Hopefully everyone is not completely bored with basketball posts yet. I've got basketball 4 nights this week, so plenty of time and chances to make some nice images and play with the strobes some more. Here are some from tonight's action. Hope you like 'em.
Tim, I am loving your strobed shots bro! # 6 is jumping off the screen !! Very nice, Keep 'em coming because I won't grow tired of looking at galleries this good anytime soon.
Tim,
Excellent shots! My goal is to be able to shoot basketball shots that look this good! I would be interested in hearing about your setup; camera, lens, strobes used and their locations, etc...
I have been trying to shoot HS sports for the last 2-3 years, and I have gotten some decent shots, even done some posters for players and parents, but I haven't gotten any shots that look as clear, sharp, and well-lit as your work. I would love to learn something(s) from you!
I shoot a Nikon D7000, and have a 85mm F1.4, a 17-55 F2.8, and a 20-200 F2.8 (all Nikons) for indoor shoots. I have an SB-700 flash, but have not used it for indoor sports, fearing it may distract the players, or tick-off the coaches. Do you ever have these issues with your stobes? I would like to learn more about them!
Thank you for any information you are willing to share, and keep posting the awesome photos!
Kelly, generally, I am shooting with my Canon 1d4, 70-200 2.8 is II and a 580exII on the camera, bounced off the ceiling. I have a pair of Alien Bee 800s mounted high and sometimes shot direct and sometimes a mix of direct and bounced. In this set, they were spaced about 15 feet apart in the balcony level of the gym near the corner and directed towards the basket area and top of the key. I was probably at 1/300, 4.5 to 5 and ISO 250 to 400. I have had two instances of where someone complained about the strobes.
Most recently, it was the refs. A major school photography company was also shooting the game and their photographer had his camera on a monopod and a flash on camera aimed directly at the players and was generally shooting into their faces. The refs asked that all people shooting from the floor not use flash. I think I was just collateral damage. The AD, who lets me strobe all of the games, told me about the refs request and I obliged and turned off my strobes. The other time a person at the scorers table at a different school said the flashes were bothering them and the AD asked me to turn them off. Again, no biggie. Turned them off. Other than that, I've strobed lots and lots of games and not had any other issues.
However, before venturing down the strobe path, I spent quite a bit of time shooting basketball and learning how to make good images with ambient light before tackling the additional challenges of strobing.
Post some shots and you can learn a lot from the shooters who frequent the forum.
