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01-11-2016, 12:43 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by UncleVanya Quote
Most flashes don't allow you direct access to duration - that's a function of power for most of them.

The flash use in an outdoor setting with sports is uncommon. It's likely to annoy the players. Use it for a sideline shot after the game if you want. Shoot in high ISO in RAW if you can get away with it (frame rate vs. buffer space) and use noise reduction software for now. See if that gets you what you are looking for first.
Apparently not THAT uncommon. Here is what I got from one of the sports websites I tried to load my photos to:

>
> Thank you for submitting your application to become a MaxPreps Photographer. We regret to inform you that your application has not been accepted at this time for the following reason(s):
> -Need To See Night Football Sample Images - preferably taken with high-powered flash
> -Need To See Indoor Basketball Sample Images - preferably taken with high-powered flash/strobes
>
> Please feel free to resubmit your application in the future.
>

01-11-2016, 01:15 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by genesmasher Quote
Apparently not THAT uncommon. Here is what I got from one of the sports websites I tried to load my photos to:

>
> Thank you for submitting your application to become a MaxPreps Photographer. We regret to inform you that your application has not been accepted at this time for the following reason(s):
> -Need To See Night Football Sample Images - preferably taken with high-powered flash
> -Need To See Indoor Basketball Sample Images - preferably taken with high-powered flash/strobes
>
> Please feel free to resubmit your application in the future.
>
The indoor basketball shots I can see - the outdoor shots for football - that's a new one for me. But I don't shoot at those events anymore. The last time I shot football was in high school and it was with film and no flash in B&W.
01-11-2016, 01:19 PM   #18
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Editors want high contrast images in this day and age, Genesmasher, whether product, portrait or sports photography. To freeze motion you want 1/500s and up - you need at least one HSS flash.
01-11-2016, 04:32 PM   #19
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I have a sigma EF530DG super that has HSS flash and cost about $170 so there is no need to buy a $400 unit.The top of the line Pentax might have a little more power but all in all i'm pleased with the Sigma after a couple years of use.Sigma has a newer version,EF630DG super i think?There are two versions of this flash unit,the bare bones EF630DG ST and the EF630DG super which has more features.

01-11-2016, 04:36 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Editors want high contrast images in this day and age, Genesmasher, whether product, portrait or sports photography. To freeze motion you want 1/500s and up - you need at least one HSS flash.
Sure. Funny thing is I only shoot soccer (no football or any indoor sports), and 95% of soccer games are in broad daylight - that's why flash photography was never an issue for me
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Last edited by genesmasher; 01-11-2016 at 04:42 PM.
01-11-2016, 05:39 PM   #21
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Flash is definitely for daylight, too. I had a workshop with a sports photographer who rides on the back of the motorbikes in front of pro bicycle riders in a race and flash is used to prevent flat lighting or fill in the intense shadows from sunlight.
01-11-2016, 08:32 PM   #22
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I recently took photos at the local high school volleyball game and the use of any flash would result in being asked to leave the game and not return.I'm pretty sure they wouldn't care if i was shooting for MaxPreps.Are you sure using a flash at your local high school sporting events is acceptable?

01-11-2016, 08:48 PM   #23
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That's the problem of all photographers, right? Access to areas, time with subjects, use of equipment. Best if agreed upon formally beforehand.
01-11-2016, 11:26 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by bschriver11 Quote
I recently took photos at the local high school volleyball game and the use of any flash would result in being asked to leave the game and not return.I'm pretty sure they wouldn't care if i was shooting for MaxPreps.Are you sure using a flash at your local high school sporting events is acceptable?
I have seen others using flash, so I guess so. But I agree - it must distract the athletes. I was surprised when I got that reply from MaxPreps too - presumably they should know better. I sent them a few samples of my work, similar to the photo above (slightly cropped and resized .jpg to save bandwidth). The response from their editor was pretty obnoxious and condescending. Here is the another bit:

>
> Note: Hi genesmasher, we really need full res images to really evaluate your ability to make high quality images. Please look at each image at full res to verify they are tack sharp and clean of noise.
>

I said "screw this" and made a Shutterfly page instead for the team to enjoy.
01-12-2016, 03:34 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by genesmasher Quote
.


I said "screw this" and made a Shutterfly page instead for the team to enjoy.
Good on you.

Your sample pic's good but editors might say the players have similar lighting levels to the background ... low contrast.
01-12-2016, 10:15 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Good on you.

Your sample pic's good but editors might say the players have similar lighting levels to the background ... low contrast.
Thanks for your feedback. When I shoot soccer, my main objective is to capture the spirit of the game in the heat of the moment. To time and capture a fleeting challenge perfectly is way more important to me, than shooting well-illuminated, but static players against a dark background. This is not macro photography - rarely do I have any control over lighting or subject positioning. I rarely do any heavy post-processing either, just minor cropping and levels adjustment. The image above is not even sharpened.

Last edited by genesmasher; 01-12-2016 at 03:03 PM.
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