Varsity football

[Tamsfam]

Okay here is one of the Varsity game.....

Thoughts???

[Jobeye]

Its better, Might try using a tripod for night games.but you are right up in the middle of the action

[JohnG]

Tammie,

Now that's the right idea. As Jobeye was hinting at the image is still a little soft - but I don't know if it's camera shake. I really wouldn't recommend a tripod for football. A monopod is much more practical since you'll have to move around.

But you've definitely got the right idea here.

Also, refresh my memory - what camera and lens are you using?

Softness can also be do to poor focus ability due to low light. I.E. a2.0 lens (impractical for this sport) lets in twice as much light for focusing as a 2.8 which lets in twice as much light as 4.0, etc...

But you're also just starting out so I think this is very good for one of your first games. These are the tight crops you should be going for.

Keep up the good work!


p.s. looks like you got down low - EXCELLLENT. Really makes shots better when you're shooting up at the faces rather than strait or, worse, down

[Tamsfam]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I will keep working at it and getting feedback. I think that has really helped me todo better.

I have the cannon 30D with a Sigma70-200 2.8....and a 1.4 telconverter. (didnt always use the teleconverter though).

Oh and some of the shots I did use a monopod but I also find that limiting, so at times I didnt use it. But as you can see I have a softness issue....I still am not sure how I can achieve a crisp shot and then Not....I guess I sorta feel like I am golfing....I can hit a great shot and then NOT! :-)

Thanks guys!
Tammie

[Jobeye]

Tammie,

Do you use any software like photoshop,Adobe Elements ect.?

[Tamsfam]

Jobeye,

Typically what I post is not edited at all....but to answer your question I have adobe elements 4.0 but honestly I am not very good at it yet. So other than maybe some noise clean up through neat image what I post has been straight from the camera.

What do you use?? Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?? I have been too chicken to shoot RAW.

Tammie

[Jobeye]

I use Elements 3.0, I found a book at a book store in Fl called The Photoshop Elements 3 Book by Scott Kelly.It really shows a lot of tricks and how you can really enhance your pictures .

I use JPEG. When I go shoot a game I usally take a lot of pictures and would run out of memory using raw.

[SportShotsLive]

With all due respect, I have to disagree about staying away from RAW - Simply put, RAW allows one to make MANY more adjustments to photos in post-prcessing than even the best JPEG fine level. From White Balance, to advanced Saturation, Levels and other necessary tuning.

I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 which is under $100
There's also a great Elements 4.0 book by Scott Kelby that's @ Barnes & Noble for $25

I also use Noiseware (Community Edition) - FREE
http://www.imagenomic.com/download.asp


In my graphic design business, I use Adobe Photoshop CS but found that for the price, $600+ , the hassle of the steep learning curve and the sheer overkill of the program make it a pain to use for photos. :?

Hope this info. helps!

Nick
SportShotsLive.com

[SportShotsLive]

Tammie,

I edited your shot to illustrate the point about Photoshop Elements 4.0 - Basically, I cropped the picture & added all the fixes right from the "Enhancements" menu. It took all of 2 minutes.

Although I have been using Adobe Photoshop for quite some time, that Elements 4.0 book by Scott Kelby COMPLETELY changed the way I edit photos now. The guy is a genuis & his writing style is really easy to follow (and humorous)

Best of luck to you - keep the photos coming!! My first football game is a week from today. I only hope I don't get flattened by a 300 pound lineman...LOL

Nick

[Tamsfam]

Nick,

Thanks! I like it! I guess I should get the book and figure out how to use that tool. (Adobe photoshop)

There is just soo much to learn.....I love and hate it all at the same time.

Tammie