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Archive 2006 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

This is the one that drives me crazy. There are a couple of excellent photographers who do pro and college tournaments, but those games are usually played in elevated courts with glass on three sides, so you have a better chance getting faces. At the high school level, it's one wall of glass - the back one - with buttresses every two feet, players with their backs to you most of the time, and the glass is tinted - in our case slightly green. To make it yet more challenging, the players wipe the sweat off their hands on the glass giving it a "softfocus" effect, the ball is incredibly tiny and the glass reflects. Fish in an aquarium would be less frustrating.

After experimenting, I've found that an expodisc wb aimed at the court through the glass works best to compensate for the green cast of the glass. Saves hours in post.

I'm looking into mounting a remote camera up above the players, but there are technical and insurance details that haven't yet been worked out. Oh, and I can't even shoot kneeling, because there are lines etched in the glass that extend up from the floor a couple of feet.

I can now catch faces during backhands, and ball plus face during serves, but after awhile those shots all look alike to me. It's possible to get catch some interesting action without faces as they dive for shots. Face, ball, expression is rare. Anyone having luck with other angles?

Dec 28, 2006 at 04:17 PM

mealers
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Ive never tryed shooting squash but i did used to play it at a national standard. I was on TV a couple times but their (TV crew and photographers) solution was a perspex court so you can view from all four walls and the 'tv' ball which looked more like a golf ball but with 90 reflective mirrors in it.
I feel your frustration, squash must be one of the most un-photogenic sports around. Would be nioce to see some of your images and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Mike

Dec 28, 2006 at 05:56 PM

Mike Discenza
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

I shoot at a high school and our courts seem just as bad. The most sucess I have had is using a 20 f/2.8 up near the glass and getting the players going back.

most of the shots come out poorly and with my 20d the af cant keep up though the glass and low light when players come like a foot away from the glass. For the paper we have acess to the court level and this does end up being better than shooting from the walkway above the two rows... that yields results like the last photo I have posted.

everyone who shoots for the paper here finds squash very hard. I have moved past getting serves, but not much further. here are a few of my shots from the last match.

(af didnt keep up with this one)

This next one is from the walkway above i was talking about

so yes I am interested in hearing what other ppl have found successful (in a facility with limited viewing not to mention terrible lighting, these were all at 1600 or 3200 at f/2.8 to get like 1/320 of a sec shutter speeds)

Dec 28, 2006 at 06:27 PM

Carl Auer
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

I am not sure if mounting a camera in the court area would be the best idea, unless you have it securely mounted with a hockey goal cam box type covering on it. The best place I have ever seen to shoot a squash or racket ball game is where there is a door on the wall they are facing that has a little port hole. However, that is not always the design. Michael, if you have pocketwizards, you could go and talk to the owners or managers of the courts and ask them if you could temporarily replace that wall grate that I see in some of the pictures. Get some measurements, get some Plexiglas and fabricate something that would slide right in and prefocus the camera and shoot that way...

Dec 28, 2006 at 07:02 PM

LDRider
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

OK...I must be missing something and forgive me if I am; but wouldn't a polarizer take care of the reflections and custom WB take care of the tint?

Joe P

Dec 28, 2006 at 07:11 PM

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Joe, I can get rid of most of the tint with wb, though it tends to affect the range. But I but didn't consider using a polarizing filter. (Duh.) Usually the problem indoors is getting enough light, so the last thing I want to do is lose a stop or two. In this case though, it might be worth the trade off - these courts are well lit. I'll try it next week and see if helps get rid of that "glassy" look. Reflection is more of a problem on some courts and at certain angles. Usually, I try to maneuver myself to minimize it.

Michael, I've been shooting with a longer lens (lately the 85 1.8 because I like its speed) and trying to get more faces. But looking at your shots, particularly #2, makes me think that I try something wider again for variety.

Carl, I've seen some interesting pictures from overhead, A little would go a long way, but I hope to experiment with a camera in the rafters above the court. (Hence the insurance issue.) Our grates inside are unfortunately covered by self-promoting stickers, so I'm not sure whether they would accommodate a camera, or if I can get permission to remove one. Will have to try and catch the AD in a good mood. Since the team is now nationally ranked, I'm hoping he might consider it.

Will try to post a one. I'm not sure my posting subscription has kicked in yet.

Dec 28, 2006 at 08:26 PM

PShizzy
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

a polarizer will work on certain angles, so it MIGHT work on this, but honestly, reflections come from everywhere. This is why backboard remotes use cinefoil, not polarizers.

Another problem is that in lower light, polarizers can start affecting focus, by limiting the light that the AF sees.

And custom WB will help with the glass tint, but to what degree depends on the evenness of the tint, the angle at which you're shooting through the glass (tints can change depending on angle of reflection and refraction, shooting through glass in general is a PITA).

I don't believe good shots can't come out of this, but it certainly is made more difficult by the limitations of access.

Max

Dec 28, 2006 at 08:27 PM

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Posting still doesn't work. Meanwhile here's a link with a few shots. Click on the larger version for decent resolution.

http://www.potomacschool.org/gallery/index.asp?LinkID=1761&ClassID=&TeamID=&ModuleID=298

Dec 28, 2006 at 08:31 PM

LDRider
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

I see what you mean; quite a challenge. Any one of those shots, although technically well done, can be picked apart.
IMHO; I would use the 24-70 so you can go wide and maintain flexibility; stop it down to at least around f/8 or f/11 and evaluate. Boost the ISO to compensate. A polarizer for that lens might set you back a few $. Shoot at an angle of at least 45 degrees; that will help with the reflection too. Custom WB is a must in this situation. Go to the courts when no one is there and take notes. I don't envy your assignment.

)

Good luck

Joe P

Dec 28, 2006 at 09:02 PM

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Thanks, Joe. Last year I shot wider. As the season is just beginning I decided to try something different to try and get more faces - parent pleasers. But I will go back to a wider lens at least part of the time. Not sure f8, even at 3200 iso, is possible in this room, but will see what works next week.

If a polarizer will deal with some of the reflection, it will be worth the $$.

I've defaulted to shooting pretty much everything at an angle across court from one corner or the other. Because of the vertical buttresses interrupting the glass every foot and a half, it's the only spot from which I get a decent amount of the court in view. And you're absolutely right, the reflection is not as bad from there. Sometimes it's not visible, other times it's just a major aggravation.

Dec 29, 2006 at 05:47 PM

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Same court. Much more intense reflection.

Dec 29, 2006 at 05:52 PM

Insight
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Deborah,

I've been shooting squash for nearly 10 years.

I built a box that's 10x10 by 8 deep. I cut a square opening about 4x4 in the front. Actually that opening has a recess on the front. I mounted a piece of plate glass on the recess and used glue. The back is open. I drilled a slot (to be able to make adjustments) in the bottom, used a 1/4-20 bolt and mounted a small tripod head inside. My camera sits on the head and points out through the plate class.

I'm using D2X Nikons, so I use a 35mm lens which translates into approximately a 50mm lens.

I have 2 Pocket Wizards. One is in the box to fire the camera. I sit outside and use the other Wizard to fire the camera.

I prefocus the camera and set it on manual, so there is no autofocus operating. I find that most the squash courts I visit are ISO 1600 and 1/500th at f/2 or a little more stopped down. I use a meter to determine exposure.

I shoot RAW and can easily WB the files.

The box is painted just off white to look like the color of the front baseboard below the trim.

Vaughn

Dec 30, 2006 at 02:13 PM

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Thanks for responding! Your set-up sounds great. Where do you mount the box - inside the grating that's in the center of the front wall, just above the floor? Since you're not using autofocus, do you focus mid-court?

Important question: Has the glass on the front of your box ever taken a direct hit from the ball? Any "collateral damage"? (I know this question will come up.)

Your settings sound very close to what I'm working with. Ours may actually be a bit brighter, but shooting through the green glass has cut down on the available light.

Deb

Dec 30, 2006 at 05:59 PM

Insight
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

The box is not mounted. It sits on the floor below the red line (in front of the tin).

I do not put it in the center, but rather at a line that's marking the inside edge of the server's box. So I'm usually getting either forehands or backhands. I focus about 12 feet from the box. In pictures farther back, the players get too small and the variety of action is less. In between games I enter the court and switch sides to get both forehands and backhands. (I used to also have to change rolls of film then).

The box has taken any number of direct hits. The glass is plate glass so it doesn't break. Remember that's why there is a lip at the edge of the window. If the glass gets hit, the lip prevents to glass from being pushed into the box.

The glass has a slight tint and it does cut out perhaps 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop. Since I shoot RAW, I can easily WB the images.

Vaughn

Jan 02, 2007 at 10:11 AM

Deborah Kolt
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Does anyone here shoot squash?

Thanks for the details! I'm going to talk the coach and AD this week and see if they will give me an okay on setting up something similar.

Deb

Jan 02, 2007 at 09:34 PM


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