First Football of the Season

[Old Timer]

High School football season kicked off last night with a Grid-O-Rama, two 3 quarter games as a conference preview. I went out just to try and get timing and setting dialed in for the season. These aren't great but just to get the season started I'll post a few.

[Old Timer]

Then for the second game the lights came on and the real challenge started. Very poorly lighted field that I will have to deal with all year. Just a few highlights of the game for my home team #1 the first interception of the year, #2 the first touchdown run of the year, #3 setting up for the first bomb of the year (incomplete), #4 the new star is born.

[BLS439]

OT - Nice captures! I like them. Football season won't really start around here for two or three more weeks. Practice is going, but they are just not wearing pads and getting rolling.

What ISO did you use for the different groups of shots?

[JETA]

Is it that time of year AGAIN?????????? YEHA!

Great shots OT. I'm liking them all, but 2 & 3 are my faves. For some reason I'm really liking pics of the qb handing off the ball.

So far I've just shot our team working with youth football players, weight lifting & a camp with a scrimmage. I'm at the very end of editing the scrimmage pics. I need to get better at ps because I have way too many pics that have shawdows on the boys faces.

[Old Timer]

What ISO did you use for the different groups of shots?

The early day time shots were at 400 and the night shots were at 800. Just trying to get a feel for it last night. I tried several combinations. If it's possible I think this field is even darker this year than last. Only decent light is betwen the 20 and 30 yard lines. You just have to hope that is were the action is.

The earlier photos were with the 80-200 f2.8 with a 1.4x telconverter later shots I took the converter off.

[Old Timer]

Is it that time of year AGAIN?????????? YEHA!
I need to get better at ps because I have way too many pics that have shawdows on the boys faces.

Thanks JETA. I was guessing that you would be the first to post football this year and I kind of pushed it to get on with something before you embarrassed me with you images. Looking forward to see lot of great images from you this year.

[JETA]

OT, you are waaaaaaaaaay too nice. Embarass you? I embarass myself. LOL I do see a HUGE difference in my photos just from the one year that I've hung out with you all on the sports forum.

I cannot say thank you enough to you guys. Most specifically you, JS, Masdog and livin.

[JSPhoto]

Women on the sidelines whats the world coming too?

Just kidding of course! Nice start there OT......you don't look too rusty. I shot a football game last month and tonight I will shoot some cheerleaders at the fish fry that kicks off the school year.

JS

[Old Timer]

Cheerleaders and fish fry two of my favorite things. You lucky dog.

[BLS439]

The early day time shots were at 400 and the night shots were at 800. Just trying to get a feel for it last night. I tried several combinations. If it's possible I think this field is even darker this year than last. Only decent light is betwen the 20 and 30 yard lines. You just have to hope that is were the action is.

The earlier photos were with the 80-200 f2.8 with a 1.4x telconverter later shots I took the converter off.

OT - Thanks! I'm going to try and shoot HS sports this year. I should have the work schedule to permit it for a while at least. I was thinking of using my 300 2.8 IS rather than the 70-200 2.8.

Did you use the zoom or feel it would be more useful than a prime?

It also looks like there was some flash in the evening group of shots. Did you find it worked out okay and wasn't distracting?

I can't wait to get out there and experiment!

Thanks!
Dave

[BLS439]

Great a double post, wait what's this below? a triple post?! What's going on? Mod's can you delete these, OT doesn't deserve this poor problem on his fine football thread!
THanks!

[BLS439]

Mod please delete.......somehow it triple posted?!

[Glycerin19]

Now football is a sport I can really get into! I like seeing the racing and baseball shots but I don't know much about the sports. I can see I'll be learning alot about what makes a good shot here. I'm so glad I found this board! Nice shots!

[JETA]

Women on the sidelines whats the world coming too?



JS

HEY! I resemble that remark.

[JSPhoto]

HEY! I resemble that remark.

hahaha, I knew you'd come up with a good one for that.....I figured it would be football related though.... Oh well, I know a couple of people who'd like to use my head for a baseball We've begun a pattern though JETA, one problem, I'm too stubborn to knock any sense into


JS

[JETA]

hahaha, I knew you'd come up with a good one for that.....I figured it would be football related though.... Oh well, I know a couple of people who'd like to use my head for a baseball We've begun a pattern though JETA, one problem, I'm too stubborn to knock any sense into


JS

Baseball was my first shooting love. It's on my mind more right now. On Wed. we drive our oldest down to Cali to a JC he's playing baseball at. I can't believe my baby is leaving the nest! :cryin:

Your sense seems fine to me. Maybe someone else needs their head knocked.

[JETA]

Cheerleaders and fish fry two of my favorite things. You lucky dog.

:lol: You crack me up OT!

[JETA]

Now football is a sport I can really get into!

That's funny, because I thought the same thing when I saw your hockey shots.

[Old Timer]

OT - Thanks! I'm going to try and shoot HS sports this year. I should have the work schedule to permit it for a while at least. I was thinking of using my 300 2.8 IS rather than the 70-200 2.8.

Did you use the zoom or feel it would be more useful than a prime?

It also looks like there was some flash in the evening group of shots. Did you find it worked out okay and wasn't distracting?

I can't wait to get out there and experiment!

Thanks!
Dave

Dave if I had 300 2.8f I would have had it on the D2H for sure. I shoot the 80-200 at the 200 setting about 90% of the time with football. Most the day light images were with a 1.4x teleconverter and I stayed at the 150 to 200 setting on the lens. I usually will carry two camera at all times on the sidelines. I will have the D70 with the 28-70 f2.8 for sidelines and misc shots. I will sometimes opt for it if I know the play is come right to me on the goal line or a pass into the corner of the end zone when I am in the same corner. As for the flash it would be impossible at this field to get any kind of acceptable image without some axillary light. I have never had a problem or complaint about distraction form a player, coach or official. I rarely will use full power and am shooting on manual within a certain range. The draw backs are of course the shadowing and the red eye if you get a player looking directly at you.

[JSPhoto]

Dave,
As OT says you need flash for nighttime football. Your camera may say the lighting is OK, or your eyes may think it's OK but in reality it isn't. There is one school in my area that has great lighting and you can get away without flash but you get much better results with flash.
There are a number of threads you can read through about low light & football and several on flash in sports. Each sport is different on when and how you can use flash. Additionally each states rules are different as well.

JS

[masdog]

Yee HAW! Its great that football is back in season. Its a good way to kick the season off, OT. I'm hoping I can get out there soon and shake off some of this rust that's been building up.

The guy in the first picture doesn't look like he belongs in high school.

[Old Timer]

We grow them ugly and mean looking down my way Sean. Looking forward to some of your football pictures. I love football and shooting it, just wish it wasn't such a challenge at night with these high school fields.

[swmdrayfan]

Larry, I'm sure you had a great time getting those shots. It was also good to have a little 'warmup' and get those settings down for the season to come. Now's the time to get the kinks worked out.
John

[Old Timer]

Nice to hear from you John. Your baseball season will be winding down pretty soon now I would think. What have you got on tap for the fall?

[swmdrayfan]

Nice to hear from you John. Your baseball season will be winding down pretty soon now I would think. What have you got on tap for the fall?

Yep, last homestand in the history of the franchise begins tomorrow......12 games in 14 days so I'll be pretty exhausted at the end. I might try a little HS football as a change. Not so much varsity, as JV is played on Saturday mornings, so I would be able to have decent light.
Also a part-time job.....my wife's been pretty patient with me spending most of my retirement at the ballpark, and we do need a little extra cash to supplement my retirement checks. Maybe I'll put together a little portfolio and see if the local newspaper can use me.