Lighting for footbal photography ( at night )

Hello,

I will be taking photo's for the PowderPuff Football game this

Thursday at our school, and im kinda of worried I wont have enough

light, cuz the game could go into dark hours. (I would like to use

ISO 200, if possible) Is there any way I can use a Hot shoe flash,

and somehow connect another hot shoe flash to the camera(or any

other way to have both flashes fire at the same time) with supplies

around the house ( this is probably a dumb question ). I will be

useing a Canon Digital rebel, with a Vivitar Auto Thyristor 550FD

Flash, And ( hopefully, If i can do get help) a Minolta AUTO 200X

flash. Also, I do not have slave flashes. I would appreciate any

help ! Thanks a lot ! Jared . :)

You need ISO 800 or higher, a lens that will go at f2.0 or f2.8, and extra batteries for your flash. I would guess 'the game' would not be the prime area to 'test out' your skill with multiple flash units *of different brands* at night.

To take existing light photos at our local high school stadium, using 200 ASA, you would need f/2 and 1/60 second or so. And that 1/60 wouldn't be enough to freeze the action or allow a long lens.

 

The easiest and best way to accomplish what you're trying to do is to have the people that normally cover your local high school games cover the powderpuff game.

 

I don't know of a good way to connect two flashes with stuff laying around the house- the plugs are the problem. You can get slave flashes or slave triggering mechanisms that fire a second flash in sync with the first one. I suppose you could attach one flash to the hot shoe and another to the PC plug if your camera has one. Of you can just get a more powerful flash. I think the Vivitar 283/285 pump out a fair bit of light for the cost, though I haven't used them.

Thanks, both of you !

Dear Jared,

 

See if you can have a "Better Beamer" Fed-Xed to you.

 

http://www.naturephotographers.net/gs/gsbb.html

 

Neal Wydra

BOND, JARED BOND.....

 

I shoot night games very often with film and long lenses. Its imperative to use a fast lens, like an f-2.8 or better. I then take asa 800 film and push it to asa 1600 by setting the light meter for asa 1600 and then exposing for that setting. I usually use 125th at f 4.0 . I then mark the film canister for asa 1600 and cross out the 800 and tell the 'pro' lab to develope for asa 1600. They need to PUSH process for asa 1600 for the roll to come out.

You can set your camera for asa 1600 and do the same, while using 125th at best. You won't have the available light for anything faster.

And ,one more thing, forget the flash- doesn't work for the typical distances...

I just shot 8 rolls last night at a girls soccer game and will have them push processed today. Go out tonight and do the above items, you'll see...

Thanks Miles ! ( I used to live in Dallas 2 years ago, I made a mistake bu moving..lol ) I appreciate it ! I wouldd never have though of doing that ! Thanks again ! I appreciate it ! Jared

Forget the flash... distances will be too severe to rely on it. You'll need fast ISO and faster

lenses, and a monopod would be nice if you'll be slinging a big telephoto all evening.

 

best bet is to rent a 70-200/2.8L if you don't have access to one. With the 1.6x crop factor

of the DigiRebel, that'll give you enough reach, versatility, and speed to do a pretty decent

job of the game. I'm not sure how the Rebel does at higher ISOs, but grainy is better than

formless blur or horrific underexposure, and there are software plugins that can do

wonders with noise. Good luck, sounds like it could be a challege, but make the best of it.

Expect a lot of blurry photos if you shoot at 1/125th with a telephoto lens.

I shot high school football for years for newspapers and was lucky to get 1/125 at f/4 on Tri-X at 400 on most fields for night games. I sometimes did available light but usually shot with a Honeywell Stobonar that would give me f/4 at 100 feet. The problem was that my Nikon F2 bodies only synced to 1/90th, so the flash sometimes froze the play but the available light could give a ghost image.

Today I would shoot at 1600 ISO either digital or film. Not sure why the other person was talking about buying 800 film and pushing to 1600 -- just buy Fuji Press 1600 to start with.

I have serious doubts that the Digital Rebel will cut it at a night game. It's a good camera but does it go to 1600 and if it does how bad is the digital noise at that level? Also, how many frames in the buffer? It makes sports easier if you can fire off anywhere from 3-6 frames to catch the peak of action, but you might have another shot to make five seconds later while the camera is still writing all those frames to the memory card.

The person who recommended the 70-200 2.8 is right on the money. You will need a fast lens for focusing even if you don't use it at maximum aperture. That brings up the quesiton of how fast does the Rebel autofocus in low light.

Crank up the ISO. (I have NO opinion about firmwarehacks) download neat image, borrow at least a monopod. Fire away and pray. As the old filmshooters mentioned; it seems possible with available light. Shit on anything; your school magazine will be happy with 3 mediocre keepers and parents liking their childs portrait should give you a ride to another game in the bright sun... Just don't hesitate and do what you can. Have you at least got some long zoom?