Swim Pictures

[margstamps]

Volleyball is over, now I'm trying to take some decent swim pictures.

This was taken with a canon 40d and an 85mm lens 1.8 500

[JohnG]

Ah, swimming - another wonderfully low-lit endeavor :G

White balance looks pretty good and it's reasonably sharp - although did you apply any USM? If not, it could benefit from it.

I would also recommend dodging the eyes and face a bit to lighten them up.

With those two minor tweaks you'll have a better technical image.

However, technical asside, the shot just isn't very interesting. No action and not a very interesting expression. A good sports image has a story to tell. Is that your daughter? If so, like any shot of our children, it's a nice keep-sake. But, next time out try to either capture some of the action or shots where there's some emotion (which can be very difficult for young swimmers who typically don't show a lot of emotion). You've got a tough challenge ahead trying to shoot with an 85mm prime lens as you'll only be able to cover a small area of the pool. I would suggest a 70-200 2.8. And if you prefer not to go up to 3200 then get a 580ex flash (430 takes too long to recharge) - most venues will allow flash after the start of the race.

Good luck and keep at it!

[margstamps]

Thanks for the advice . . . I agree on all counts. I'm finding it fairly difficult to get shots that are both in focus and interesting. . . . but it's a fairly lenghty season and I'll keep at it.

[JohnG]

margstamps wrote:

I'm finding it fairly difficult to get shots that are both in focus and interesting. . . .

:-) You just summed up the whole sports shooting experience. Don't feel bad - as you've found out it isn't as easy as it looks. Just keep at it and keep seeking advice and feedback and you'll get better. The good thing about swimming is it's repetitive so if you miss one breast stroke shot there's a thousand others to capture that look exactly the same.

[Flying Fossil]

I have two very gifted granddaughters who are into Volleyball, Soccer, and Swimming.

For me, swimming is the most difficult to shoot as you usually wait an hour or so for a two minute opportunity in the pool, then another waiting period. Also some strokes are more interesting and expressive, i.e. the breast stroke.

The majority of our events are in outdoor swim complexes, so light is usually very good. I take a lot of shots, and usually keep only a few.

Thank god for digital.