[erobles]

1. If you are shooting indoors always shot in RAW. You can always postprocess photos and change white balance/colors. In my opinion WB is way off on yours photo (too much red/magenta IMO)

2. More about posted photo: In my opinion it would be better if you have made this photo from a lower perspective (not above kid, but from knee or even floor perspective). Cutting a foot wasn't also a good idea when you were framing . Background is very important too - on that photo it's a bit distracting.

3. In the sports photography you need fast and long lenses. Faster lens gives you a possibility to maintain adequate shutter speed (1/320-1/1000 ) even in low light situation to freeze the movement. Longer focal length and fast aperture lenses (like 300/4, 70-200/2.8, 135/2.8, 85/1.4 or even 50/1.7) mostly creates nice bokeh and separation between athlete and background. If you want shoot indoor sports (probably in poor light) stick with lenses with aperture number 2.8 or lower (2, 1.7 and so on).

4. Place from you're making photos is very important - like Robert Capa said "if your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough"



Settings were good, probably even with 1/200s you could have a frozen movement. Feel free to experiment with settings for panning i.e. BBF helps a lot in sports photography - of course always in AF.C mode.

Nice tips you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCLnJotyT6o - it's a long video but worth to watch .

Thanks for your reply, Wojetek. I did shoot in RAW. I used JPEG only during the test shoots, to determine the best WB setting on my camera. My knowledge of photo software is very basic, I am beginning to learn (Gimp, even MAC Photos in my case, no LR yet). Light conditions were a mix of daylight and fluorescent, obviously daylight diminished later in the day. Unfortunately I was not allowed access to the floor, it is very restricted. Seating area is elevated, about 1.8 mts from the floor. I see your point about the background, it is something to practice for someone used to take just landscapes during family vacations :-)
I definitely need a faster lens. My faster lens is a DA 50mm/1.8, not fit for this. I am saving one penny at a time. Being a family man with two kids about to enter college, I am on a budget. I am trying to decide between a Tamron 70/200 f/2.8 and a a Sigma 17-70/2.8 Contemporary. Any suggestion is welcome. Thanks again!

[Wojetek]

DA 50/1.8 is a nice lens to start. I've made many photos on basketball with my 50mm in a very poor light - you only have to be close enough the action. DA 55-300 is a bit slow for sports, AF isn't fast but 300mm sometimes even on F5.8 can be very useful

For most sports you should have in your bag:
Fisheye (manual Samyang 8mm or DA 10-17/Sigma 10mm fish i.e.)
Standard zoom (for crop Sigma 17-50/2.8/Tamron or 28-70/2.8 for FF)
Longer zoom (for crop Sigma 50-150/2.8 or Pentax 50-135 or 70-200/2.8)
Long prime (200/2.8 or 300/4 or even 300/2.8)

I'm using 28mm and 50mm primes instead of standard zoom but sometimes you have no time to change lens so standard zoom is more practical

I am trying to decide between a Tamron 70/200 f/2.8 and a a Sigma 17-70/2.8 Contemporary. Any suggestion is welcome. Thanks again!

You need both (I would prefer Sigma 17-50/2.8 - 17-70 is 4.5 on long end and that's not fast). Tamron is a not best choice for sports (Sigma 50-150 or 70-200 AFs are better) but it's better than nothing.

---------- Post added 04-23-15 at 05:01 PM ----------

It's a photos thread so 2 mine shots from April soccer matches (more on Groundhopping Wlkp.

[mattb123]

Late season backcountry powder skiing last weekend. One of the best ski days of this season!
K-3 & DA 18-135

[johnmflores]

Turn One by john m flores, on Flickr

[jppp]

3 shots and a story, right? I only just found this thread.
And it's all football shots. Surprised? I know, not really.
Our team, founded in 1922 as one of the most traditional clubs in the country, qualified last in 2014 and was demoted from the highest level to the 1st division. That all had a lot to do with severe financial problems and a long story I won't go into now. The bottom line is that one of the great clubs in the country is now trying to start the hard journey upward with a very local roster of mostly very young players.

These shots were taken at a Finnish cup match against the rival club from the same town, who still play at the highest level in the country. Due to the financial stuff, we had to switch over to a very small "stadium" with artificial turf and very limited capacity and facilities in every respect.


The new captain of the team, still 19 years of age at this point. The youngest captain in the club's history.


The 20-year-old striker (#9) of the blue team saw red at the final stages of the match when things were getting a bit heated up.


This guy has just turned 16 years old, and he scored a goal for the black-and-whites in this match.

This was the second to last match where Pentax was my main gear. I've already shot one match with my new D750, so I think that makes me kind of a defector. However, there still might be a place in my new Blackrapid Double for my old K-5. Maybe I'll even get the new K-3II at some point because I've got all the glass for K-mount. Who knows.

[igabc]

I'd love to play along but most major sports leagues here in the US are cracking down on fan photogs. Nearly every sport has prohibited lenses over 6" long and heaven forbid you try to bring into the stadium anything bigger than a Ziploc sandwich bag, so that makes camera bags contraband akin to a kilo of coke.

It's an asinine rule under the guise of "protecting the fan experience". Well maybe I can find a little league game to shoot, oh wait, if I don't have a kid playing, I could be arrested....

ahahahah true. Welcome to the land of freedom. Please...!

[mattb123]

More backcountry skiing. Late spring has been great this year!
All shot with K-3 & DA 18-135
Skinning up at sunrise.


A steep climb near the top as more new snow falls.


A break in the storm and a sweet descent.

[dadipentak]

More backcountry skiing.

Totally amazing. The first,with its splash of sun, is really nice.

[mattb123]

Totally amazing. The first,with its splash of sun, is really nice.

Thanks! It was pretty amazing out there.

[dadipentak]

Thanks! It was pretty amazing out there.

Don't get me wrong--it's not anything I'd be inclined to do even if I were young & fit but it's great to enjoy the view from here.

[mattb123]

Don't get me wrong--it's not anything I'd be inclined to do even if I were young & fit but it's great to enjoy the view from here.

Aw c'mon, you don't want to come along next weekend? You have the right camera for it!

In all seriousness, this isn't a sport to just jump into.
Getting into it goes like:
1. Become an expert skier. I took 20 years or so to complete this step.
2. Get yourself in really good aerobic shape. (xc skiing, cycling, running, etc)
3. Buy the gear (not the same as regular downhill gear, plus avalanche beacon, airbag pack, probe, and shovel)
4. find a partner you trust with your life and they trust you with theirs
5. wait for good conditions, monitor weather and the avalanche report, get up early

6. SKI!

[dadipentak]

Deal breakers all (Plus: "Go outside in the cold" and "Go really fast down a really steep mountain"

More power to ya, though.

[mattb123]

I'm trying to get some big views in with my sports shots lately. I think adventure sports need good context so I was practicing that for some local racing I shot this weekend.
K-5 & DA* 60-250


K-3 & DA* 60-250

[johnmflores]

I'm trying to get some big views in with my sports shots lately. I think adventure sports need good context so I was practicing that for some local racing I shot this weekend.
K-5 & DA* 60-250


K-3 & DA* 60-250

Nice nice nice! Yes, getting context can really help a visual story. Well done!

[mattb123]

Nice nice nice! Yes, getting context can really help a visual story. Well done!

Thanks! Here's another from Sunday.
K-5 & DA* 60-250