Friday Night Lights

[JohnG]

OK still a scrimmage but it did take place on Friday Night.







Oh sure, MOM gets all the credit. What about dad???



The handoff...



THE FUMBLE!!!!!!



Recovered by the defense...



Climbing the ladder



Catching air 1:



Catching air 2





And, TOUCHDOWN!!!

[bluesman graham]

Really nice set of pics JohnG, i have to say though thatpic#7, inthe sequence of pics, is not up to your usual impeccable standard, ie not displaying any facial or compositional qualitys IMO.(ps had to try and find some fault in you sporting talent):lol:. Kind regards Graham

[JohnG]

Thanks for the feedback Graham! Hearing the types of photos people don't like is just as important to me as hearing the types people DO like. Thanks!

[Trojansoc]

Really nice sequence, John. I really liked #1 because of the intensity in the RB's face. There were two things I liked about #6--the look on the RB's face as he absorbs the hit and, of course, the ball in the air. Even though #7 didn't include faces, I still like the shot because the implied movement of the ball lends a dynamism that well reflects what it's like at the bottom when the ball is free. Finally, #12 is wonderful because of the moment it catches, before the ball is fully in control.

Numbers 10 & 11 were not my favorites. Although #10 has the ball in sight, not much is happening and #11 is pretty static. Both are better than many I see published, but I don't think they're up to the quality of the rest of the sequence.

[airbrushjohn]

Thread Hijacking is taboo.........

[JohnG]

Trojansoc - thanks for the good feedback!

John - thanks. Your pictures are getting there. It also helps to have the gear I've accumulated - it really makes a difference after a certain point. But with any camera / lens - you can optimize success by filling the frame with the action. For instance when a runner is coming toward you, don't zoom out to get the whole body in - zoom IN and get a close up. I'm really starting to experiment more this year with doing that - actually trying to compose tigher than the whole body.

Also, on the equipment front - besides the awesome focus ability of the new camera I found out my 120-300 lens was front focusing. I really hadn't noticed it so much before - but when I look back on my old shots the problem was still there. I just wish camera stores would offer that service - maybe get training from the various manufacturers and perform tests and tune your lenses for you. If you're going to spend $1000 or more on a lens, wouldn't you pay someone like $50 to get the focus tuned right in? I think it would be a great service the local guy could offer that the internet stores couldn't.

[JohnG]

Nice work John!!

Here's a suggestion - that second shot is really good. But what makes it good is the eyes, hands and ball. Try a tighter crop with just the torso and above - looks like you've got enough sharpness to support the crop.

Something like this:

[airbrushjohn]

yeah thats really great thanks johng!!

[Redop13]

WOW GREAT SHOTS!!! Clear as a bell as usual. :-)

Can you tell me how close you are to the actual action?

[JohnG]

Redop13 wrote:

Can you tell me how close you are to the actual action?

I shoot from the sidelines and try to stay within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage (with 120-300 lens ). Obviously can't do that from 30 to 30 because the team is there. But the key is to have your frame filled as much as possible (at least 2/3 of frame in portrait orientation).