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Archive 2015 · First Time Strobing Basketball

  
 
wjfagan
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · First Time Strobing Basketball


Alright, be kind but honest... I thought it went well, being the first time I've ever used strobes to shoot basketball. I used two Yongnuo 560-IIIs mounted on either side of the basket, aimed toward the top of the key, zoomed to 50mm, each set to 1/4 power.They are mounted about as high as the top of the backboard. Give me some ideas on how I can improve (without buying more/more expensive equipment). Thanks for your help!



























Nov 13, 2015 at 12:22 AM
ronlane
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · First Time Strobing Basketball


I'm far from an expert but they look pretty good to me. I think that they may be a little hot, so I would be tempted to try 1/8th power.

My favorites of this set are #2 and #4.



Nov 13, 2015 at 08:33 AM
timgangloff
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · First Time Strobing Basketball


For your first time, I think you nailed it. Sure, you can make some minor improvements, but overall really nice job. One thing I don't like is the shadows you get from direct. Not sure about your situation, but if you can, you may want to experiment with bouncing the flash.


Nov 13, 2015 at 09:32 AM
gschlact
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · First Time Strobing Basketball


I think the color and sharpness look great. I agree with Tim, bouncing and a bit more power might reduction shadows.

Regarding your exposure, you got sharp shots, sharper than 1/250 would normally produce. Yet, the exposure seems like it would be less than 2 stops from non flash. Surprisingly, I don't see any ghosting. What I am not sure about is whether you had lots of slightly blurred images, or was this gym even more underlighted than most? If you had a bunch of blurred due to ghosting (flash exposure too close to ambient), try more flash power to freeze action.



Nov 13, 2015 at 10:01 AM
wjfagan
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · First Time Strobing Basketball


The lighting in the gym isn't horrible. They put in new LEDs last year, but they're not intense enough and they're too far away (ceiling is about four stories high). If this was just for parents/boosters, I could probably get away without strobes. But I started shooting for MaxPreps this year, and I can't get the quality they require without additional lighting.
I think I'm about three stops underexposed without the strobes. Maybe a little less.
I was surprised at how little ghosting I got. I tossed maybe 10 or 15 from the MP submissions for motion blur, but they still might pass for parent sales. I lost some faces because of motion when looking at 100% crop. Even the #2 pic above has a little ghosting. Overall, I lost maybe 10% to motion blur.



Nov 13, 2015 at 11:05 AM
gschlact
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · First Time Strobing Basketball


THanks for the info. Most folks say 2 stops under ambient is boarder line to prevent the ghosting. 3-4 being better.


Nov 13, 2015 at 01:36 PM
Yucca
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · First Time Strobing Basketball


Looks good but the shadows......

I have done a LOT of basketball photography with the flashes.
I have done it with manual and with TTL flashes and manuals are better for me. I use the flashes more for fill and for remove shadows. Here in Finland there are often real blond players in the photo with real african and I like to show both fases with expressions. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8Xb6OQDW-o4/VRKBI6WTRMI/AAAAAAAAH94/2IHwJfdxFK8/w507-h761-no/_00050.jpg
To do that the flash is needed. To remove shadows and for more wide light I use umbrellas for the women basketball. I try to use flashes in the way that in final photo you canīt see that the flashes are used. Time to time I raise the power of the flash to make it visible or just for fun. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hjlUXgZpJsU/VP0qND5LgbI/AAAAAAAAGr0/v92x5SAyO3c/w574-h380-no/_00013.jpg

I keep the flashes as up as possible to avoid to do harm for the players. For me the minimun is 15 feet from the floor.

Please keep us updated with your flash shooting in the basketball.



Nov 17, 2015 at 12:49 AM
Ralph Thompson
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · First Time Strobing Basketball


I wouldn't reduce flash power per say.... I think by looking at your settings, I'd drop the ISO down a tad if anything. When strobing basketball, you need at least 2 stops under exposed with your ambient otherwise risk ghosting. If you're a tad hot, drop the ISO. This would in effect reduce your flash power and maintain your -2 stop difference. I've strobed a lot of high school gyms here in Northern California. My starting settings are at ISO 800, sync speed @ f/4. For lights, I used to use 2 vivtar 285's on manual settings real similar to your's. Now I use lumedynes at 50 w/s.

For what it's worth, there are many folks on this forum that use some really high end gear for gym strobes. I think you nailed it on the cheap. Stick with what you have. I'd be interested in your recycle time. Normally speed lights are 1-2 seconds. Did you use any external battery packs?

Ralph



Nov 17, 2015 at 01:11 AM
wjfagan
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · First Time Strobing Basketball


Thanks, Ralph!
For this first go-around, I just used Energizers. I could get two pops at 1/4 power for most of the game before they'd recycle. Full recycle in about 1 second (I didn't really time it). By the end of the game (last 4:00 or so), I could only get one pop. Man, were those batteries hot. If this works out into some sales, I'll invest in some sort of battery packs or rechargeablea, at a minimum.
I have another game tonight, so I'm going to try to raise the lighting a bit and see if I can add a fill light in somewhere.



Nov 17, 2015 at 08:09 AM
Ralph Thompson
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · First Time Strobing Basketball


On my speed light set up I use eneloops in the flash itself, I have an external Photix battery on one and a canon battery pack (8 cell) on the other. Everything is rechargeable. On my vivitar set up, I made a DIY external battery that would shoot all day long (small motorcycle battery).


Nov 17, 2015 at 11:54 AM





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