Shooting night games - any tips?

<p>Some friends have just joined a flag football league, and I just tried to shoot one of their games, using a Canon T2i DSLR. They're playing at night, under artificial lighting.<br>

Obviously, fast-moving sports at night is a challenge, and you're pretty much forced to use a wide aperture and high ISO. However, what I noticed most is that the stadium lights are really unforgiving. Illuminated skin gets blown out, and anything that's not lit directly is at best underexposed, at worst in deep - and harsh - shadow.<br>

Does anyone have any tips for getting the best results in this situation?</p>

<p>Night action work can be a challenge. Are you allowed to use flash? If so, a higher ISO setting coupled with an external flash using high speed sync is the preferred method- or a set of monolights mounted on stands triggered by a radio popper. Another would be large fill reflectors placed strategically on stands to redirect some of the overhead light into the shadow areas. Granted, these are by no means ideal and may even be unrealistic/ awkward for your situation. </p><div></div>

Randall, I am curious to know about the distance between the flash & the cars, and if you would show an image without flash use.

I have found professional stadiums to be about 4-5 stops less than mid-day light. Challenging, but possible at high iso

and a fast lens. An amateur field may have less light and be more challenging. The uneven light you are experiencing

indicates poor lighting, a professional field would be more evenly lit. I would try fill-flash using a "better beamer" flash

extender. Their range is amazing, especially at high iso. The bad news, they only fit the 580exII.

<p>.. and also is a good news that Better Beamer is also available for Nikon, Pentax, Minolta flashes.<br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?field-keywords=better+beamer&url=search-alias%3Daps">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?field-keywords=better+beamer&url=search-alias%3Daps</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Parv- Distance to the blue car: 60-70'. This is from the same position with the black car being at about the same spot on the track (note highlights on upper edge surfaces), exact same camera settings, uncropped. Flash did not fire (recycle). I didn't check the EXIF on this shot, but the prior image was taken at FL of 120mm. (70-200 F2.8).<br>

Also-a better beamer was in use at the time these pictures were taken, I highly recommend their use. Relatively inexpensive and easy to use, just make sure to set the zoom on your flash to 50mm. They can be adapted to Canon flash other than the 580EXII with a wrap of wide velcro on the flash head. (IE 430EXII).</p>

<p>OP-another approach would be to set your camera to it's max ISO and process as a black and white- Excessive noise from pulling the shadows and or underexposure will be masked though you may end up with less than ideal deep shadow details. </p>

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I shot a lot of high school football under terrible high school lights. I had field access. I shot a few thousand pictures with a Canon 70-200 2.8L. I liked to hold shutter speeds above 1/500 with an ISO of 3200. I currently shoot swimming indoors at venues with extremely high contrast and poor off color lights. I generally use 1600 ISo reverting to 3200 when necessary. In both football and swimming there are and were times when I use flash fill with high speed sync particularly to fill shadows in high contrast situations. Occasionally I will shoot a swimmer at 1/320 to blur arm moverment. I found in football that if I stood at the end zone and a runner was coming straight at me I could get away with 1/250th. One way to get the most light on a field with inconsistent lighting is to meter at each ten yard and pick the best lit spot and let the action come to you. A monopod is very helpful both in keeping your arms from getting weary and steadying the camera. Tripods are hazardous on the sidelines. I can run like hell with a monopod. I never used IS because I didn't have it on the 70-200. I have a 100-400 that has it and I just leave it on but use faster shutter speeds for outdoor swimming. On most night fields, with some exceptions I think you need f 2.8. I also have an 85 1.8 for really dark corners.

<p>Randall, that's a wonderful photograph. Talk about capturing the moment! I loved the irony of having the blue car (whose next stop will most likely be a body shop) advertising a body shop.</p>

<p>Thanks Randall for taking the time to share.</p>

<p>Insightful posts.</p>

<p>Hector- Thanks, the factory stock class runs on street tires so traction is an issue. Never a dull moment with this group. The photographers and safety crew stay behind K barriers (the type used as medians on large highways). Even so there have been times I felt the need to scurry as cars careened out of control.</p>

<p>Richard-anytime, happy to be of help.</p>

<p>Time to weigh in, I concur with the idea of picking spots on the field that seem to be better lit than others and wait for something good to happen there. Otherwise you are just going to get noisy and blurry shots. A fill flash is probably not going to win you any friends. IF it's even permitted at a game, you'll find the players aren't impressed being temporarily blinded.<br>

Ok, next problem, You're camera has a great pedigree. It was not designed with 'sports' in mind. With a 3.7 frames per sec. you will have to develop a very keen eye to catch 'That Moment' because that 1/3 of a second that it takes for your camera to fire again, that moment is over. You can develop a great sense of timing. That speed reminds me of the Canon AE1 that I started with in the 80's. Sadly I have stopped relying on that timing and just 'spray and pray' at upwards of 10 frames per second. I might as well shoot a bloody video. But I digress. Your camera has a lot of great features and qualities. Sports really isn't one of them. BUT don't avail....<br>

I would suggest perhaps another tactic. If the field is that poorly lit, look for something slower and more artistic. In these fall evenings the temperatures fall fast. Why not a shot looking down the line and catching everyone's moist breath just before the snap? Other shots with less pace and more emotion will get you a shot that everyone envies. Just because you're shooting sports doesn't mean that everything has to be 'action'. My ratio of published shots of action, and other than action is probably 55/45. The photos that get me more 'attaboy's' are ones filled with emotion more than action shooting (I primarily shoot MLS). Just an idea.</p>

 

<p>Time to weigh in, I concur with the idea of picking spots on the field that seem to be better lit than others and wait for something good to happen there. Otherwise you are just going to get noisy and blurry shots. A fill flash is probably not going to win you any friends. IF it's even permitted at a game, you'll find the players aren't impressed being temporarily blinded.<br>

Ok, next problem, You're camera has a great pedigree. It was not designed with 'sports' in mind. With a 3.7 frames per sec. you will have to develop a very keen eye to catch 'That Moment' because that 1/3 of a second that it takes for your camera to fire again, that moment is over. You can develop a great sense of timing. That speed reminds me of the Canon AE1 that I started with in the 80's. Sadly I have stopped relying on that timing and just 'spray and pray' at upwards of 10 frames per second. I might as well shoot a bloody video. But I digress. Your camera has a lot of great features and qualities. Sports really isn't one of them. BUT don't avail....<br>

I would suggest perhaps another tactic. If the field is that poorly lit, look for something slower and more artistic. In these fall evenings the temperatures fall fast. Why not a shot looking down the line and catching everyone's moist breath just before the snap? Other shots with less pace and more emotion will get you a shot that everyone envies. Just because you're shooting sports doesn't mean that everything has to be 'action'. My ratio of published shots of action, and other than action is probably 55/45. The photos that get me more 'attaboy's' are ones filled with emotion more than action shooting (I primarily shoot MLS). Just an idea.</p>

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<p>I'm not positive that Joseph has ever shot a night sport with flash.. the players don't even know you're there unless you literally get in their way or attempt to strobe like a 70's disco. Here in Minnesota our 'State High School League' media guides actually expressly allows flash for everything but gymnastics, and swimming starts and diving.<br>

I use a ring clamp, usually for plumbing or automotive, but extremely cheap in comparison to flash clamps, mounted 3 feet (the flash cable length) below my camera, with the flash upside down shooting at a slight angle up, to try and eliminate face mask shadows. Always in TTL so the camera tells the flash the distance rather than having to adjust as the play moves closer. Still working on really perfecting the technique, but have moved towards an F4 aperture with my 70-200 F2.8 to underexpose in camera and have it corrected better with the flash to try and limit the 200 foot shadows behind a player. Mounting away from the lens of course, eliminates most of the red-eye issues of flash also.</p>

<p><img src="http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/EskoEskomos/2011-12/EskoFootballVsBraham/EskoFootballVsBrahamTM18.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="720" /><br>

<img src="http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/EskoEskomos/2011-12/EskoFootballVsBraham/EskoFootballVsBrahamTM20.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="720" /><br>

IT definitely requires more timing in shots, rather than being able to 'burst' .. I missed this next one by a second, but it still ended up being run by a newspaper editor<br>

<img src="http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/GirlsSoccer/2011/VsEskoCarlton/CloquetGirlsSoccerVsEskoCarltonTM12.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="720" /><br>

<img src="http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/CloquetSports/Football/2011/VsVirginia/CloquetFootballVsVirginiaTM29.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" /></p>