NBA: 5 Shots

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NBA: 5 Shots

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #1 · NBA: 5 Shots

Last pre-season game. I think I made the cut so bring on the regular season

. The challenge will be to keep it fresh through a potential 40 games. Yikes. Here are 5 shots. I don't have the perspective needed to say with confidence they represent variety, but that's the idea. C&C welcome.

1.

Oct 26, 2012 at 11:06 PM

Eric Smith
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p.1 #2 · NBA: 5 Shots

Hey, Russ, the light in that place looks pretty good. Toyota Center here (Houston) is a round 1/1000 sec. @ 2.8, ISO 1600. I think your timing is off by a tad in #5 (would look better if the ball is up a bit more). and #3, the shot is cool, but the way you cropped it at the waists looks a little funky.

Have fun starting next week with the NBA!

Eric

Oct 26, 2012 at 11:18 PM

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #3 · NBA: 5 Shots

Thanks, Eric. Light isn't as good as it may look. With my 1DIV I'm shooting at ISO 4000, f/2.8, 1/800. Thanks for your feedback. For #3, here's the wide perspective on the same shot (originally posted a tight crop). .For #5, here's the shot before in the sequence. In both cases, I went back and forth over which I liked better.

3A.

5A.

Oct 26, 2012 at 11:27 PM

dj dunzie
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p.1 #4 · NBA: 5 Shots

Let's see Russ. C&C you ask for?

OK, and this is gonna be harsh...

I'd like to see more. More images, that is.

Oct 27, 2012 at 02:03 AM

Richard Rowe
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p.1 #5 · NBA: 5 Shots

Good stuff Russ. Man Kanter is a beast.

Oct 27, 2012 at 03:45 AM

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #6 · NBA: 5 Shots

dj: Pushy, pushy!

A few more coming your way... Thanks for the request.

Thanks, Richard. I'll be striving for the kind of stunning clarity you put out time after time. As for Kanter, that's exactly what I said in the photo room after the game last night. Absolute beast. 20 years old. Second year in the NBA. Lost 55 pounds in the off season. Obviously he's been working hard on his moves and his shot. There have been times when he has looked unstoppable. I'm looking forward to watching his progress.

6.

10.

Oct 27, 2012 at 04:44 AM

SpreadHDGFX
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p.1 #7 · NBA: 5 Shots

Russ, I've never done a basketball game. Closest that I have been is Hoops Madness on Thursday night. What size lens do you use for the stuff on your side of the court?

Oct 27, 2012 at 05:29 AM

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #8 · NBA: 5 Shots

I typically use a 70-200 f/2.8 lens for near-court, but for this game I shot mostly with a 24-70 since I could shoot from almost directly under the basket.

Oct 27, 2012 at 06:35 AM

Frank Lauri
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p.1 #9 · NBA: 5 Shots

Russ...another strong set here. Light isn't as good as it may look. I think I hear the possibilities of the 1DX on the horizon here...

When you mention the challenge to keep it fresh....I thought about it for a while and although I never shot NBA....I'm assuming you don't have the mobility where you could move around and shoot from various angles so I can see what you are saying here and how that could be a challenge. From last season's posts....I think you managed that quite well and looks like you are picking up where you left off.

I think I like #5 because there is a little more face where 5A is more mouth and nose.

#8 looks like he is headed for you lap...hope he missed.

I think I would have like 3A more as the wider view but the extra set of feet don't make it for me so I'll revert to the tighter crop.

And finally....nice touch with the "Navel" academy in the last shot.

Oct 27, 2012 at 01:47 PM

gschlact
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p.1 #10 · NBA: 5 Shots

Russ,
Truly one of the best series if basketball I have seen with the huge variety.
I really like your original version of 3, with its rim-lighting effect and dark background.
However, IMHO 5a is even better. It portrays pure adrenaline, and the minimal face in the shot better portrays the energy, power, and emotion of the score.

Btw- how much PP did you do in 5 for the superpower skin contrast? And, Were you controlling the ceiling strobes?

Having 2-3 extra stops of light in your pro arenas makes us middle and H.S. shooters wipe up the drool when ever reminded.

For us common is f2.8 1/320 and iso 3200-6400. In some of the newer high efficiency fluorescent lit gyms, we get one solid stop more.

Thanks again for sharing.

Guy

Oct 27, 2012 at 01:59 PM

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #11 · NBA: 5 Shots

Frank Lauri wrote:
Russ...another strong set here. Light isn't as good as it may look. I think I hear the possibilities of the 1DX on the horizon here...

Hey Frank, thanks for your feedback! Regarding your conclusion about the light: Argh!......Monday.

With a year under my belt in this arena and with the media and security folks, I think I will have the option to move around a bit. Even so, it seems that the possibilities are limited, and always I must keep in mind that I'm there for a purpose that has very little to do with maximizing creativity. A remote camera is another option, but for some reason I'm very hesitant to go there given the practical challenges associated with retrieving the cards and the extra work I would create for myself.

I agree with you about 5A, which is why I posted that shot initially. As for 3, although I went back and forth quite a bit, I never noticed that "extra set of feet." Right there to see, but it's funny how something like that can be missed. Thanks for a good call.

#8, yeah, headed for me. There were a few of those in this game, probably because I was right under the basket! In one instance, after a fairly blatant foul on a drive to the basket, both the shooter and the defender were headed toward me (which might have looked worse through the lens than it actually was). I did my best to make myself as small as possible and as each of them went by either side of me, I tipped over backwards in my L-shaped seat and spent a few seconds as a turtle on his back, trying without success to get myself back to a sitting position. Not my brightest moment

but even I had to laugh.

Why I keep shooting the dancers, I don't know. It's surprisingly difficult to get a worthwhile shot without moving from my spot, and with so much else going on, I'm not inclined to move. Glad you liked it.

Thanks again for your comments, Frank. Have a good one!

Oct 27, 2012 at 03:01 PM

Grantland
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p.1 #12 · NBA: 5 Shots

i'd say the last image you posted is the best

Oct 27, 2012 at 03:47 PM

don mash
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p.1 #13 · NBA: 5 Shots

Really nice.....so clean of the cheerleader, you can see her belly button ring hole.....

I read these boards to see shots like these that I aspire to get someday.

don

Oct 27, 2012 at 05:32 PM

Robert Way
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p.1 #14 · NBA: 5 Shots

I'm with Grant - number 10 for the win!

Oct 27, 2012 at 05:37 PM

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #15 · NBA: 5 Shots

gschlact wrote:
Russ,
Truly one of the best series if basketball I have seen with the huge variety.
I really like your original version of 3, with its rim-lighting effect and dark background.
However, IMHO 5a is even better. It portrays pure adrenaline, and the minimal face in the shot better portrays the energy, power, and emotion of the score.

Btw- how much PP did you do in 5 for the superpower skin contrast? And, Were you controlling the ceiling strobes?

Having 2-3 extra stops of light in your pro arenas makes us middle and H.S. shooters wipe up the drool when ever reminded.

For us common is f2.8 1/320 and iso 3200-6400. In some of the newer high efficiency fluorescent lit gyms, we get one solid stop more.

Thanks again for sharing.

Guy

Guy: Many thanks for your comments. I appreciate your perspective on the shots in question. With #5, not much PP, just some exposure/recovery/fill light tweaking in ACR. I do not control the ceiling strobes. As far as I know, there's only one shooter (NBA/Getty) who uses those. Some of the newspaper guys have said they have access to strobes in this arena, but they prefer the flexibility of shooting without them. Yeah, the light in this arena is better than what you are having to deal with, but it still poses challenges by changing often due to constantly changing advertisements that flash around the upper level. Plenty to work with though.

Oct 27, 2012 at 08:24 PM

Robert Way
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p.1 #16 · NBA: 5 Shots

I really like number 5. The players at the bottom of the frame provide some context and add to the story of this image.

I'm curious, do you find you are getting more keepers with the Mark IV as opposed to your previous camera body?

Bob

Oct 27, 2012 at 11:23 PM

mikepmcs
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p.1 #17 · NBA: 5 Shots

Fantastic! Don't think for a second about variety or not variety. I enjoy looking at every one of the photos whether it's a single player shot, cropped, reposted no crop, exif, the discussions that follow etc... It just doesn't matter because I find enjoyment in looking at every single photo. They are clean, fun, and with lots of pop. The fun part is what it's all about, after all.
This goes for all the photos I view from many of the members...Frank, Paul, Russ, DJ, Carl, the list goes on. Everything, and every photo, from everyone has relevance to me.
So, above all, THANKS!

Oct 28, 2012 at 12:41 AM

Marty Bingham
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p.1 #18 · NBA: 5 Shots

Good shootin' as always Russ but on top of that I admire the way you give detailed feedback to the feedback you receive.

Thanks,
Marty

Oct 29, 2012 at 11:14 AM

MakoShark
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p.1 #19 · NBA: 5 Shots

+1 on Marty's comments. Always grateful to hear the thoughts on how it all came about and the final image was decided.

That said 1, 4, and 8 are my favs.

Oct 29, 2012 at 01:34 PM

Russ Isabella
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p.1 #20 · NBA: 5 Shots

Bob: Thanks for your feedback. Good point about the context in #5. I still shoot with a 1DIIN beside my 1DIV and quite honestly, the IIN still does a great job where speed and autofocus are concerned. The great advantage of the IV is its bigger LCD screen, easier-to-use menus and much better high-ISO performance.

Mike: That's good to know. I'm glad you enjoyed the shots, and thanks for your comments.

Well thanks, Marty. I appreciate that.

I'm here for the conversation.

Mako: Also good to know. I figure we should talk at least as much about our thought processes as we talk about our gear.

Thanks.

Oct 29, 2012 at 10:28 PM

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