[Photos] A sporting chance ...

[dancefloorlandmine]

I've just been asked to take some photos for work this weekend. Of a five-a-side footbal tournament. Not exactly a photographic subject I've ever tried before. Any of the photographers out there (including those who've, say, covered Whitby) got any handy advice for taking photos at sporting events? It's a bit of a change from my usual gig/club/architecture/portrait millieu!

(And this is when I wish I had a 70-200mm (or more) f/2.8 lens! [grin])

Comments

[titannia1.livejournal.com]

Well its been a few years since I was at photography college but the basics remain the same :)
Take a tripod with a swivel head and track the action. Also use a shutter release cable!!
You'll be fine; but good luck :)
x

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

You'll be fine; but good luck :)
Cheers!

Take a tripod with a swivel head and track the action.
Huzzah - that, I have!
Unfortunately, shutter release cable, I don't - I'm not even sure whether the EOS-400D can take one. Hmm ...

[silenttex.livejournal.com]

I have one, or a remote release you can borrow.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that would be great, thanks! If you'll not be needing it on holiday ...

[silenttex.livejournal.com]

I'm not intending to lug a tripod around with me, so I doubt I'll have much use for any sort of remote shutter release. I have both the cable and the RC-5 (well, the 7dayshop version of it).

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

so I doubt I'll have much use for any sort of remote shutter release
Fair point! The cable's probably better for these purposes, as I'll be behind the camera rather than in front. Ta!

[origamitiger.livejournal.com]

I suspect you may find an opening at the side to plug one in.

Long lens, contious shutter, huge memory card, pick a sport and go for it. I used a tripod for some of the whitby match and found it helpful.
Oh, a knowledge of the game maybe helpful, I had no idea what was going on and felt had I known the rules would have coped better in knowing where the ball may go next.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I suspect you may find an opening at the side to plug one in.
Ah - that would be behind the panel I've never yet opened. [grin] silenttex also uses a 400D, so if I borrow his shutter cable, it'll work with mine ...

Wish I had a faster long lens - unfortunately the 75-300 is quite old, and also not the fastest at the long end. But then, I suppose I've just got used to taking photos in the near dark, so needing a wide aperture! Daytime photography is a whole new experience! [grin]

I've got a smattering of football knowledge, although given that these are five-a-side teams mustered by corporate donors, I'm not sure what the skill levels will be like ... I might have to rely on physics to guess where the ball's likely to be!

[origamitiger.livejournal.com]

I use my 75-300 which was perfect, I thought but mine is slightly newer. In fortuatly you are a heathen so I can't lend you mine!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I use my 75-300 which was perfect, I thought but mine is slightly newer.
I'll give mine a go, then. What's the aperture range of yours?

Unfortuatly you are a heathen so I can't lend you mine!
I'm a heathan? Bah! You're the heathen, madam! [grin] (I suspect that this argument could go on for some time - I hope that there's a teabreak!)

babysimon mentioned below that Calumet will do hire of big white tubes for Canon users ... I'm almost tempted ...

[origamitiger.livejournal.com]

70-300 I meant. Aperture range, what is this technical term you speak of? In other words no idea. (My pictures are on my gallery, if you want to see what I took at Whitby)

Yes a Heathen, indeed. Hiring kit, pah!
(Mind you I suspect i could not hire lens for mine as the 'professional' people are heathens as well.)

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Mind you I suspect i could not hire lens for mine as the 'professional' people are heathens as well.
Depends on your particular brand of nonconformism ... [grin] Hiring camera gear is a bit like getting crack at a "first puff discount", I suspect. Once tried, forever wanted ...

Aperture range, what is this technical term you speak of? In other words no idea.
It's usually printed on the end of the lens barrel, next to the lens length (at least with Canons), indicating what the maximum aperture of the lens is. Thus my old Canon 75-300mm lens is often referred to as "75-300mm f/4-5.6". This indicates that it can open up to f/4 at 75mm and only up to f/5.6 at 300mm. It's also a way to differentiate between different lenses with the same focal lengths. The lower the number after the 'f/', the wider the aperture, the more light you can get in, and the faster the shutter speed you can use*. Also, usually, the more expensive the lens. [sigh]

* Apologies for telling you things you probably already know.

[origamitiger.livejournal.com]

My non-conformism is not that off the wall, Pentax. Just as good as Nikon and Cannon, I think it is number three in the market or I could be making that up.

Hmmm, I really need to learn f stops properly. Reading books again I think. *sigh*
Oh, I have no idea on the technical side, I just point the camera.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

I think it is number three in the market or I could be making that up.
Could well be right. Not my church, so I'm not sure. [grin]

I basically let the camera do the work too, but I like to know what some of the numbers actually mean. Most kit and standard zoom lenses have minimum apertures of about f/3.5 to 5.6, which are viewed as reasonable. Fast zoom lenses tend to open down to f/2.8, and prime (non-zoom) lenses can go down to around f/1.2 for what reddragdiva has been known to refer to as "honking light-buckets".

The number after the f/ is the second half of a ratio, indicating how much of the lens is actually letting light in. So something taken at f/2.8 means that the aperture opening is 1:2.8 of the lens (or 1/2.8, for fractional people) - about a third. If it's taken at f/10, then it's about a tenth.

[origamitiger.livejournal.com]

Bibble!

*scrabbles for a non techie speak book*

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

[grin] Sorry about that!

In brief ... the smaller then number next to the "f/", the bigger the hole, and the more light you can get into your camera. The more light you can get into the camera, the faster a shutter speed you can use, and the less blurred people are due to moving.

(There is a payoff in terms of depth of field, but I think that would require a series of images to illustrate - which I haven't yet taken ...)

(Good icon.)

[davefish.livejournal.com]

I should like my light-buckets to honk.
Like geese.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

[grin] I think f/1.2 honks like an air horn. On a supertanker.

[babysimon]

I think that phrase could be reserved for this f/0.7 monster.

"The much interpreted artificiality and hypnotic slowness of the protagonists is partly due to the technical requirements of filming: actors had to pay attention to not move too fast thereby leaving the extremely limited depth [of field]."

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just ... wow.

[titannia1.livejournal.com]

yeah and gaius_octavian is right, stay in one strategic place, let the lens do all the hard work!!
Random is usually best; If you try to get a certain image, no doubt, you will have missed it :)

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Cheers!

[babysimon]

Cable: it can, you can buy the RS-60E3 or make your own. There are also third party options.

You can also get the tranny-friendly RC5 wireless remote (or I can lend you it if you're careful) but this doesn't do half-press focussing, and only works from in front of the camera.

I would also suggest you don't promise too much; I imagine this sort of thing is quite hard esp when you don't have the "right" lens (and no, that doesn't mean go out and spend money! ;-)

[babysimon]

Damn, took too long to compose that!

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Cable: it can, you can buy the RS-60E3 or make your own. There are also third party options.
Cool! Ta!

this doesn't do half-press focussing, and only works from in front of the camera
Fair enough. I'd been considering getting one of the remote triggers anyway, but suspected that the 'front only' aspect might not help in this case.

I would also suggest you don't promise too much
Heh - I've already got my "expectation management" disclaimers in place. [grin]

quite hard esp when you don't have the "right" lens (and no, that doesn't mean go out and spend money! ;-)
[snork]

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

Pick a strategic location and stay there. You'll only get frustrated trying to follow the action around the pitch. Mash the shutter button down in continuous mode and sort it out later whenever it looks like anything is happening. A monopod would help but a tripod is probablu too unwieldy. Try to see where the ball is going and be ready to shoot there when it lands, don't watch the entire game through the viewfinder. And mind you don't get hit! :-)

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

You'll only get frustrated trying to follow the action around the pitch.
Damn these five-a-side tournaments, with multiple games at one time! [grin] But I'll stick to a single location for each pitch ...

Mash the shutter button down in continuous mode and sort it out later whenever it looks like anything is happening.
Shoot 'em all, let the client* sort 'em out? [grin] (Although obviously, sort them myself, but that doesn't sound as catchy!)

A monopod would help but a tripod is probablu too unwieldy.
Cheers - I have both ...

Try to see where the ball is going and be ready to shoot there when it lands, don't watch the entire game through the viewfinder.
Ooh, good reminder! Thanks.

And mind you don't get hit! :-)
[grin] Another good reason for keeping both eyes open! Ta!

[babysimon]

I also note that Calumet will rent you a big white tube for a day:

70-200MM/F2.8L IS USM £33+VAT.
300MM/F4L IS £30+VAT.
300MM/F2.8L IS £50+VAT.

If work are prepared to pay expenses that might be worth looking at? Of course, some of those would need a hefty tripod...

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Ooh, shiny kit! Hmm - I'll see about the expenses - although I suspect that if they're paying expenses for gear, they'll be expecting better results! [grin] Still, the 70-200 is a nifty tube - I've used one of them before at Whitby (courtesy of davefish getting tired of carrying it around when he wasn't using it).

[davefish.livejournal.com]

Lots of people have been suggesting tripods, but I'm finding that a bit surprising. It might be a bit easier to follow the action without one. Of course, if you rent some fat-assed glass, then a monopod might give you something to rest it on.

Motordrive is your friend. Have you got enough CF cards?

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Of course, if you rent some fat-assed glass
Well, as they're only on 5-a-side pitches, I probably won't need anything especially long - so the near end of the 75-300 should do it - or my default 24-135. In daylight they should be fine, fingers crossed. If it's raining, I won't be taking photos anyway!

Motordrive is your friend. Have you got enough CF cards?
Should have. I'll pick up some more, anyway, and I'll charge up the PhotoBank for sucking them dry in lunchtimes.

[davefish.livejournal.com]

You can get a camera hood which keeps the rain off and is expensive.

Or you get your lens hood, and cut a hole that size in something like a bin liner. Stick it to the lens hood, then haul the hole bag back over your head so you use the camera and it doesn't get soaked. All good. If a bit silly looking.

Feel free to modify the plan in a way that makes you look slightly less like a fool in a bin-liner.