argonphoto wrote:
Is shooting through chain link basically a non-issue if you’re close enough?
IMHO, you can get pretty clean photos as long as you are right up against the fence OR far away (then it's difficult for auto focus for some camera bodies) . The type of fence (netting or chain link) makes a difference along with the weather. Bright, sunny days give more reflection on a chain link fence. It's also important to have your lens oriented in the middle of an opening for chain link fences. With netting, it's best if you can push against it (although that makes your camera more vulnerable to damage from a ball). Shooting at f2.8 or your biggest aperture make a positive difference, too.
In July, I was shooting my grandson's baseball game and my 10-year-old granddaughter helped out shooting. I gave her an R5 + RF 70-200 f2.8. I was shooting at the low fence past 3rd base and she wanted to shoot batters from the 1st base side of home plate. At one point, I looked over to see her a few feet from the fence (guess I hadn't explained well enough!). Below are a few of her shots to demonstrate issues with being away from the fence even if you are focused. Both shots are SOOC.
When standing away from the fence, as long as your lens is perpendicular, you might get some ok shots of what's in front of you (#1). However, as the angle becomes more acute or obtuse (depending on your perspective), you'll definitely run into issues that make the photo absolutely unusable (#2).
Best way for me is to have the lens cover touching or almost touching the fence and shooting with the lens perpendicular to the fence. As mentioned, orient the lens to the middle of an opening for chain link fence. Even at a slight angle, I can usually get photos that don't show much of an effect from the fence.
In terms of post-processing, I've found that LRC dehaze helps reduce some of the artifacts from shooting through a fence. On a few photos that I really wanted to salvage, I've also used the radial gradient mask and shaped it to cover the reflective area from the fence and then dehazed a bit or tried other adjustments to the lighting.
Those are some ideas of mine - I'm sure some others with more experience could chime in here.
argonphoto wrote:
Is shooting through chain link basically a non-issue if you’re close enough?
IMHO, you can get pretty clean photos as long as you are right up against the fence OR far away (then it's difficult for auto focus for some camera bodies) . The type of fence (netting or chain link) makes a difference along with the weather. Bright, sunny days give more reflection on a chain link fence. It's also important to have your lens oriented in the middle of an opening for chain link fences. With netting, it's best if you can push against it (although that makes your camera more vulnerable to damage from a ball). Shooting at f2.8 or your biggest aperture make a positive difference, too.
In July, I was shooting my grandson's baseball game and my 10-year-old granddaughter helped out shooting. I gave her an R5 + RF 70-200 f2.8. I was shooting at the low fence past 3rd base and she wanted to shoot batters from the 1st base side of home plate. At one point, I looked over to see her a few feet from the fence (guess I hadn't explained well enough!). Below are a few of her shots to demonstrate issues with being away from the fence even if you are focused. Both shots are SOOC.
When standing away from the fence, as long as your lens is perpendicular, you might get some ok shots of what's in front of you (#1). However, as the angle becomes more acute or obtuse (depending on your perspective), you'll definitely run into issues that make the photo absolutely unusable (#2).
Best way for me is to have the lens cover touching or almost touching the fence and shooting with the lens perpendicular to the fence. As mentioned, orient the lens to the middle of an opening for chain link fence. Even at a slight angle, I can usually get photos that don't show much of an effect from the fence.
In terms of post-processing, I've found that LRC dehaze helps reduce some of the artifacts from shooting through a fence. On a few photos that I really wanted to salvage, I've also used the radial gradient mask and shaped it to cover the reflective area from the fence and then dehazed a bit or tried other adjustments to the lighting.
Those are some ideas of mine - I'm sure some others with more experience could chime in here.
Sep 05, 2025 at 08:04 AM
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