Hi everyone. Totally an amateur for sports shots here. I wag my A*300 f2.8 for a small walk with a monopod today. Sat through almost one round of cricket on a hot clad fitted benchtop with the temperature hitting 100 F (38 degree celcius mark). My clumpsy hand sort of showed its age of disuse - 30 yrs, thus producing so many soft-focus photos and terrible framing. Too Unfit here sigh.....

Given the "sensitive" period talking about cricket from oz, these shots are just local games only with no political agenda...



He runs so fast that I could not follow him fast enough with this heavy lens ...

1/1500s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso100 full exif



He missed the shot!

1/1500s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso100 full exif


Patiently waiting




Another bowler; he actually stares at me afterwards...

1/2000s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso100 full exif



Got the shot

1/1500s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso100 full exif





















OK. I am going to take some antidepressants.

Thanks for looking

[Scott Rylance]

These are very good James...My favourite is #3 and the last shot. It just shows how good this lens really is....and it was a real hot one today, and hazey from the fires in the north east.

[clarenceclose]

Good action shots but a lot different than the mental macro picture of bugs that came to my mind. That first one is my absolute favorite.

[bdavis]

In most of these, it seems like you were a bit behind the action. (Ball behind player, ball not in frame, etc.) I don't know much about cricket, seeing as I usually avoid the plaza in front of the library when a game is going on, but I think I'm a little more confused now because of your pictures.

It's okay though. Sports are tough to photograph, and you really need to practice sometimes.

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Last edited by bdavis; 12-09-2006 at 09:42 AM.

[scott-devon]

I think you did real well, the action is captured nicely. I don't know cricket so I can't say much about the timing at all.

I really like the fourth and sixth shots. The fourth is a neat capture of the thrower in full concentration while the fellow next to him looks half asleep, and the expression on the batter's face looking at the ball behind him in the sixth shot is real good.

[roentarre]

Thanks for the comments

To Scott, the bush fire was too severe. A wall of firefront up to 100km sweeping through the state easterwards like a tsunami wave... The day was just filled with smog, poor visibility and little wind... I was seriously going to visit Reedy Reserve or Healesvilled sanctuary, but I heard on radio that all forests were banned because of the bush fires.

To Clarence, I wanna do some macro as well. I wished I could (Still patiently looking for Fa* 200 f4 macro). Glad that you approve the photos.

To Beth, you were definitely right about the ball in action and emotions should have been "present" in the photos to be "sports photos". But I would say that most of the shots have included the ball in the pics 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11. (I was struggling to get the timing right with this lens hehe). Sure I will practice, no worries.

To Scott, thanks for the comments. I guess I was distracted about some people's expressions in the pics so i post some photos without a ball ihe frame. I deliberately tried to use A* 300 f2.8 for practice instead of Bigma just to have a good hang of it using A* monster. Cricket is not thing either but I loved a weekend with people meeting up in the park for a game - a lifestyle. My favorite sports is tennis

Thank you all for the time with inputs.

p.s. at one stage, I was so scared of having the hard cricket ball hitting directly into my lens...

[jfdavis58]

Can anyone explain this game in less than 10,000 words--ten different way to put the batter 'out'; two runners; and the batter isn't required to run on a hit? Bowling with a bounce; fifty 'overs'????

But I gotta say some of those body positions sure are fun! 1,4,6 (is that a beer in his hand-my kinda game!), 7, 8, 10 and the last one--a couple aspirin should help!

But hey, I'm from the US. In our verson of football, the ball is pointed at two ends and the action centers on knocking players down. And TV timeouts to have mostly naked young girls sell beer to fat fools sitting in easy chairs!

[bdavis]

I guess I should have said that there were pics that would have been much better had the ball been in frame (#1, 7, and I simply wouldn't have posted 13--maybe with a tight crop). Also, it isn't quite enough to simply have it there--you've gotta get it before it gets behind the player (2, 6). I think you get that--I'm off the soapbox. I'd struggle with that monster lens too.

Do you have any tennis shots? I played in HS, but I can't say that I've photographed it.

[slip]

I think they Rock!

great shots, my favs are #1 and #7

I have given action shots the odd try and I know that getting shots like you got isn't easy.

randy

[roentarre]

Can anyone explain this game in less than 10,000 words--ten different way to put the batter 'out'; two runners; and the batter isn't required to run on a hit? Bowling with a bounce; fifty 'overs'????

But I gotta say some of those body positions sure are fun! 1,4,6 (is that a beer in his hand-my kinda game!), 7, 8, 10 and the last one--a couple aspirin should help!

But hey, I'm from the US. In our verson of football, the ball is pointed at two ends and the action centers on knocking players down. And TV timeouts to have mostly naked young girls sell beer to fat fools sitting in easy chairs!

I am sure other Aussie members would enlighten me with some wisdoms too. In my high school days, I always gave up my probability question regarding Cricket matches. I can do the quesions regarding Aussie football probabilities but not the cricket stuff at all.

And I am a fan of American footballs too (only for the 3 months when I was working in new york). I remembered I also went to 2 games of Ice Hockey and I bet for Rangers. Go Rangers!! (I remembered it lost the game to Panther or something - A bit tragic that day)

Thank you for your comments (Definitely they could be improved further as I can tell from the photos posted in sports section of newspaper everyday)

You have been kind.

Cheers

[roentarre]

I guess I should have said that there were pics that would have been much better had the ball been in frame (#1, 7, and I simply wouldn't have posted 13--maybe with a tight crop). Also, it isn't quite enough to simply have it there--you've gotta get it before it gets behind the player (2, 6). I think you get that--I'm off the soapbox. I'd struggle with that monster lens too.

Do you have any tennis shots? I played in HS, but I can't say that I've photographed it.

You are definitely right about these suggestions. I will keep on practicing these shots ... Just not sure when I will encounter a free cricket match in the local park.

I do have the tennis shots but the photos are taken with canon set-up. I only started using pentax gear from 3 months ago. Steep learning curve about pentax lenses actually. But it has been fun.

There will be Australian Open coming up in January. I will bring my lens babies to the open. Stay tuned. Hehe

[roentarre]

I think they Rock!

great shots, my favs are #1 and #7

I have given action shots the odd try and I know that getting shots like you got isn't easy.

randy

I was just lucky to have blokes that do not care about me peeping at them with my camera k10d along with a giant glass facing at them.

It was so bright that I could freeze some actions in time - Luck

There happened to be a bench at court side - Luck

These guys are not camera shy - Luck

A limited lens * denotes superb quality - ...... Lucky to have it

A free match happened when I was going for a walk - Luck

So much luck still lags behind the shots

But Thank you for your support Randy

[dave kitson]

I enjoyed the series very much. I particularly like #3.

(#6 evokes more realistic memories of fending a ball off, rather than smacking it through the covers).

What level of match was this?

dave

[photo_mom]

Hi Roentarre!

Knowing nothing about cricket but having taken shots of ice hockey, it's not always the action that makes a photo interesting. Using the A*300 would lend itself to getting the personal side of the game and not the action due to the limited width of the photo, which is EXACTLY what your photos show.

There is some action, but it's mostly the individuals and their posture/facial expression/intensity(or lack thereof in some cases) in your photos that are interesting here! WELL DONE! No need for feeling depressed IMHO. The colors are great and some of them have a nice 3D feel. Glad you posted ALL of them and I'm sure if you found the guys playing they'd be thrilled to see your photos.

[vievetrick]

Very nice action shots here and agree timing can be difficult but it looks like you are getting the hang of it. I have to admit I to was looking for some bugs