Youth sports: shooting all weather team and player photos

I've been shooting youth sports for several years and selling

reprints, and have finally landed a Big One: shooting all team and

player photos for a local Youth Soccer league, as well as being the

"official" gameday live action photographer.

 

Anyway, what do photographers do about shooting team and player photos

outdoors, in any weather. Up here in the Pacific Northwest, soccer,

lacrosse, and youth football often means being out in the rain in the

middle of the playfield on photo day.

 

I am wondering about a collapsible shelter such as an EZ Up Express II

( http://ezupdirect.com/ezup-instant-shelters/express2.php ): 10x10',

white, and maybe hanging a Canon 420EX off the roof frame in back as a

hairlight, having a 550EX up front and off camera as the main flash,

all driven by my ST-E2 transmitter which could be under my camera's

rain cover so I could step back out from under the canopy if needed.

 

Has anyone done something like this, or is this overkill, or what?

 

Thoughts?

 

 

- John

The company that shoots Sno-King soccer (North King-South Snohomish counties) had couple large tents set up outdoor 3 years ago and one of it took off and flew 15-20 yards in the air one blustery afternoon in early September. At that time, I thought to myself that I hope he has liability coverange. From that year on, he shows up with his photo trailer which he does individual shots inside. Looks like couple lightheads with mini softboxes firing from sides. His Escalade & trailer are normally parked close to a school building and he set up a small EZ Up tent nearby to protect photog and equipment while shooting groups with greenbelt as background. The operation is quite dialed in with couple people at ordering desk taking forms and payment and getting kids ready. Good luck.

I don't like static stuff since on the end you do need to move. In "normal" rain I usually have rain coat or whatever is right name in English and I count that 1d and L lenses really are weather sealed and that it's not just marketing :) But if it's really bad (pouring rain and I need to be there for few hours) I usually end up with a bit bigger umbrella somehow stucked between my back and backpack. With "setup" like this I'm still at least a bit mobile.

I've taken pictures in a a monsoon but I make a point of carrying a disposable film camera for those situations.

 

You could use an umbrella, perferably sticking out of a backpack so your hands free.

What I ended up doing:

 

My EOS 10D/24-70mm EF 2.8L in its Kata rain hood, with my Canon ST-E2 transmitter on top, driving my Speedlite 550EX which was off on a tripod, set about knee-high, forward and just off to one side.

 

The 550EX was covered with a plastic freezer bag, and the flash battery pack was covered with another freezer bag and tucked way up under the flash unit.

 

The sensor on the 550EX was pointed back toward where I was with the camera; the flash head out at the subject/s.

 

Very, very adjustable, very quickly switching from entire teams to individuals.

 

This all in weather that ranged from a Puget Sound Drowning Mist to full on pelting rain.

 

As it turned out, I really needed a tent/canopy to cover the sales table so the checks didn't get all soaked ;-)

 

 

- John