Boys

[Lava Lamp]

I've posted a bunch of girls lately, here are some boys at play (including my son.) These were all shot with a Nikon D200 and 300mm f/2.8 @ ISO 200 or 400, f/2.8 of f/4 and shutter speeds around 1/1250.

Let me know what you think and how I could improve. Thanks.

[Greg McCary]

I don't do sports, but I think all of these are well done. You included the ball and they all show emotion. The DOF seems good too. Backgrounds are always a problem with these type shots and you handled it well.

[Lava Lamp]

Thanks, Gary. I like the new one you posted, but need to think about it some more before commenting.

[snoid]

Ditto on what Greg said.
Another plus I notice is that all your subjects are in complete focus.
EI. Head to toe they are sharp.

Now for some critique

#1 You cut off the subjects arm at the elbow. ( generally a no-no in people pics)
#2 I just gotta know what the rest of the guy with the horizontal foot is doing.
#3 Best one. the cut off guy is out of focus enough. I still wonder what he's up to.
# 4 The arm on the right. Looks like it's raining, or is that noise?

Still all in all quite good. Much better than I could do.

[armando_m]

Great photos,
there seems to be an effort to keep the background contents in control

same q as snoid did it start raining on the last 2 photos ?

[Lava Lamp]

Great photos,
there seems to be an effort to keep the background contents in control

same q as snoid did it start raining on the last 2 photos ?

Yes, it was raining.

Thank you.

[SportsPhotography]

You reacted in a topic I started and you asked my opinion on your pictures.

1st: The composition is almost good, except the cutt of arm of the player in the white shirt.

2nd: Nice action too bad that a leg from the opponent is cut off.

3rd: Look pretty good actually, maybe some more space around the two. Sharpness in this picture is better then in all the other pictures.

4th Nice frozen shots I don't if it's my screen but the arm seem to be a little greenish.

5th Fine action but is doesn't look very sharp.

General: try to take also some "landscape" format pictures the standing images show too less of the sport and by this there are some important details cut off by this format.
Which type of post processing do you use ( sharpening ) the aperture at f2.8 softens up the subjects a little bit.

If you use Photoshop try the next settings.
Filter -> Sharpen -> Unsharp mask

Amount: 43%, Radius: 7.7 pixels, Treshold: 9 levels.

[Lava Lamp]

You reacted in a topic I started and you asked my opinion on your pictures.

1st: The composition is almost good, except the cutt of arm of the player in the white shirt.

2nd: Nice action too bad that a leg from the opponent is cut off.

3rd: Look pretty good actually, maybe some more space around the two. Sharpness in this picture is better then in all the other pictures.

4th Nice frozen shots I don't if it's my screen but the arm seem to be a little greenish.

5th Fine action but is doesn't look very sharp.

General: try to take also some "landscape" format pictures the standing images show too less of the sport and by this there are some important details cut off by this format.
Which type of post processing do you use ( sharpening ) the aperture at f2.8 softens up the subjects a little bit.

Thanks to all for the comments. My sports shots are really action portraits for the players. I see it as being about the athlete. I shoot in portrait orientation by design (unless it is a group shot).

The flip side is that when you concentrate on one player or two players, you inevitably cut off some part of someone else.