Football Photography - Managing Multiple Bodies

[Rbk428]

Thank you!!!! Great, great advice!!!

[4Alpha7Kilo]

Hey there Scott, Great info and great vid. I had a quick question, is that the 1dII as your backup? And also, have you ever shot on a IIN and notice any differences when it comes to the AF?

[sds4kst8]

@4Alpha7Kilo - thanks for the kind words about the videos. I have both the 1d Mk2n and Mk2 bodies and, frankly, don't notice any difference whatsoever in the AF speed between the two. They're great bodies (still) and can be found rather inexpensively now days.

[TiltShiftOrchestra66]

Hey Scott,

Thank you for sharing this information so openly. I certainly appreciate it since I just picked up a 300 2.8 and found it a bit unwieldy while also carrying my 70-200.

[sds4kst8]

@TiltShiftOrchestra66 - You're very welcome. Good luck!

[mikewinburn]

scott,

been looking into monopods lately... haven't seen much discussion about the good and bad; saw a few with leg stands and a few without - for you, whats the most important qualities in a good monopod (head/ extension/materials/grip/etc..­.)

thanks

[McLaranium]

PRE-focus. That's the key :D

[sds4kst8]

@McLaranium - I am assuming you mean to pre-focus in a particular area, just so the lens doesn't have as far to catch up when the action comes that way? That's good to do, but one is still going to have to focus through the action to get sharp images. Just wanted to be clear on that. :D

[McLaranium]

@sds4kst8 "[...] but one is still going to have to focus through the action to get sharp images" exactly, yes, so good add-on by you !. . also a little help could be your own knowledge about the game, you know what kind of action you can expect in free kick or in the red zone, so as you said in your other videos, the position you have in the outsied (bands otr behinds... ) also helps to know your enviroment to shot :) I insist: so constructive and nice lessons. Thank you again !

[NSTrainFan]

I shot a high school football game for the first time today, and I wish I would have had some knee pads. Fantastic idea with that.

[paul3263]

I'm telling you get the Black Rapid R-strap. You never look back

[sds4kst8]

@paul3263 I haven't used the BR strap, but many people seem to like it. I have seen other photographers use it and, frankly, I haven't been too thrilled with the way it flops around their waist. And I've yet to see someone use it with a Think Tank belt/harness system. If someone wants to send me one, I'll give it a good, honest workout and post a video on my thoughts. :D I do think I'll try the Cotton Carrier this fall, though.

[AkiraMusic]

@paul3263 For sure. I love my R-strap. I'm not convinced their double strap is the best carry system. but the RS-7 is an invaluable piece of gear to me.

[Kasparovia]

Nice video, really good information. Keep it up.

[ihateyaacov]

canon vs nikon for sports photos??

[sds4kst8]

@ihateyaacov Yes, Canon or Nikon for sports photography. :D

Honestly, it's not about the gear. It's about what the photographer DOES with the gear.

[Jigsaw3477]

@sds4kst8 yep.

Heck I shot NCAA Lacrosse in Baltimore and did it with Olympus. Not as fast as some with frames per second, but it got the job done.

[dportass]

Hi Scott, thanks for the vids on football photography, its helped inspire me to start shooting football (soccer) here in the uk (i even got the lens changer 75 pro from thinktank as you recommended when i only had one body.

Quick question, how do you manage the files produced by using two bodies? I've tried to use different software to rename all the shots from two cameras based on the date stamp which works fine until i get burst shots with the same time stamp can end up out of sequence.

[sds4kst8]

@dportass The two bodies I currently use have different file name prefixes. In fact, the Mk2n body allows me to set my own prefix, while the Mk2 prefix is set. I would guess this will depend on what kind of body you have and what the prefixes of filenames are. You could always use a program like Photo Mechanic to change filenames when you ingest images. If you're doing any type of PJ work I would highly recommend Photo Mechanic, anyway.

[Tykell]

Hey Scott, Glad to finally see a video out there addressing this. It seems like something that comes naturally to alot of sports vets but new guys like me can't figure out how it's done.

In regards to your technique, you don't worry about the monopod losing it's grip on the ground and toppling over your arm? That's a lot of weight to keep wrapped around your arm.

Also, how would you recommend handling a similar set up sitting down on a stool on the sidelines of a tennis match or baseball game?

[sds4kst8]

Thanks for the kind words about the vids. Glad you like them.

I've not had a problem with the 'pod getting out of control. My arm is wrapped around it and I can stand up and the lens will just hang off my shoulder. As long as my arm is around the 'pod it really isn't going anywhere.

I think sitting on a stool would make the technique a little easier. Give it a try and see what works for you.

Good luck.

[rustynasty143]

Yeah thats true indeed, i tried TC with the 70-200 and you can see the difference with the quality but i think not that much, still usable.

[rustynasty143]

I use a canon 1.4x TC on my 300mm and it doesn't degrade the quality of the picture what so ever. Some people said it does but if ever if its true in real shooting situation you cant tell if i shoot with TC on or not in the final picture. Have a gooday everyone.

[sds4kst8]

Good point. However, jacobovs asked about using the 1.4x TC on a 70-200, which in my experience yeilds very different results than using one on a 300 or 400.

[PartTimePhotography]

Good stuff - I'll pass this along to all my newsletter subscribers.

[jacobovs]

I use a Nikon 70 - 200 f2.8 with a 1.7 tc. I noticed that the pics seem very soft with the TC ( ie, like a silk screen) have you noticed this?

[sds4kst8]

Yep. I rarely use a 1.4x TC with a 70-200 because of the image softness. I don't often use it with the 400/f2.8, either.

[AllAmericanGuy01]

Thanks alot for the videos!

I'm trying to get into sports photography after getting bored of scenic and portrait.

What type of lens are you using? Because I've looked every for a nikon lens that has a zoom like that but I can't find it.

Thanks, again!

[sds4kst8]

Glad you like the videos.

In these videos, I have a 400/f2.8 on one body and a 70-200/f2.8 on the second body. Those are what I shoot most field sports with.

Hope that helps.

Scott

[AllAmericanGuy01]

Thank you!

[jacobovs]

Thanks for the videos, very helpfull. What's your strategy for capturing faces. In full on sun , I find it very difficult. I get mostly shadows.

[sds4kst8]

The key is to bump up your exposure until you can see the faces. This will most often blow out whites of uniforms, but I find the clients usually prefer faces that are exposed properly over nicely exposed uniforms! :)

Good luck and thanks for the kind words about the videos.

[jacobovs]

Thanks, is there any role for a flash to fill in the underexposed faces?

[sds4kst8]

Not for football in daylight. Only time I would recommend using flash for football is at youth or high school fields where the lighting is so bad you have no other option. I would not recommend using flash as fill for daylight football.

That whole "blowing out the whites" issue is something that some people seem to have a tough time getting past, especially if they're not shooting sports on a regular basis. Honestly, it's just part of being a sports shooter.

[jacobovs]

Thank you very much. You have been very helpfull. Also , thanks for being patient, I have not been doing this for long.

[FischerPhotography]

Do you find yourself cropping a lot of your photos shot with the 400?

[sds4kst8]

Totally depends on the shot. But generally I try to avoid having to crop much. Best to get it right in the camera first. :)

Good luck.

[mikejames93]

Do you shoot any other sports?

or just football?

[sds4kst8]

Yes, I shoot just about any sport you can think of. Probably easier to think of sports I have NOT photographed...ping poing and badminton come to mind. :)

[sds4kst8]

Thanks.

I just use a Flip Video for these. At this time I really would rather not mess with a bunch of A/V gear. :)

[randyp1234567]

you should get a mic sock though

[randyp1234567]

cool thank you