[The Edge]

A mate asked me to cover their cup game to get some shots for their website. The weather was a bit poor, but i think i got some decent ones considering.











His is the team in blue!

I was using my 70-200 f4L, the first time i've used it for this kind of work.

Comments and critique welcome

[RobertP]

I shot some local cricket with that lens so i know you have done well

It is a bit short for sports.

You have got some good action but no faces in some. Where you can see expressions they seem much stronger shots to me. I know it is normal to increase the saturation on sports shots (well it seems like it to me) but you may have overdone it a touch in some.

[The Edge]

The saturation in some is a little "odd", the ones i was thinking of being especially the last three.

The lighting changed and i was using custom white balance, something i've not tried outdoors before. I did reset it, but i either got it wrong, set the camera to the wrong photo or the lighting changed again.

When/if i shoot here again i may try RAW if it's an awkward day.

[Gandhi]

Tricky subject to get right, have you done much of this type of stuff before?

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by gandhi

Tricky subject to get right, have you done much of this type of stuff before?

Not much no.

It's a fine line between action and facial expression. Not helped by a freezing cold dull day I was using ISO 800 but still suffered shake on quite a few more due to cold than anything else!

[Steve]

I think with regard to saturation, if you are shooting in Jpeg then you should back down your in camera saturation slightly as it is overpowering in your reds. That is unless it has been increased during post processing? Also you could have gained another stop or two's worth of shutter speed by shooting in raw and underexposing. Then during post-processing you could recover the shots. That may have helped a little more.

[Gandhi]

My experience of shooting stuff like this is limited, to say the least, so I don't have a lot offer in the way of advice alas. I think shooting in RAW is the way forward though, a lesson you've obviously learned from your issues with the white balance/saturation issues. Were you using a tripod? I think this may have helped significantly with the shake issue if you weren't. You obviously wouldn't be able to lock it off but the extra support may've helped to get the shots pin-sharp and given you another stop or two shutter speed.

[Arkady]

Good sports photography is notoriously difficult and is one aspect that I fear I'll never master. Give me a good war any day as I'm a total Sports-Biff.
That said, these look like typical 'Sunday in the park' shots to me with nothing about the dynamics to recommend them. Number #3 is the best but is let down by a slight wobble - faster shutter speeds are an absolute must for this kind of job.
Exposures look good and the sharpness and colour also look good - colours like these tend to look brighter on dull days for some reason.
Try shooting from a kneeling or sitting position and wait til the players are facing you.
I know this isn't the critique forum, but even so...

[Dave]

If you are only shooting to share on the web, then you can get away with less of a zoom (thus aiding stability & thus sharper photos) & then just crop to the action point. I managed to get some decent shots once (now lost ) from a rugby match with only the kit 18-55mm lens I had on the 300D at the time...albeit when they were closer to my touchline

For your shots I think a couple with tighter crops would work better (IMHO). eg:-





If you look at any football photo's in the papers then it's usually only 1 or 2 people in the shot & very tight crop (but then again they have huge lenses ). Wider shots work when you can see a reaction in the crowd....if there is one

You could also look to place yourself at the end of the pitch, as that's the way the opposition will be facing , so you can get the face shots others talked about....plus hopefully you'll capture that overhead scissor kick that scores the ultimate goal

Good shots by the way for 1st time

[The Edge]

Thanks for the tips people

I'm going to try this again on sunday of it's a decent day i think.