Friday Night Under the lights

[tdgm1]

Shot Friday night football under the lights. Used ISO 3200 Aperture Priority F2.8 per reconmendations on this site. Of all pictures was able to find one I like with heavy processing. Not happy with noise at ISO 3200. Next time will go back to settings used last year. ISO 1250 F2,8 and shutter priority of 1/400

Would like C&C of this picture for action and cropping Thanks a Head of time

[Mark1616]

A well timed shot which for shooting under the lights looks fine.

What sort of processing did you have to do? I'm concerned that in those sort of conditions you are looking at going to over half the ISO and almost double the shutter speed as you will have shots very under exposed by about a couple of stops (I think, I'm terrible at that sort of thing).

Under lights I only expect to get 1/320th - 1/400th at f2.8 and ISO 3200 unless we are talking about something out of the ordinary and sometimes it is down to 1/250th.

This would echo what you shot at as the exif shows 1/250th f2.8 and ISO3200.

[Trojansoc]

Timing is excellent, and focus appears dead-on with the receiver. Shadows cost you some facial detail, but that's pretty well unavoidable on many high school fields unless you're using a flash up pretty close.

I'm with Mark on the question of using ISO 1250. You would be seriously underexposing with that ISO and 1/400, forcing you to rely very heavily on your Levels or Curves in post-processing. I would think that you would be adding back in far more noise in processing, plus losing image detail, than what you're deailing with at the ISO 3200 setting.

On the shot you've posted a couple of questions occur? Was the lighting typical of what you see in your area? Did you use noise reduction on this shot before posting? How much of a crop is this shot? There is some loss of image detail in this shot, particularly noticable on the left hand of the front defender, raising the crop question.

Because I don't have a true sports lens, I fight this same type of issue each time I shoot football. I shoot with a 135mm f2.8 Takumar MF on a Pentax K10d, which has a max ISO of 1600. To get my shutter speed up to the 250-400 range, I underexpose by 1/3 of a stop and boost levels on just about every shot. Considering how much I fight noise at that level, I would think underexposing by even more would create some real noise questions.

[tdgm1]

Thanks Guys for the C&C Have attached another image which was only raw converted and edge sharpened in Aperture. ISO 3200 and F2.8 Aperture Priority to show conditions and amount of noise. Brightened shadows slightly to bring out the face. Resized to smaller image for web

[tdgm1]

Here is an image at ISO 1250 slight cop for action I know focus is off using single focus point an just missed the action. Thiis to show what the conditions are and what I can do with a lower ISO still on aperture Priority F 2.8 Image resize for web

[tdgm1]

Review of the 1st image posted image revealed that it was the third in a burst first photo was taken at 1/800 then 2nd at 1/320 and the third at 1/250. Flash on bracket used with high synch turned on. Did not post 1st image not enough action in the shot. Lens was at 145mm (70-200 F2.8 L series). What do you guys think?

[Subdoc]

What Camera are you using? Heres what I get at 2500 ISO on a friday night. Refuse to use flash due to the boys when asked, say it does bother them.

Camera
Make Canon
Model Canon EOS-1D Mark III
CopyrightPD Sports Photography
Exposure time 1/640 s
F-number f/2.8
Exposure program Manual
ISO speed ratings ISO 2500
Date/time original 9/7/2007 9:12:20 PM
Date/time digitized 9/7/2007 9:12:20 PM
Component config YCbCr
Shutter speed value 1/664 s
Aperture value f/2.8
Exposure bias value 0.00 eV
Metering mode Pattern
Flash Flash did not fire
Focal length 200 mm
Exposure mode Manual exposure
White balance Auto white balance
Flash mode External flash
Focus mode AI Servo
Metering mode Evaluative



As long as they will play .......I will Shoot

[tdgm1]

Subdoc Thanks for the info. Camera I am using is Canon 30D do not have ISO 2500. Your photo looks like you have better lighting than I have avaliable.

Money helps (better camera) more options. With all the people on this site you get as many helpful hints but in the end it is the particular factors at your endeavor that effects your settings etc. Only my opinion.

reviewed your pictures posted look great (seems to be a better lighting and field than I have to deal with).

[Subdoc]

Im with ya...... Field is nice lighting not so nice enzones like a cave. but the new turf does seem to hold light better than natural grass. I used to shoot 20D but still held off on the flash tried it a few times and asked the boys if it bothered them. It did do I began figuring out the best angles to shoot and capture light atthe same time. Shooting from behind the end zone toward the mid field seem to work best capturing the light vice shooting from sideline toward the end zone where there was not alot of light to capture.

Bottom line, do your best with what you have and make sure the kids love ya for it. I know I have made alot of people happy keeping those memories alive for years to come and that to me is what it is all about.