Still shooting basketball

bikingbets

Well, since the NBA is still in session, I guess basketball is still fair game here:
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Thanks for looking!
Betsy

hschlessphoto

these shots are all very good. Whie i do realize that you were probably using your 85mm lens and zooming in and out isnt an option, you need to get whole limbs in the pictures. You can always crop excess space, but you cant add half an arm. THey all have very good sharpness, exposure, focusing, lighting, etc, but just get those limbs on in there. Hope this helps.

bikingbets

Thanks for your comment. It creates food for thought that I'd like some opinions on:

I notice that most Sports Illustrated photos include the full body in action shots. Is this the standard that sports photographers should aspire to? Is a "good sports photo" one that must include the whole body? I tend to disagree with that idea; sometimes/most times a tight crop that even cuts off limbs holds my interest more than a full-body shot.

Just wondering if there is more than one school of thought for pro photogs.

Thanks!
Betsy

zack75144

first off great shots. Where they with the 85mm or the 70-200mm? Just curious.
IMHO I like to shoot full body as well as just below the belt up. I generally stay away from cut off arms and such. Of course there are always exceptions.

stromhammer

bikingbets wrote:

Thanks for your comment. It creates food for thought that I'd like some opinions on:

I notice that most Sports Illustrated photos include the full body in action shots. Is this the standard that sports photographers should aspire to? Is a "good sports photo" one that must include the whole body? I tend to disagree with that idea; sometimes/most times a tight crop that even cuts off limbs holds my interest more than a full-body shot.

Just wondering if there is more than one school of thought for pro photogs.

Thanks!
Betsy

As a parent of two teenage athletes and a photographer I try to do both. I have found that many parents want good face shots of their kids (as I do) as well as full body action shots. So not only do I try to catch the action but I also want to capture some of the emotion and intensity of the game. Personally I like the composition of shot #4 for a couple of reasons. For one thing it leaves a little to the imagination. Is she blocking or shooting? I don't really "need" to know but it leaves me guessing. Which can be a good thing. I also like the expression on her face. I think I see a hint of a smile.

All in all, well done.

David

wompom1

nice shots....I am struggling taking pics of my daughter with BBALL.
Are you using a flash and can you give us the exif data.
thanks
W

bikingbets wrote:

Well, since the NBA is still in session, I guess basketball is still fair game here:
1.


2.


3.


4.


Thanks for looking!
Betsy

bikingbets

zack75144 wrote:

first off great shots. Where they with the 85mm or the 70-200mm? Just curious.
IMHO I like to shoot full body as well as just below the belt up. I generally stay away from cut off arms and such. Of course there are always exceptions.

Thanks for commenting Zack! These were taken with the 85mm.
I like the look of "just below the belt up," too. It shows the emotion better. And I hear you on the exceptions...rules are made to be broken..?

Betsy

bikingbets

stromhammer wrote:

As a parent of two teenage athletes and a photographer I try to do both. I have found that many parents want good face shots of their kids (as I do) as well as full body action shots. So not only do I try to catch the action but I also want to capture some of the emotion and intensity of the game. Personally I like the composition of shot #4 for a couple of reasons. For one thing it leaves a little to the imagination. Is she blocking or shooting? I don't really "need" to know but it leaves me guessing. Which can be a good thing. I also like the expression on her face. I think I see a hint of a smile.

All in all, well done.

David

Thanks for taking the time to respond David! I guess the bottom line is that a mixture is what a sports photographer should go for, trying to offer something for everyone's different likes. Thanks for the on #4. It's one of my favorites.

Betsy

bikingbets

wompom1 wrote:

nice shots....I am struggling taking pics of my daughter with BBALL.
Are you using a flash and can you give us the exif data.
thanks
W

Hi W, thanks for the kind words. Indoor basketball has a steep learning curve. No flash was used for these. I used an 85mm at 1/500, f/2.0, ISO 1600. Hang in there with it and keep practicing.

Betsy

bikingbets

For instance:

Curious as to which you prefer.

A shot like this, where most of the subject is in the shot:




Or a crop:

zack75144

Both!
Some of my shots I offer both versions, just incase the client doesn't see what a nice alternative the cropped version is.