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"Get Out of the Box"Workshop at the Ranch Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop
at the Ranch. The "box" of sports imagery is small when
you think about it. I know, I know, there are tons of sports pictures
all over the place, but it's the variety of pictures that is lacking.
There are so many techniques and industry innovations available
to the sports photographer yet we seldom try something new. Yes,
but my editor will fire me if I don't come back with a solid shot.
Yes, this is a concern. So should the sports photographer drift
along shooting status quo or break out of the sports picture box
and if you decide to break out how is that accomplished without
loosing your job. Let me say that stepping out of the box will
require some experimenting and failure before using a new technique
or new equipment on the job. Each of the examples this article
offers was first dealt with "off the job" before implemented
at a game for a client. I have spent many hours at games that
I was not assigned to. Little League games , Youth activities,
High School and Intramural sports events are wonderful venues
to learn something new before taking it to work. Always be prepared
to execute a new technique well prior to Sundays big game. You
may not be a master of the technique or new equipment but at least
you have experience and a good understanding of what to do to
make good pictures. Many new techniques can be "LOW PERCENTAGE"
shots compared to the status quo vertical picture of the quarterback
with a 400mm f2.8 lens and motor drive, but don't let the low
percentage of good images discourage you. Volume is not the goal
here .... UNIQUENESS is the goal. Something special and different,
eye catching and innovative ... that's what we are after. So,
get out of the box and get creative. Here are a few suggestions.
Well, go on ..................... Get out of
the box. There is a whole new world out there just beyond your
400mm f2.8 lens. Try something new at a game that does not count.
Be ready for many low percentage shots, but when you get one,
just ONE Great Picture it's a great day!
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Image
#1 The Slow Shutter
Pan ... The slow shutter speed pan is a good place to
begin stepping out of the box. It requires only the equipment
you already have, a camera and lens. Normally we think
of sports photography as requiring a fast shutter speed
of 1/500 or 1/1000. The slow shutter speed of 1/60, 1/30,
1/15 or even slower can create an effect of beautiful
motion and color when an athlete runs by. As the player
runs by me I Pan or follow as precisely as I can while
the shutter clicks away. Areas of the subject that are
hardly moving in the frame tend to be sharp while areas
of the subject that move quickly tend to have motion.
A football player's number, helmet and face mask tend
to move slower than his arms and legs. His helmet and
team insignia will hold some sharpness while his arms
and legs will have motion. The running back is an excellent
subject for a pan. The goal is to keep steady on the subject
and let the slow shutter speed do its job. The choice
of shutter speed depends on how fast the athlete is running.
High School athletes are slower than Professionals and
race horses are slower than race cars. Experimentation
will help you determine what shutter speed works for different
sports. I like to shoot slow with football players, 1/60
is common for most but I really slow it down to 1/30 or
even 1/15. This image was shot at 1/30. I made several
frames on several different plays. I accomplished one
strong image out about 20 frames. Low Percentage yes,
but the end result was a different picture. Remember,
something in the picture must be sharp in order to hold
the picture together for the viewer to settle their eye
on and thus be successful.
Image
#2 New Technology
... The industry is flooded with new technology of all
shapes and sizes. I have been quite successful using
the Nikon Coolpix 8800 consumer camera. I cover a golf
tournament using a variety of gear but the Coolpix with
it's silent shutter makes it possible to capture quality
images of the golfer at the top of their backswing.
Impossible to accomplish at at close range the top of
the backswing is seldom seen in golf photography. Simple
to execute but defiantly unique when published the backswing
picture of any golfer tends to find it's way into publication.
The Coolpix 8800 is also very stealth and unassuming
to the golfer and caddie because of it's lack of professional
size. This image of Tiger Woods was easily made with
the Coolpix while other photographers had to settle
for the traditional golf swing image of the club resting
on Tiger's shoulder. Remember, using a new camera takes
time to master so practice off the tee before heading
to the US Open. 
Image
#3 Off Camera Flash
... New Technology also comes into play with Off Camera
Flash. The use of off camera flash was mind boggling until
recently. Off camera flash units like the Nikon SB800 Speedlight
offers breakthrough technology with regards to portability,
TTL power exposures and the use of fast sync shutter speeds.
This skateboarder was doing his tricks at a typical skateboard
park with grey concrete, lamp posts and the ever present
parking lot. By underexposing the image and then powering
up my off camera SB800 Speedlight I was able to eliminate
all the "skateboard park clutter. Furthermore, by using
a cool White Balance of 3600K and then placing a warming
gel over the front of the SB800 I was able to create a very
stylized image with powerful color and drama. Remember,
off camera flash is not just for portraits any more. 
Image
#4 Take a chance ... The Lensbabie is a great tool. It will
take some time to master but is worth the money. Primarily
used on stationary subjects the Lensbabie has an extremely
narrow "Sweet Spot" of focus that when used effectively
can make a very interesting picture. So far, I have only
used the Lensbabie with some portraiture. I adjust the sweet
spot on my subjects eye and allow the soft blurred fall
off to occur over the remainder of the picture. I use the
f4 ring with my Lensbabie II. The lens coating are not the
same on a Lensbabie as on Nikon or Canon lenses so be aware
of the color shift that will occur and adjust your white
balance accordingly. Remember, this "drastic"
uniqueness will be useful and appreciated only if it is
used sparingly with your editor. If too many of your portraits
have this very stylized look it becomes ordinary in a hurry.
