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"Get Out of the Box"

Workshop at the Ranch
September, 2007 Edition

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.

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.

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!

See you next time on Workshop at the Ranch .................................... Adios. Dave

WORKSHOPS and PRESENTATION Schedule


June 27- July 2 ... Sports Photography Workshop, Colorado Springs, Co. www.sportsphotographyworkshop.com

August 1-5 ... Long Island Photo Workshop, Long Island, NY. www.liphotoworkshop.com

August 12-15 ... American PHOTO Mentor Trek to Acadia National Park, Maine. www.mentorseries.com

September 9-12 ... American PHOTO Mentor Series Trek to Tetons, Wyoming. www.mentorseries.com

October 3-8 ... Photography at the Summit, Jackson Hole, Wy. www.photographyatthesummit.com

Past Workshop at the Ranch Issues

July, 2010
"Moto Light"

June, 2010
"West Coast Flash"

May, 2010
"Little Lights, BIG Arena - PART 2"

April, 2010
"Little Lights, BIG Arena - PART 1 "

March, 2010
"Workshop Wonders"

February, 2009
The D3s Advantage

January, 2010
"New Nikon D3s"

December, 2009
"Year in Review"

November, 2009
Return to Neverland

October, 2009
"Dramatic Gym Light"

September, 2009
"Saratoga Light"

August, 2009
"Graduation Class"

July, 2009
"FourSquare Sensation"

June, 2009
"Print On Demand publishing is for you"

May, 2009
"Sports Shooter Academy"

April, 2009
"My New Book is Available"

March, 2009
"The Nikon D3X...Part II "

February, 2009
"The Nikon D3X...Part I "

January, 2009
"Book Ideas Wanted"

December, 2008
Year in Review

November, 2008
Action with the SB-900 Speedlights

October, 2008
Lightpainting Under the Stars

September, 2008
Long Island Photo Workshop

August, 2008
"Best Buy Summit in San Francisco"

July, 2008
"Rich Clarkson's Sports Photography Workshop"

June, 2008
"Seven Photo Techniques"

May, 2008
"Learn Something New"

April, 2008
San Diego TREK

March, 2008
Joe McNally's book

February, 2008
The Nikon D300

January, 2008
Shoot From Where They Ain't (click here)

December, 2007
D3 Questions , Answers and Images

November, 2007
New Nikon D3

October, 2007
Football...A Retro Look

September, 2007
Get Out of the Box

August, 2007
Portrait Session with Frankie Herr


July, 2007
"Cowboy Up at the Double JJ Ranch"


June, 2007
"Light on the Run"


May, 2007
"SB800 Location Lighting in Mexico"


April, 2007
"Take it From the Top"


March, 2007
"Triple Play, Hat Trick, Trifecta" of Design


February, 2007
Principles of Success


January, 2007
Answers to Popular Questions


December , 2006
TREK to Peru and Machu Picchu



October, 2006
Creative Lightpainting (click here)


September, 2006
Tandem SB800 Speedlight Set Up (click here)


August, 2006
Get Pumped Up with Light (click here)


July, 2006
Sports Action SB800 Lighting on Location (click here)


June, 2006
An Artistic Look At Derby Week (click here)


May, 2006
Lightpainting....from the Beginning (click here)


April, 2006
Workshop 40: Arches Mentor Series TREK


March, 2006
Workshop 39: Let the Games Begin...


February, 2006
Workshop 38: My Moody Blue Location Lighting Formula


January, 2006
Workshop 37: Answers to Popular Questions


December, 2005
Workshop 36: Year in Review...
My Favorite Equipment of 2005


November, 2005
Workshop 35: Building a Portrait


October, 2005
Workshop 34: Game Coverage.....My Way


September, 2005
Workshop 33: Equipment...and How It Can Help A Career


August, 2005
Workshop 32, Fill Flash....It's not Just For Portraits


July, 2005
Workshop 31, Rock On!


June, 2005
Workshop 30, Remote Cameras at Churchill Downs


May, 2005
Workshop 29, Arena Sport Strobe Lighting 102


April, 2005
Workshop 28, Arena Sport Strobe Lighting 101


March, 2005
Workshop 27: Nikon's D2X Digital Camera


February, 2005
Workshop 26: Steps to Success


January, 2005
Workshop 25: Own Your Images!


December, 2004
Workshop 24: Step-by-Step Lightpainting


November, 2004
Workshop 23: The Importance of Recognizing Light



September, 2004
Workshop 21: Covering The 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece
(click here)


August, 2004
Workshop 20: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight
WIRELESS TTL LIGHTING
(click here)


July, 2004
Workshop 19: Location Portrait Lighting using
Nikon's NEW SB-800 Speedlights
(click here)


June, 2004
Workshop 18: Photography - Just Enjoy it!
(click here)


May, 2004
Workshop 17: Documenting the Masters
(click here)


April, 2004
Workshop 16:
Scene Setters

(click here)


March, 2004
Workshop 15: THE JOY of FILL FLASH
(click here)


February, 2004
Workshop 14: Sports Strobe Photography
(click here)



December, 2003
Workshop 12: "Product Review - The Nikon D2H Digital Camera

(click here)


November, 2003
Workshop 11: "Be More Than a Fan"


October, 2003
Workshop 10: "More Porrage, Please"


September, 2003
Workshop 9: The Nikon COOLPIX 5700


August, 2003
Workshop 8: Using Wireless Remotes


July, 2003
Workshop 7: Approaching The Event


June, 2003
Workshop 6: To be noticed, to be published, to the marketplace


May, 2003
Workshop 5: What Drives an Image Part Two,
Slow Shutter Speed & Pan, (click here)


April, 2003
Workshop 4: What Drives an Image? (click here)


March, 2003
Workshop 3: Fill Flash Techniques (click here)


February, 2003
Workshop 2: Sports Arena Lighting (click here)


January, 2003
Workshop 1: Lightpainting (click here)

 


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