[Buschmaster]

So, I had a great opportunity. Our college's basketball team is one of the top D-II teams in the nation and I was on the court taking pictures!

It was my first time photographing basketball, so it was a learning process but I would sure like a lot of feedback so I can get better the next time I'm snapping them!

Here are a couple from the girls game which was right before the boys game. We went to get a few shots and the settings right for the guys. Nothing against the girls game, they played their hearts out, but our boys team receives national attention.


Please feel free to view/comment on flickr as well!


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I'll post a couple, too, that could've been really good shots and hopefully you guys tell me what I could've done to have made them "really good shots". I won't put them on flickr because they're no good. But in my next post I'll attach them.

[Buschmaster]

I know people will say "Better lenses" but there is more to it than just that.

I used AF-S, because I don't even understand what AF-C is, what is it?

I may get a 4GB card or another 2GB card (Depending on price) so I can take RAW more. Right now I can only take about 200 RAW, and I take way more than that. And there isn't much time to review and delete on the fly like that.

Thanks for any help in advance!

[mtnbearhug]

Buschmaster,

I am not expert but what settings were you using?? I have taken several pictures of my nieces games this year and have learned a lot in the process... You may already know this so bare with me..

ISO 800 and 1600 from what I have found does cause less blurring.. but also doesn't allow for as much light. ( I dont use flash ) but I can adjust the light in PP to where it should be.

I also use multiple exposure modes.. So I can follow a player (by scanning) and take 3 to 6 pictures and usually atleast one of them will come out the way I want.

Someone once told me to not zoom in as much on a picture. For instance have half the court of so in your view and then take a few shots.... Because Digital takes a nice big picture often time you can crop down and still have a good quality picture of something that is happening off the ball... I get to carried away watching to game to try this..

As far as your pictures go I like them.. I really like the b&w with the the color in the middle.. I need to try that...

Oh and also... with one of the your last pics of the guy making the layup... Try to avoid the crowd in the background because (with most of my pics) the crowd becomes the focal point (unless you are scanning) and the player becomes blurry..

I hope this helps... Good luck and I look forward to seeing more of your pics..

Kim

[Buschmaster]

Thanks for the kind comments!

When you say multiple exposure modes do you mean continuous shooting or bracketing?

I was using continuous shooting and snapping 3 or 4 before stopping again. But bracking could be a good idea.

I switched between ISO 800, 1600, and even 3200. I spent a lot of the night in Av, trying to keep the aperture about as low as possible in order to create faster shutters.

I liked 1600 the most, I think. I'll work on avoiding the crowd in the backgrounds.

Any suggestions for metering, focus areas (the grid where you select or center or auto) or focus types (af-s vs. af-c)?

[mtnbearhug]

I never really thought about bracketing.. That is a good idea... I meant continous shooting.. That is the good thing about a digital as well... You don't have to develop the duds!!! LOL

I mostly keep 1600 as well.. but switch to 800 for foul shots... I need to really venture into manual but just havent yet... My camera is usually in AV with most everything I take regardless of the subject.

I have played with my metering and haven't really been able to tell a whole lot of difference in the outcome. I usuallly have mine set in the second setting... not the whole picture but not just the center either.... That way for shots that are not centered I still have some focus on... I have noticed that when I have it set to only the direct center I loose some clarity.

[Buschmaster]

I'll try that mode of metering and see if I can do better!

I wish I had the K10D so I could switch settings easier and faster. Sv mode would sure to be nice, too.

[roentarre]

With sports shots, I always preferred grainy look even it is digital noise.

The first lot are all well taken with a style. I love the way you post process to direct the focus to the particular person you want me to see. There are some compression pixel or noise but I like the way they are protrayed in the shots.

In the 2nd lot, the left image is my favorite. The legs seemed to be twisted in a degree that I was a bit more concerned whether this person will be crippled after the click was made! It grabbed my attention right there! I can sense his speed and concentration as well - good impact.

[bbpa103]

You have probably already improved on these since posting but for what it's worth. I like the bball through the net shot - several other shots are out of focus - you can see that the focus is deeper into the crowd vs the player. My experience is that even with my FA 50 F1.4 I still prefocus on a spot on the floor and hold the release halfway down until player comes into my prefocused location, and I shoot around F2.8. A little late in the season to be adding a comment but if you haven't checked out this thread it was very useful for using my old M50 lens. Suggest you try experimenting with your old M50, camera in manual mode and use it around F2.8, shutter speed of about 160-200, and shoot for ISO of 800-1600. Prefocus manually and just wait until the action comes to you. Whether you use your old manual 50 or your other lenses, I think you'll find prefocusing can improve on your shots. I find using manual white balance allows me to shoot in JPG - but usually it's the first frame that I like out of a sequence of shots - if I'm going for print quality I go RAW. Got any new shots to add or experience/lessons learned to add? Ken.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/10783-smc-m-50mm-f2.html

[spyglass]

Hey Buschmaster,

Next time try this, ISO 800, WB set to match lighting (probably florescent cool white), TV mode so that you can be guaranteed the shutter speed will be 1/500, and lose the lame Pentax Auto focus. The only thing it can react fast enough for is a picture of your grandmother when she is asleep. If light levels will not support this arrangement bump the ISO up. Any noise from a high ISO only seems to play up in the out of focus regions (and actual work well in a photo magazine print blur effect kind of way). You will be amazed at how fast you will become adapted to focusing on the fly. It will generally only be slight adjustment. For sports like basket ball where the subjects tend to move in lanes, or drives you can predict where the player will move to (for example player goes in for a layup - you can have the shot focused before he gets there. Then set up for some rebound shots, wait, pull the trigger till you get enough rebound shots. Then pick a new target. People sometimes try to get too much on the fly throughout the whole game (single shot camera not video camera). I talked to a sports photographer once and he told me that the big money sports shooters pick one guy, know his sweet spots and blast off shots like a machine gun hopeing that 1 out of 1000 shots will be decent.

[NYpHoToGraphEr]

ISO seems to be a little bit high causing lots of noise.