Correctable Error

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by CoachP

What was the problem there? All sports photos need flash indoors.

Not true...there are a few indoor sports where flash is strictly prohibited (e.g. gymnastics). For others, you're too far for flash to be of much use. (For compact cameras...maybe 15 feet. For DSLR's with external strobes, maybe 50 ft.). If it was a fan, chances are the flash was on a compact camera and completely useless.

Also, flash often imparts a very flat and harsh look to photos. For subjects in the photo at different distances, it lights them up completely differently...one too bright, the other too dark.

To get a fast enough shutter to freeze the action with available light, it helps to have a modern DSLR that can do high ISO without encountering too much noise and also have a fast (large aperture) lens.

Some examples of what can be done without flash...

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3/example-images.htm

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcbo..._id=18225&page=

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=26548248

[CoachP]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Not true...there are a few indoor sports where flash is strictly prohibited (e.g. gymnastics). For others, you're too far for flash to be of much use. (For compact cameras...maybe 15 feet. For DSLR's with external strobes, maybe 50 ft.). If it was a fan, chances are the flash was on a compact camera and completely useless.

Also, flash often imparts a very flat and harsh look to photos. For subjects in the photo at different distances, it lights them up completely differently...one too bright, the other too dark.

To get a fast enough shutter to freeze the action with available light, it helps to have a modern DSLR that can do high ISO without encountering too much noise and also have a fast (large aperture) lens.

Some examples of what can be done without flash...

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3/example-images.htm

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcbo..._id=18225&page=

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=26548248

Thanks for the lesson.....but, my degree is in Portrait/Commercial Photography. And I'll change my comment just for you.

"Most" sports photos by mortals need flash indoors.

The OP, I'm sure isn't a SI photog with unlimited resources.

The hockey shot, while nice, is done with a $5k camera and a $2K lens in a controlled "studio" setting. Meaning lights, actors, cameras and I'm sure, hundreds of takes. And let's not forget the $9k F2.8 300 mm lenses for the football games.

So are todays cameras capable? Yes. Is the average person (or even an above average) in the stands with a flash at a HS/MS game holding $7k worth of equipment in his/her hands? Doubt it.

When I shoot a game, I want as much pure light as possible. Every gym is different (mercury, sodium vapor, flourescent, etc.) so I "bounce" a white lightning off the ceilings. No harsh light, no flat flash effect, the whole gym is lit, no funny colors that I have to sit and photoshop all night long and the color is rich.....and NO ONE is even aware a flash is going off..

Just to clarify...

In the OP, the basket scored by Team B will still count, correct?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Raida357

Just to clarify...

In the OP, the basket scored by Team B will still count, correct?

Yes.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by CoachP

Thanks for the lesson.....but, my degree is in Portrait/Commercial Photography. And I'll change my comment just for you.

"Most" sports photos by mortals need flash indoors.

And "most" will have a compact camera and be too far from the action for the flash to matter. So, while they may need a flash, the flash they have is not effective.

Originally Posted by CoachP

The OP, I'm sure isn't a SI photog with unlimited resources.

The hockey shot, while nice, is done with a $5k camera and a $2K lens in a controlled "studio" setting. Meaning lights, actors, cameras and I'm sure, hundreds of takes. And let's not forget the $9k F2.8 300 mm lenses for the football games.

All true, but some of the ones I referenced were not with a $5k camera but with a camera around $1.8k...still expensive but not as bad. I've seen several shots with <$1k cameras with no flash that are still quite respectable. For examle, you could get a Nikon D40x with a 50mm f1.4 and get some pretty good shots...all for about $700-800 (I'm sure Canon has comparable too).

Originally Posted by CoachP

So are todays cameras capable? Yes. Is the average person (or even an above average) in the stands with a flash at a HS/MS game holding $7k worth of equipment in his/her hands? Doubt it.

And the one they have has such a weak flash it doesn't even add any light to that subject 25-40 feet away.

Originally Posted by CoachP

When I shoot a game, I want as much pure light as possible. Every gym is different (mercury, sodium vapor, flourescent, etc.) so I "bounce" a white lightning off the ceilings. No harsh light, no flat flash effect, the whole gym is lit, no funny colors that I have to sit and photoshop all night long and the color is rich.....and NO ONE is even aware a flash is going off..

Agree, but that is probably a studio type strobe (I've got a pair of Alien Bees) that, while it is not horribly expensive, how to use them is beyond the knowledge of most users.

I've got just a few of my shots posted on smugmug if anyone cares to see some of them... http://cbrust.smugmug.com/. Most of my shots there, however, are in private (hidden) gallerys since I photograph a lot of pre-teen sports and I only allow the parents of the teams access....not wanting to post pictures of their kids to the public.

[ref2coach]

Camron, You have a very good eye. Thanks for posting the link.