[sawdust]

Got asked to shoot a Kickboxing contest next week .I have never done anything on a profesional level before. Don't know how to charge i think it will be left to me to market and distribute the photos then give the premoters a cut. Not sure what lens to use i hope I will be close to the ring with full access so maybe my 18-55mm with a Sigma Flash [I will have to buy this ) on my nikon D50. Has any one done any ring work or close up sport work.

[fionaB]

hm dont know about the flash ..... cant comment about the rest as I have a bridge but i do know when i was at one of my sons Tae Kwon Do tournaments they didint allow the flash while the fights were going on........

Fi

[Whipspeed]

If you're close to the ring, your 18-55 may be ok, but something a bit longer as a second lens with a wide apeture and IS would help (around 70-200) as indoor light is never brilliant for sports. I know from the velodrome that I had to use flash most of the time, apart from when all the pro togs were on the finish line flashing away, then it was so bright I didn't use mine. But ask the organisers whether flash can be used. See if you can go to a practice session in the week, just to get your eye in & work out exactly what you need.
Good luck.

[VikingPhotography]

In a pro tournament you can almost be sure that flash won't be allowed - particularly if you're ringside. A flashgun going off close to the action at the wrong time can be a major distraction for the combatants. In these cases make sure that you completely disable the D50's pop-up flash from firing.

Don't assume that you will be directly ringside - plan for being a bit farther out. I'd definitely have an f/2.8 capable telezoom for this one, since you'll be wanting to freeze the action at shutter speeds of around 1/400 sec. This will mean shooting wide open at higher ISO's such as 800 - 1600.


If you don't have one, either borrow one rent one from here

Shoot in manual mode and have the shutter speed fixed at 1/400 sec. If possible shoot in RAW mode, ensuring that you have several SD cards that can be changed out between rounds - this will allow you latitude to correct for slight under/over exposure that may occur during the thick of the action.

Since you're going to be shooting with a D50, anticipating the action will be the key element here. The shutter lag and burst frame rate of the D50 precludes "machine-gunning" it, so you'll have to read the fight and be prepared for the blows to land.

If you can get access in advance to the venue then use it to scout out shooting postions, assess the light and plan for where you can shoot from.

As for what to charge - well, that depends on whom is buying! If you can give me more info on that count I can advise accordingly.

[silver]

as said if you can get along to the venue before the event and find out where you will be allowed to position yourself,.

the d50 is really good in low light,. if budget is limited you might want to consider a 50mm 1.8 if that will get you close enough,. otherwise perhaps an 85 1.8 - though as usual their 1.4 counterparts will also be nice..

Sil

[Whipspeed]

If you want to know what to charge, look around the sites of other people that cover this type of event, see what they charge and then work out your print costs & what sort of profit you want.

[fujitsu1522]

I did a shoot, I believe it was the first time In the uk, kickbocking, If i remeber correct, It was a master sken, Manchester, them guys are so quick, he did a demonstration, four corners of ring, the lads held swords with apples on top of sword, and the master spun around taking all apples, "did I capture the precise moment?," No..he was to fast, I did not do it in a proffesional manner, it was family who was fighting, so if you have not been commisioned for the fight, just enjoy yourself at the event, if you act proffesional and go ringside, ask is always the best bet, tell them its for your sons album, flash, could e distracting, but ask again, or up your speed, theres usually quite a lot of light above the ring, if i remember I had a 50mm 1.4. and the camera body was a nikormat el...old camera, but I got some good results, where the fight was concerned, rather than spend money on flash, which i guess might not be used, i would go for a faster lens, I have a similar problem coming up, all down to speed of lens, which with kit lens, its just not good enough, I myself need faster lens, and if anyone can point us towards sellers here in uk, maybe secondhand bargains might be out there...good luck, and as I say if you have not been hired for the day, as it sounds as if you have not, they would have told you about if you can use flash in there request....good luck have a great day....

[Whipspeed]

If you wan't a good price on a lens, have a look at Kerso on ebay, Ian Kerr. I bought my 70-200 from him. Although I did have a problem with mine & it had to be returned to Canon for a new IS system and the focus needed recalibrating, which I think was possibly due to the postal service. They do come to him via the US, but the lenses have an international warranty & he gives a UK receipt & Canon were fine with that.

[sawdust]

Thanks all for the great input can get hold of a quick lens from a mate. I'm meeting with one of the premoters in the next day or so and I understand I will be the official photographer with the chance of further work. I will have access back stage and ring side. Im a brown belt myself and may have been fighting myself but for injury (thank goodness) so will appreciate some of the styles on show. I should still need the flash for prefight and post fight shots. once again many thanks will pass out Rep Points soon as poss.

[pinemom]

I don't know what it is like in the UK but here in Manitoba Canada the fights (usually have my friend Larry Sharpe boxing who used to be a kickboxer) the ring is fairly well lit, and you are close to the ring you should be ok with no flash. I had some good pics from my 35mm pentax with no flash(can't show them to you they unfortunately met my two year old son and died a very painful death oh well) good luck with the fights!!!

[sawdust]

Update Got the gig access all areas including changing rooms ringside free hand to what I take including warmups charging is up to me and I get to keep it all.

[VikingPhotography]

If you're going to use flash for pre and post fight shots of the combatants, I'd strongly suggest that you go for an SB-600 instead of a Sigma flash unit; your D50 can wirelessly controll the 600 off-camera for much better (and dramatic) portrait lighting.

Acclaimed wedding photographer Uzair "Oz" Kharawala has made a DVD eBook on how to use wireless flash lighting - "Oz" regularly does seminars and training days, sponsored and paid for via Nikon UK, on how to use their CLS system. These seminars aren't cheap to attend so the DVD is a steal at just £20 plus £1.50 for P&P.

If you head over to SF Digital Photography and click on the INFO option, you'll see links to order the DVD and future locations of training sessions he's holding... if you can make it to one of these in person I'd strongly recommend it

[silver]

the d50 has no CLS commander mode,. you can use the sb800 in SU4 mode with the built-in flash I guess but that's not giving you the coolness factor of CLS

Sil

edit,. I would also suggest an sb600 / sb800 - the iTTL metering and CLS is v cool and you can use it on camera or off camera with a nikon flash cord or use the sb800 as a master for other CLS flashes

[VikingPhotography]

Whoops, Sil - you're right; I was thinking of the D70