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04-23-2009, 11:30 AM   #1
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ADVICE: Shooting the Quail Hollow Championship

After 2 years of waiting I finally get my chance to shoot the practice rounds for this Championship Golf event. Short or taking all my gear, can anyone provide any insight as to where are good spots to shoot from and what to look for in particular?

04-23-2009, 11:59 AM   #2
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i cant help you Buddha, but I am sure you'll do fine with those DA* lenses...

Cant wait to see the results!
04-23-2009, 04:45 PM   #3
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I have zero interest in golf and have never had a reason to shoot it.

That said, I would approach it like any other sporting event I haven't shot before:

How good is your access? Figure out where you will/ will not be allowed to shoot from before hand. Walk the course, figure out when and where the action will be taking place, and get a good idea of where you are going to be and when you are going to be there to cover that action. Nothing wrong with bringing a map and marking it up as needed.

What time of day will you be shooting? Where will the sun be with relation to the player and where you are allowed to shoot from?

Is flash allowed in case you want fill lighting to cut shadows? Do you have a flash powerful enough to provide meaningful amounts of fill at the range, shutter and aperture you expect to be shooting at?

I expect that long, fast glass with a monopod (for fast set up and portability) will be pretty much required for many of your action shots unless for some reason you happen to be allowed on the green fairly close to the golfer.

Will there be a crowd around that will make for an interesting background from certain angles, and will they get in your way when you want to move around? I expect most of your action shots will be with your 50-135 or longer lenses, but the 16-50 may be useful for crowd or scenery shots to give a sense of what is happening around the golfer.

Are you allowed to move around the course or are you restricted to one area all day or one area at each hole with other photographers?

Is there more interest or value in shooting certain players, and how are you going to determine who they are and where they are?

Have you shot enough golf to have a good idea of when to trigger your camera to catch the player in different parts of their swing? Do you need to go out to a driving range and practice your timing on semi-pro or pro players before the event? Click and pray shooting of sports in drive mode is a whole lot cheaper on digital than film, but I learned shutter timing shooting baseball with a K1000 and still think that being able to time the player's movements is a better approach unless you're using something equivalent to a high speed video camera.

And then you can also consider things like personal comfort if you really want to. What will the weather be like, will you want to carry food/water/a hat/rain gear/etc.
04-24-2009, 11:29 AM   #4
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I would suggest as already mentioned, long fast glass and monopod, you also need to be aware of your camera noise.

You will not win friends with "machine gun" shutters at the wrong moment.

04-24-2009, 01:29 PM   #5
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I just read that Tiger Woods will be playing. Good luck at the event!
04-24-2009, 03:55 PM   #6
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OH YEAH!!! It's on now. I wonder if I can get some of my images published...
04-24-2009, 04:18 PM   #7
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If you shoot at 60 shutter speed or below, you'll get a great affect by blurring the windmill blades as they spin, as well as the dragon's mouth as it opens and closes.

As far as accurately capturing the colors of the golfers' clothing, all bets are off.

And unlike Steinback, I not only have no interest in golf, but I believe it goes against everything I consider righteous and holy in this world.

04-24-2009, 05:15 PM   #8
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Wow, that is abold statement, coming from someone whol lives in Coral Springs, Florida.
04-24-2009, 09:00 PM   #9
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Buddha, you get to shoot the actual tourney? That's great!

I've gone to the (free) Tuesday practice round of the Shell Houston Open the past couple of years, and I've found that 200mm - 300mm is really what you need. Since it was an early practice round, I could get closer and sometimes use a little wider lenses, but unless you're "inside the ropes", you'll need the reach.

Another thing I'll suggest is to try the 21fps burst mode on a few swings, especially with a high shutter speed and at ground level with the ball. You might get some great impact shots.

This was with the DA*200 and the K20D:


This was with the SMC300 and the K100D:


Here are the links to both sets:
2007 SHO

2008 SHO

And here's a set (from a golf outing) showing the 21fps burst mode on golf swings:
21fps burst mode
04-24-2009, 09:05 PM   #10
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No, I only get to shoot the practice rounds and the Pro-Am, I am volunteering on Thursday and Friday. I wish I had the K20 or 2 would be even better.
04-25-2009, 06:43 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by buddha jones Quote
wow, that is abold statement, coming from someone whol lives in coral springs, florida.
you're totally right!!!
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