Rookie Shooting Football

[DHMN69]

I'm definitely still a "rookie" (had the D-SLR 2+ months, created my website with P&S kodak easyshare) at the D-SLR shooting, and need to still make a lens purchase for the longer and better shots.. but anyway as someone who's posting/sharing pictures criticisms are more than welcome..


All of the pictures from that game

A question I have, for daytime overcast days when the sun plays hide and seek.. in the shared picture above obviously I had a polarized filter on but in the gallery the final 5 pictures after I'd removed it when the sun had disappeared.. what's the best solution to playing hide & seek with the sun? Shoot always with the filter? When I make my 200mm IS lens purchase I'll of course compare for myself but for now I'm *still* shooting with just the 18-55mm which obviously limits a lot.

[dhyravy]

Welcome to the forum! Being able to shoot tighter with longer glass will help alot since your subject will likely be in either shade or sun. I would suggest working on shooting in Manual modes (ie M, A, S) for more control over exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. There is some misplaced focus in this shot so you might want to try using a single focus spot. Multi-sensor focus doesn't tend to work well for most action shots. Try to keep the focus spot on the player you are trying to shoot so it doesn't focus on the background.

[DHMN69]

I've always got it in Manual (M) or Tv if I'm looking for photos from a game...part of the problem is that is part of a 6 photo sequence that starts with http://viewthroughmylens.net/Galleri...orthland32.JPG and goes to photo http://viewthroughmylens.net/Galleri...orthland37.JPG (numbers 33..34..etc) and I panned by hand, without a mono-pod/tripod etc.

They are 1/500, ISO 400, and limited with f/5.6 with this "default" as I call it lens..

I know i have to learn a bit more about the focusing etc....but it's all a learning period with the camera and getting out of point and shoot mode.

Like I said, I consider myself a "Rookie" yet.

[SmartWombat]

That is a great sequence, but you're shooting in almost impossible conditions.
Either you're going to get those wonderful autumn backgrounds, or you're gong to get a picture in the shadows with the background drastically over-exposed.
I don't think there is any camera that can cope with that huge brightness range.

You could use TV instead of M, because then the camera will attempt to increase the exposure ad you pan into the shadow.
If you prefer to stay in M then you have to do the thinking for the camera, and open the aperture as you pan into the shadow yourself.

You know the trick where you have to rub your belly in a circle and pat your head at the same time? It's going to feel like that until you get used to it.
Watch the subject, watch the light, pan with the receiver, twiddle the aperture control, while still keeping everything in the picture and the camera level.

The comment about longer lenses is valid, but then you wouldn't have got the ball in flight.

What you're going to find is a wider aperture lens helps, so you can go to f/2.8 and keep the shutter speed high when shooting into the shadows.

But you still have the problem of setting the aperture yourself when there is a scene with a very bright background and you want to capture the action in the shadow. It's tough lighting conditions and you have to work at it, and unfortunately sacrifice the background and over expose it.

[JETA]

Like SW said impossible conditions.

I shot at a professional stadium last month that I had the pleasure of shooting in the year before. While exciting to be there, I knew the blown out sun spots against strips of black shadows are horrific there.

The thing I did different this time was to not be fooled by my light meter and kept my flash attached all day. I did a lot of checking of my histogram. When I'd go into the black areas of the field the flash came on.

It's tough. Just something you learn to work with the more you shoot in those elements.

[DHMN69]

http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...esabiEast4.JPG

This one's a high school football pic from Wednesday at another field it's too large in the scale I posted it to post here.. less color in the background and I think more explains the overall focus point thing I need to work on better because there's not nearly as much in the background to "steal" the focus.