Roundball in SC

[sgriggs2006]

Well, I have just about given up using my 70-200mm F/2.8 long lens in favor of my 50mm f/1.4....I just can't get these results w/ the bigger glass...I don't know if its a focus issue or timing or what....I miss getting the cool midcourt cuts and turns, but these will have to do. Am working on the flash so as not to get such drastic shadows, but still getting a bit blown out whites on the uniforms.......thanks Chris!!
Playing a bit w/ the b/w image...think I've ninja'd it a bit too much tho?
CandC are always welcomed....

Cheers,
sue.

[fidgety]

The action and timing on these snaps is good but the flash is a tad strong as your losing definition in the white uniforms. Gettin' better all the time.

[sgriggs2006]

Chris....so here is my question....if I were to expose for the whites, would that make everything else too dark? I am using Manual settings on my camera shutter 800 and an f-stop of somewhere around 2.X I leave my flash to auto ttl/bl so I leave it up to the camera to compensates for those settings....
I appreciate your hints!!
cheers,
sue

[dhyravy]

It's not always possible to keep from blowing the whites when you have other dark uniforms and fast action. I usually try to expose for the faces and let the uniforms fall where they may.

[fidgety]

Chris....so here is my question....if I were to expose for the whites, would that make everything else too dark? I am using Manual settings on my camera shutter 800 and an f-stop of somewhere around 2.X I leave my flash to auto ttl/bl so I leave it up to the camera to compensates for those settings....
I appreciate your hints!!
cheers,
sue

Instead of leaving your flash at ETTL, put it on manual and start adjusting its setting i.e. 1/2, 1/4 power, and then take some tests shots and check your histograms. Your never going to get a perfect exposure when you have white and dark uniforms but find your setting so you get some detail in the whites plus have the color of the dark uniforms pop out.

[sgriggs2006]

Ok, my problem w/ that is that this gym seems to have sweet spots of lighting...and one is in mid court which I rarely use, and then the other is on the left side of the basket...the right side of the basket is SO different...it seems that I can't come to a happy medium of manual setttings.....does anyone else have this issue?

[dhyravy]

I think the real issue is that you have too much ambient light in the shot. I see that you were at ISO 1600 and your shutter was 1/800 which means you were using FP sync. Try dropping the ISO to around 800 and the shutter to 1/250 (or whatever your max sync speed is) Your flash needs to become the dominant light source which will make the lighting in the gym less of a factor. Use the flash compensation in TTL mode to adjust the amount of light you get depending on your taste. This will also help stop the action better since the ambient light will not be as prominent.

[sgriggs2006]

Daniel-
This technique was working fabulous (per your suggestion) on my Friday Night Lights (football) pictures...
I had been having terrible luck w/ this w/ my 80-200 f2.8 which I was trying to use in the gym...(see post# 60763 ) so thats the reason I've bumped it up so high. Since then I've given up on the big glass, and have gone down to the 50mm f1.4 (but still shooting on M at 2.x w/ the specs you listed above.)...
Have you seen the problems I was encountering w/ the other post?
Cheers,
sue.