in the air. The diagonal lines you can draw from left shoe to left shoe from each cheerleader to the other and from the right shoe to right shoe from each of them makes it really empowered. Furthermore each of the 3 girls are alsmost smack in the middle of each vertical thirds line which makes the composition very strong.

My only advise to have composed the shot better would have been to zoom out just a tad to get the foremost girl's foot into the shot and then cropped away some of the heads of the cheerleaders holding them up.

Apart from that really good shot.

Mike02

ShepsMom wrote:

Of course i'm not happy

I decided to drag my 18-200 to the games, what was i thinking??

So, with low light, lens NOT made for sports, being far away from the actions.... you got the idea.....

Um... you have a good $800 dollar lens, thats better than 90% of the sub $700 lenses, so please, stop complaining, you could have always read any of the other sports topics, or googled sports photography, and figured out that you need a lens with a very large aperture for sports photos, especially at dusk, you could have always ordered a 50 f/1.8 for who knows how much, and the 18-200 is a shitload of a lot better than say... an 18-55 for sports photos, so please, enjoy what you have, and dont complain about your equipment, when it is you who should have prepared better.

ShepsMom

WildWally wrote:

Very good job your first time out , Dang , I miss those days !!!!!!:D
What number is your son BTW ???
Question though . Is'nt it a little early for football ?? Our high-school des'nt even start there doubles until July I believe .

Hi there and thanks for the comments! My son is #24, but he's not anywhere in the pics. It is not a football season, it is a spring training, which is over now. Season doesn't start here till August I can't wait!!

ShepsMom

caero wrote:

Hi,

Just popping in to comment on one of your shots. I really really like the last shot of the 3 cheerleaders being hauled up in the air. The diagonal lines you can draw from left shoe to left shoe from each cheerleader to the other and from the right shoe to right shoe from each of them makes it really empowered. Furthermore each of the 3 girls are alsmost smack in the middle of each vertical thirds line which makes the composition very strong.

My only advise to have composed the shot better would have been to zoom out just a tad to get the foremost girl's foot into the shot and then cropped away some of the heads of the cheerleaders holding them up.

Apart from that really good shot.

Thank you for taking a pick! I read carefully all you had to say, and i agree, i noticed missing foot too late . You should've seen me bending over to get these shot, i was shooting over people's heads and shoulders. Oh well, my first try, i'm sure i'll be more careful and keep practising! Thanks again!

ShepsMom

Mike02 wrote:

Um... you have a good $800 dollar lens, thats better than 90% of the sub $700 lenses, so please, stop complaining, you could have always read any of the other sports topics, or googled sports photography, and figured out that you need a lens with a very large aperture for sports photos, especially at dusk, you could have always ordered a 50 f/1.8 for who knows how much, and the 18-200 is a shitload of a lot better than say... an 18-55 for sports photos, so please, enjoy what you have, and dont complain about your equipment, when it is you who should have prepared better.

I didn't say nothing bad about my lens. I spent more then $800 on it, being stupid that is. My only concern was that my lens might not be long enough to get closer shots. And i don't think this lens preforms as good in low light as i would like. I have never tried shooting sports, it's not like i'm trying to become a pro at it. No need to get all stressed over what i said or did, or didn't.
Cheers!

nipprdog

Mike02 wrote:

so please, enjoy what you have, and dont complain about your equipment, when it is you who should have prepared better.

did you miss this part?

"You can laugh along with me, no prob! "

Lighten up, Francis. this isn't 'sportsshooters.com'