[akptc]

Hi, I looking for some advice. My daughter plays HS softball and would like to keep taking pictures of her games. But we just moved and I don't know anyone here so getting onto the field during games is turning out impossible. All sorts of rules and such.

I wonder if this would work: mount the camera on a jib to raise it over the fence and snap pics remotely from my laptop. If I also add a motorized head with PTZ, I should be able to get some decent shots. This is all theory for me, I've never used either one of these devices. If do this, I'd like for the gear assembly to be as lightweight as possible.

Ideas, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Andy

[dave2k]

I had the same problem when shooting local high school softball and baseball. I found there were openings in the fencing past the dugouts, but the view was subject to interruptions. And I wanted to shoot from different angles. I finally decided to use my lightweight 4-foot fiberglass stepladder and stand on it. I didn't have to go very high on the ladder to get a view over the fence and it was almost as comfortable as standing on the ground. Between innings I could sit on the top and relax. This worked quite well and I was able to shoot from many different angles around the field. Good luck on finding your solution.

[narual]

is it a chain link fence? if you're using a reasonably open aperture, you'll shoot through it like it wasn't there in the first place unless they're leaning against it. No reason to shoot over the top of it. If your camera is close enough to the fence that the fence is outside the minimum focal distance, it won't even cause problems with autofocus.

[akptc]

I can't believe I didn't think of a ladder, great idea, will definitely do that!
Shooting through the fence, I tried that a lot but I guess my technique needs work, the AF hangs up the links quite often for me.
Thank you both for the tips, very appreciated.

[bschriver11]

I shoot a lot of high school softball and simply bought a fold up step stool, i'm 6 feet tall so this easily worked for me.

[Wasp]

There are step ladders specifically made for photographers. Here is an example.

Need a Lift? | B&H Photo Video Pro Audio

[akptc]

Looks like the 300lb Pearstone step ladder is not available so I am looking at this Little Giant ladder

[victormeldrew]

Over here at least, photographing kids in school requires a lot of permissions, from the school itself and also the parents of all the other kids. Poking your camera over a fence instead would not go down well at all and would likely find you in the back of a police car. Even the (perfectly legal) act of photographing kids in a public place will often land you in hospital, in the mistaken belief that you must be doing so for malevolent purposes...

I would urge caution in the current climate.

[akptc]

... I would urge caution in the current climate.

Wow, that's horrible. When you say "here" I assume you mean in the UK? It's so unfair that such public attitudes would prevent anyone from making memorable photos of their kids.

I live in Kansas; I don't see many parents with cameras at these games but those who do take pictures do not appear concerned about such issues.

I will definitely talk with the coach though, to ask about her permission on/off the field and what might other parents think. In the past, parents would ask me to take action snaps of their kids, which I would gladly do and upload the photos to the team's site.

[35mmfilmfan]

In the UK, the magazine Amateur Photographer was frequently called 'Amateur Pornographer' because they dare to publish (Shock !!!!! Horror !!!!) - nudes.

[gatorguy]

Looks like the 300lb Pearstone step ladder is not available so I am looking at this Little Giant ladder

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052BHMW6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?tag=penta...=A10VKYP8CN7R2
Add a bungee and you can roll your gear along with the ladder.

[victormeldrew]

Wow, that's horrible. When you say "here" I assume you mean in the UK? It's so unfair that such public attitudes would prevent anyone from making memorable photos of their kids.

Indeed, although the modern ultra-paranoid attitude towards photography involving any children other than your own is hardly confined to the UK, it is possibly particularly high here.

As this example shows, people are prepared to go to extreme lengths if they see someone is taking photos of their kids without their permission. In this case the guy probably did have malevolent intentions, but could easily have been perfectly innocent. Either way he was breaking no laws and we'll never know, since he's now dead. The general advice to budding photographers here is to steer well clear of other people's children unless you are expressly invited by their parents.

It's not that I believe you're doing anything wrong or that anyone would even have a problem, it's only that climbing ladders or whatever may look rather more suspicious than it actually is.

[akptc]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052BHMW6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?tag=penta...=A10VKYP8CN7R2 Add a bungee and you can roll your gear along with the ladder.

- Thanks!

[akptc]

It's not that I believe you're doing anything wrong or that anyone would even have a problem, it's only that climbing ladders or whatever may look rather more suspicious than it actually is.

I fully expect to see a storming crowd of villagers with pitchforks at some point..

[akptc]

I found a version of the ladder that supports more than 250lbs