Under the lights HS football pictures

I have a rebel xti with a f 2.8 70-200mm IS lense. I just got this lense so am trying to figure it out. I get great photos until dark. I can take pictures during the entire game but the color is off. I have been using ISO 1600 and shoot using the TV (shutter priority mode). I am looking for suggestions on how I can take better night shots without having to do alot of adjusting in photoshop.

After dark, the lighting changes from sunlight to whatever the field lights are. You need to set the White Balance accordingly. - TF

If the Auto white balance isn't getting it right, then if you shoot in RAW mode then you can adjust the colour afterwards in the DPP software Canon provide.
For outdoor sport, I find setting the correct white balance difficult in the camera, as sometimes the white balance required changes from place to place on the field depending on the relative strength of the field lights and daylight.

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Originally Posted by SmartWombat

If the Auto white balance isn't getting it right, then if you shoot in RAW mode then you can adjust the colour afterwards in the DPP software Canon provide.
For outdoor sport, I find setting the correct white balance difficult in the camera, as sometimes the white balance required changes from place to place on the field depending on the relative strength of the field lights and daylight.

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I concur with that. Some schools have various sets of lights and with varying intensity based on how they position them plus I have my onboard flash to contend with. I set my camera to AWB and make any necessary adjustments in PS.

With the quality of high school lights I can't imagine how difficult it would be to keep changing during the game from minute to minute depending on where they were on the field. With many light setup in my area ISO 1600 still is not good enough to get good exposures. If like me you are shooting mostly available you will need to up the ISO.

I was shooting a game Friday night where the light on the sidelines was a stop and-a-half brighter than on the field. Was great for looking at settings on my camera but the playing field sure was dark. Who adjusts those lights anyway?

Thanks all for the feedback. I will adjust the WB at the games this week and let you know how it goes.

Chris, I think it's the same gnomes that light the candles in them when someone throws the switch! :-) I've shot at a couple of distant facilities in the last couple of weeks and it amazes me how different the lights can be. The ones at the local stadium are getting old and it shows. The ones at the field I was at 2 weeks ago were the same lights but had bulbs replaced last year which was good for about a full stop even though they had less of them.