Man, those are great... I love the contrast and color, and your WB is spot on... I am still having trouble my the cycling lights even using the expodisc!
Body: Canon 1D Mark II N | Canon 30D w/BG-E2 Flash: Canon 580EX II | Quantum T4d | Strobes & Monolights Glass: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 | Sigma 20 f1.8 | Canon 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS USM
I am still having trouble my the cycling lights even using the expodisc!
Yeah I hear you on the lights. The other gym I shoot at regularly has much more of an issue for basketball because of the cat walk above behind the rim. What that means is there is only one row of lights just before the hoop - so you don't have an overlapping field of light. So you get some strange color casts from the cycling - not terrible like some other gyms where custom WB is impossible. But a pain in the butt. In the same gym for volleyball it isn't an issue because the light fields overlap enough you get a fairly consistant WB.
Wow those shots look really good! I'm going to start shooting basketball really soon... Any tips? What lens were those shots from? flash? cam settings?
Nate
--
_:nod Nate____
Canon 1D Mark II N . Canon 20D . Canon Digital Rebel Xti .
Speedlite 430 EX .
Canon : 18-55 kit, 75-300 IS, 70-200 IS f/2.8 L .
I shot with Canon 1dmkIII and 85mm 1.8 lens. ISO 2000, 1/500, f2.0
Custom white balance.
For 20d, use center focus point only and AI-Servo
Just make sure to expose for faces not uniforms when you dial in your exposure - and shoot manual. Jersey colors will throw off the metering of the camera - so find out what exposes the faces correctly and use that setting. Be advised one end of the gym may be a tad lighter than the other (although usually not the case sometimes it happens) - so be sure to check exposure at both ends. And exposure at mid-court is likely 1/2 stop or so brighter.
I would also point out the 85mm lens is probably accurate for about 20 feet - not very far. Beyond that and focus accuracy starts to take a real dive.
What do you use on the Mk III? Right now I'm using center point with left/right assist enabled. Of course, i haven't been able to try that out in the gym since my son was the last cut from the varsity!:pissed
Do you shoot in raw? Wouldn't that enable one to worry less about different exposure levels at different points in the gym and fix exposure in post-processing?
What do you use on the Mk III? Right now I'm using center point with left/right assist enabled.
Do you shoot in raw? Wouldn't that enable one to worry less about different exposure levels at different points in the gym and fix exposure in post-processing?
I have the camera set up to use all 4 assist points but I only notice one being used VERY infrequently.
As for using RAW - no I don't use it. It adds too much unnecessary time to my workflow. Checking my exposure when I switch ends of the gym takes a few seconds. And in most cases it's pretty much the same. As compared to outside shooting where I constantly have to check exposure it's just no big deal.
This also means I save on card space as well. Yes memory is cheap now. But which takes you longer: spending 30 seconds validating and changing exposure settings once a game or having to convert 300 RAW files?
But that's just me. I like to do everything I can to minimize my post processing workflow.
I have the camera set up to use all 4 assist points but I only notice one being used VERY infrequently.
As for using RAW - no I don't use it. It adds too much unnecessary time to my workflow. Checking my exposure when I switch ends of the gym takes a few seconds. And in most cases it's pretty much the same. As compared to outside shooting where I constantly have to check exposure it's just no big deal.
This also means I save on card space as well. Yes memory is cheap now. But which takes you longer: spending 30 seconds validating and changing exposure settings once a game or having to convert 300 RAW files?
But that's just me. I like to do everything I can to minimize my post processing workflow.
Body: Canon 1D Mark II N | Canon 30D w/BG-E2 Flash: Canon 580EX II | Quantum T4d | Strobes & Monolights Glass: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 | Sigma 20 f1.8 | Canon 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS USM
I have the camera set up to use all 4 assist points but I only notice one being used VERY infrequently.
As for using RAW - no I don't use it. It adds too much unnecessary time to my workflow. Checking my exposure when I switch ends of the gym takes a few seconds. And in most cases it's pretty much the same. As compared to outside shooting where I constantly have to check exposure it's just no big deal.
This also means I save on card space as well. Yes memory is cheap now. But which takes you longer: spending 30 seconds validating and changing exposure settings once a game or having to convert 300 RAW files?
But that's just me. I like to do everything I can to minimize my post processing workflow.
So what is your preference with this camera when you find that you are underexposed at one end of the gym -- manual exposure compensation, ISO bump or "other"?
...
As for using RAW - no I don't use it. It adds too much unnecessary time to my workflow. Checking my exposure when I switch ends of the gym takes a few seconds. And in most cases it's pretty much the same. As compared to outside shooting where I constantly have to check exposure it's just no big deal....
This is one of the best set of basketball photos that I have seen in while. Well done
You nailed the exposure -- color, contrast, WB, etc. And you also nailed the composition -- focus, ball, player, faces, energy of the game, good crop, etc. Basically, you hit all the elements of a great sports photo.
And I have to full agree with you about the white balance, RAW and post processing. I was starting to think that I was nuts just because I shoot jpg for my hockey photos, but then I realize that I could do this because I nailed the exposure during the game instead of depending on post flow to save the shot.
In general, I think people are pushing their gear to the limits, shooting in RAW, and hoping that they will have a magazine cover shot as a result of post instead of having realistic expectations. Using an expensive lens will not guarantee a great photo and having slow lens won’t prevent you from getting a winning capture. It’s all about where you are to the action, the lighting conditions, and knowing how to read the situation of the game.
You on the other hand, know the limit of your gear, developed your eye to capture what's important, and most importantly, know how to use your gear.
So what is your preference with this camera when you find that you are underexposed at one end of the gym -- manual exposure compensation, ISO bump or "other"?
In general I try to shoot almost every sport with a manual exposure. Certainly every indoor sport. The only time I don't use manual exposure is when lighting conditions outdoors are too variable. I almost always shoot with the lens wide open (except my 1.8 lenses which I tend to shoot at 2.0). So the only two parameters I can adjust are ISO and shutter speed. For basketball, in a gym like this one with the mkIII if I'm getting 1/500 at one end and need an extra 1/3 stop I'll drop down to 1/400. But If I need to go below 1/400 then I will raise ISO instead (1/400 is the lowest I like to go unless I max out the ISO). I applied the same rules when shooting with the 20d by the way. The only time I went below 1/400 is when I had aperture wide open and was shooting at ISO 3200.
Comments
Glass: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 | Sigma 20 f1.8 | Canon 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS USM
Yeah I hear you on the lights. The other gym I shoot at regularly has much more of an issue for basketball because of the cat walk above behind the rim. What that means is there is only one row of lights just before the hoop - so you don't have an overlapping field of light. So you get some strange color casts from the cycling - not terrible like some other gyms where custom WB is impossible. But a pain in the butt. In the same gym for volleyball it isn't an issue because the light fields overlap enough you get a fairly consistant WB.
__________________
www.browngreensports.com
http://browngreensports.smugmug.com
Nate
_:nod Nate____
Canon 1D Mark II N . Canon 20D . Canon Digital Rebel Xti .
Speedlite 430 EX .
Canon : 18-55 kit, 75-300 IS, 70-200 IS f/2.8 L .
I shot with Canon 1dmkIII and 85mm 1.8 lens. ISO 2000, 1/500, f2.0
Custom white balance.
For 20d, use center focus point only and AI-Servo
Just make sure to expose for faces not uniforms when you dial in your exposure - and shoot manual. Jersey colors will throw off the metering of the camera - so find out what exposes the faces correctly and use that setting. Be advised one end of the gym may be a tad lighter than the other (although usually not the case sometimes it happens) - so be sure to check exposure at both ends. And exposure at mid-court is likely 1/2 stop or so brighter.
I would also point out the 85mm lens is probably accurate for about 20 feet - not very far. Beyond that and focus accuracy starts to take a real dive.
Do you shoot in raw? Wouldn't that enable one to worry less about different exposure levels at different points in the gym and fix exposure in post-processing?
__________________
www.browngreensports.com
http://browngreensports.smugmug.com
I have the camera set up to use all 4 assist points but I only notice one being used VERY infrequently.
As for using RAW - no I don't use it. It adds too much unnecessary time to my workflow. Checking my exposure when I switch ends of the gym takes a few seconds. And in most cases it's pretty much the same. As compared to outside shooting where I constantly have to check exposure it's just no big deal.
This also means I save on card space as well. Yes memory is cheap now. But which takes you longer: spending 30 seconds validating and changing exposure settings once a game or having to convert 300 RAW files?
But that's just me. I like to do everything I can to minimize my post processing workflow.
Glass: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 | Sigma 20 f1.8 | Canon 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS USM
__________________
www.browngreensports.com
http://browngreensports.smugmug.com
You nailed the exposure -- color, contrast, WB, etc. And you also nailed the composition -- focus, ball, player, faces, energy of the game, good crop, etc. Basically, you hit all the elements of a great sports photo.
And I have to full agree with you about the white balance, RAW and post processing. I was starting to think that I was nuts just because I shoot jpg for my hockey photos, but then I realize that I could do this because I nailed the exposure during the game instead of depending on post flow to save the shot.
In general, I think people are pushing their gear to the limits, shooting in RAW, and hoping that they will have a magazine cover shot as a result of post instead of having realistic expectations. Using an expensive lens will not guarantee a great photo and having slow lens won’t prevent you from getting a winning capture. It’s all about where you are to the action, the lighting conditions, and knowing how to read the situation of the game.
You on the other hand, know the limit of your gear, developed your eye to capture what's important, and most importantly, know how to use your gear.
Congrats! And please keep on posting.
In general I try to shoot almost every sport with a manual exposure. Certainly every indoor sport. The only time I don't use manual exposure is when lighting conditions outdoors are too variable. I almost always shoot with the lens wide open (except my 1.8 lenses which I tend to shoot at 2.0). So the only two parameters I can adjust are ISO and shutter speed. For basketball, in a gym like this one with the mkIII if I'm getting 1/500 at one end and need an extra 1/3 stop I'll drop down to 1/400. But If I need to go below 1/400 then I will raise ISO instead (1/400 is the lowest I like to go unless I max out the ISO). I applied the same rules when shooting with the 20d by the way. The only time I went below 1/400 is when I had aperture wide open and was shooting at ISO 3200.
Thank you very much for the kind words!
Dave