Some HS Basketball

"Strobed" with my 580 EXII on a tripod on a stage for one half, then in the corner of the gym for the second half, starting to get used to the much quicker editing, without going through noise reduction and 500+ photos from a game when I light a HS basketball game

The angle of the first half shots sucks a bit, had to sit ON the stage I had the flash on, about 15 feet away because of cheerleaders on the endline. Wish I could have been on the floor when the flash was up higher but you take what you can get. All shot with the 24-70 F2.8 at 1/250 of course and F4. The boys' shots between ISO 400-500 and the girls' shots at ISO 320

1.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...lmBBallTM5.jpg

2.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...lmBBallTM8.jpg

3. The coach standing in the black suit, Bob McDonald from Chisholm, MN has well over 900 coaching wins, hitting that number in January of 2009.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...mBBallTM25.jpg

4.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...mBBallTM31.jpg

5.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...mBBallTM28.jpg

More from this boys game

A few from a girls game the other day, also flashed, from a stage in that gym.. also had to stay on the stage, but this time due to an ancient gym with little space

6.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...nshallTM14.jpg

7.
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...nshallTM27.jpg

8. An 'oh crap' moment from a much shorter player
http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...nshallTM24.jpg

MORE from the girls game

DHMN69,

Yours is the second post that I have responded to this evening where after many views no replies had as yet been received. I think it's awful when somebody goes to the trouble of posting photos and doesn't receive a single reply! Ouch! I notice that both were posts of basketball images shot with flash. Maybe the folks here don't like basketball photos taken with flash. I have to confess that I am not a fan of flash for basketball shots, but if you don't have a higher end camera and/or fast lenses you may have to resort to flash in order to get any kind of decent results. A lot of school gyms are rightfully referred to as dungeons, and yours may be one of them!

It isn't easy to obtain good results with flash. Although these images have captured some good action they evidence some of the shortcomings that so often accompany flash photos, namely, shadows, uneven lighting, hot spots, and dark backgrounds. Perhaps somebody on this forum with experience in shooting basketball games with flash can offer some helpful advice on obtaining better results.

The copyright with oversize lettering positioned in the center of the photos is distracting. Perhaps it could be displayed in smaller text along an edge.

Bob

The problem with putting it on the edge is that it is easy to trim off.

With flash and a highly polished floor, there is a problem with reflection.
I see the same at motorshows where a polished surface throws bright and dark streaks where it is not exactly flat, I think I see that coming off the floor here in #3.
I found a 10" softbox on the front of the flash made it large enough to soften that effect, but the reduction in output may make that unusable here.

Even with the 7D there are gyms here were it pays off to use flash, and not spend all the extra time afterwards cleaning. I don't mind not getting replies so much.. I don't have nearly as much time as I used to, to even post that often. A couple gyms I've been lucky enough to bounce the flash off the ceiling, which has helped with the floors and shadows but these of course were direct flash on a tripod on a stage

Quote:

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http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Gal...lmBBallTM8.jpg

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Great shot! Well I thought NBA photography can only catch something like this.