Help Needed, Indoor Sports Photography

[heron88]

I'm always stationary, as far as running up and down the court goes. I'll usually stand on one end on both sides of the court and take offensive pics, and then switch ends and take a few defensive pics. For this particular game there wasnt much space behind/under the basket and I wouldve been in the refs way, so I had to take most pics from the courtside. Here are some sample pics of what mine are turning out like. (Sorry I didn't rotate them)

The clarity obviously is not even close to being there on the second two, the first ones not that bad but I guess he wasnt moving that much.

Setting up strobes and all that stuff really isnt an option for me as I am a one man crew and it would be too much of a hassle. A faster lens is probably my best bet.

 

[luminosity]

A good prime lens will do you a lot of good. My 50mm AF-D has worked well for me, along with my 80-200mm 2.8.

 

[pprior]

Setting up strobes and all that stuff really isnt an option for me as I am a one man crew and it would be too much of a hassle. A faster lens is probably my best bet.

Think about it - you're shooting 5.6 aperture which is DOG slow. Going to a 2.8 is 2 full stops, which will take you for example from 1/125 (too slow) to 1/500 (still slow, but getting there). If you get a prime at F2 that's another stop so now you're up to 1/1000 shutter speed.

the very first sign of a newb with a DSLR is trying to shoot indoor sports with a kit lens. I see it all the time shooting dance and gymnastics and then they wonder why the pictures look like crap.

2.8 aperture is the absolute minimum I would consider unless you're using strobes and it has to be CONSTANT aperture, not like the kit lens you're using where you only get that on the wide angle side.

The problem of course, is that fast glass is expensive. Welcome to my world I'm saving up for the 400/2.8IS for my soccer shooting - basketball is relatively inexpensive unless you have your eyes on the 200F2 - spectacular lens.

 

[compuwar]

Obviously you are talking about something you've never done. I've spoken to many professional sports photographers and they are not setting anything up on catwalks, strobbing or anything.

Really? How many is "many?" What sorts of sports? Who are they? Where do they shoot? Because pretty-much every indoor sports venue for college and professional sports in the US is strobed, and smarter high-school sports photographers either use portable flashes high in stands or strobes in the raters if they have the money. Now, technically, you're not going to find catwalks in most HS gyms, so it'd be rafters there- however you don't find many "professional sports photographers" who only shoot HS sports, and since I've seen accounts of Basketball, Volley Ball, Wrestling, Ice Hockey and Soccer being strobed.

Now granted, if you're "many professional sports photographers" are stringers, they won't get the strobes because there'll be an official professional sports photographer who gets that honor- but even with good TV lighting, you'll see strobes in NBA arenas.

Try walking into a high school and setting up strobes in the corners of gym, that will not play well.

It seems to play ok in several venues, many folks swear by the "strobist" method of putting a light stand high in a corner pointed at a wall...

http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/82
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/04/on-assignment-prep-basketball.html
http://samadamsphoto.blogspot.com/2008/01/basketball-strobist-way.html
http://www.prophotohome.com/forum/l...-overhead-strobes-high-school-gym-advice.html
http://166.70.44.68/blogs/trent/2006/12/more-arena-strobe-stuff/
http://markhancock.blogspot.com/2005/03/behold-beast.html
...

Your suggestions are good, not practical.

Coachingguy

What exactly do you think is impractical about mounting 2-4 small flashes high in the stands or putting a couple of strobess in the rafters with Pocket Wizards? Pros tend to have pro gear. It's obvious that if you do it right, the players don't even notice (or SI wouldn't get away with it for pro-level sports.)

If I had to shoot in a High School gym, I'd sure as heck be bringing a set of strobes to the party. If I were getting *paid* to get the shots, not lighting the venue would be stupid.

 

[heron88]

Haha if I were getting paid, not only would I strobe the place but I would have a much better lens as well. Shoot, I'm not even getting credit in school for this.

 

[James L]

Haha if I were getting paid, not only would I strobe the place but I would have a much better lens as well. Shoot, I'm not even getting credit in school for this.

You will find a way that works for you, no worries there. This thread got a little side tracked. The reality is that most pro indoor sports shooters DO strobe...end of story.

As to your own needs, you have the option of strobes, fast glass, or both.

Sometimes people avoid using flashes because they think it is too much hassle, or too expensive. Then they go out and spend an insane amount of money on fast glass.

To strobe a high school or college gym, you would need to buy:

A couple of used flashes on eBay (about $80 each).

A couple of mounting stands or clamps (around $50 - $100 in total).

A few wireless triggers ($100 - $550 depending on what you go with).

So, for between $300 and $800 or so you can easily light a basketball game. It's not cost prohibitive, it's not difficult, and you get GREAT results. The pros do it all the time.

Having said that, I love fast glass, and that is always a great investment too!

Good luck!

 

[pprior]

Having never strobed an indoor event, I wonder how often the equipment (especially PW or small strobes) "walk" away. I would be concerned about leaving expensive equipment in the grasp of others and most small gyms that's the way it will be.

 

[raxafarian]

without flash

I haven't taken too many photos inside gyms but the last time I did the lighting was horrible. I used an 80-200 2.8 and still had to go to ISO 3200 to get a shutter speed of 1/250. If you are not using flash even a 2.8 lens can be marginal. If you are on the floor and closer then I'd say get a 1.8 or faster lens.


The below was with the 2.8 at iso 3200.

 

[compuwar]

Having never strobed an indoor event, I wonder how often the equipment (especially PW or small strobes) "walk" away. I would be concerned about leaving expensive equipment in the grasp of others and most small gyms that's the way it will be.

It's not a frequent topic on any sports forum I found- but ultimately that's what insurance is for. My insurance covers ~$25,000 of unscheduled gear, a buttload of liability for anywhere I shoot, rental gear and costs a whopping $500/yr. Given all the potential witnesses in a gym, as well as the fact that you can find about half the crowd pretty easily, I expect that with liberal use of duct tape it's not that big a deal.

 

[ups757pf]

OP- The easiest solution is to have fast glass whether you own or borrow it.
Before you even think about mounting strobes in a gym or arena you'll need to get an approval from your school administration, it could get real ugly if the equipment falls over and injures someone.

 

[James L]

Not a lot of risk of injury from small strobes, but I agree with getting venue permission.

Everyone interested in strobing indoor sports events should read this:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-assignment-speedlighting-college-gym.html

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/03/q-speedlighting-gym.html