T-ball / little league portraits

I will be doing group and individual portraits of T-ball & little league at the

end of May and this is my first time. I have read alot of forums saying to use

85mm for the group and others say use the 17- because it is more wide angle

while others say 50mm is fine. Ive been thinking of purchasing the 85mm thats

on amazon.com but there is alot of mixed info so im afraid to invest in

anything yet

I have a 50mm, 18-55 and 75-200 i am a beginner at all of this and really want

a nice picture so i can start taking more sports photos. Can anyone help me

with tips and advice for the undertaking this month???

 

Also, where should i have them go outside, inside? (im in a nice area with a

green grass/tree & river park) What time of day, what should i bring to prepare

me. Any tips on packages? I heard some do wood plaques w/photo for free for

coaches. I will be doing 5 teams/ 2 t-ball 3 little league

 

Thank you very much for any help

You've never done this before, and in three weeks you have 5 teams to shoot? How did you get this job? You should have had your packages and prices all set up when you approached the league. Part of that is whether you will give the league team pictures or plaques in return for shooting the job. I give the league one 5x7 team photo on a plaque for each head coach. Some leagues also get one sponsor plaque per team. I use a 28-200 for T&I jobs. I would think inside/outside would depend on your weather. Do you have a rain date? How far in advance will the players get order forms? Does your photo lab have specific procedures/guidlines you must follow?

85 mm for groups is nuts - plain & simple, so is 17 mm. I think someone is pulling your leg - or you ours.

Doug

Wouldn't you do T/ball pictures at the T/ball field? What do rivers and trees have to do with the sport, this is a memory of the season not a portrait session?

 

You need the following:

 

Tech wise:

 

1/ two bodies incase one lets go at a minimum

 

2/ the lens for the job, sorry to sound blunt but if you seriously think you are going to shot team shots with an 85 on digi (or even film) you may have problems, you would be better off with what ever kit zoom lens came with your camera.

 

3/ lighting (or know how to pose if using daylight, look at whats around and at least copy it)

 

4/ I use a tripod, carry enough batteries and memory etc.

 

5/ Benches or stools or whatever if you are going to run two rows of kids, nothing looks cheaper than having the front row kneeling imho

 

6/ this is the bare essentials in my opinion I'd generally carry much more than this but everyone starts somewhere and 5 teams is pretty managable.

 

Business wise

 

1/ order forms

 

2/ a payment handling method we use envelopes and have teams pre-pay and reciept on site so a second person would come in handy here.

 

3/ a way of recording the names of players and the positions in the photo if you are going to include the list of players on the team shot there are heaps of ways to do this from simple note pads to white boards etc.

 

4/ as this is your first time spread the timing of each team out so you are not pressured we get through a t/ball team in aboout 15 mins I'd recommend you at least double if not triple this for the first time.

 

5/ wet weather contingency have a second date

 

6/ working with children dec's (we must use this type of declaration when working with minors, check your local requirements)

 

7/ Insurance, I always carry a cert of currency to any job

 

8/ Additional order forms parents will forget them

 

9/ Set your packages and if possible display a sample, this may be hard givin it's your first time.

 

10/ take business cards

 

These are the basics as you go on you'll pick up other things that suit your own business.

 

Personally

 

Have a practice run the week before go to the site look at the light during your booking times, grab a friend or one of your kids and run some samples know what you will have to do and how your equipment works. This will give you confidence when you tart the real thing.

 

Don't panic team shots of this nature are pretty easy churn and burn stuff so are the individual shots know your gear and be as prepared as possible, the calmer you act the smoother it'll go. I still remember my first gig about 12 yrs back 35 teams only photog 1 assistant it got nerve racking but gets a lot easier with experience.

 

Good natural light f8 not looking into the sun and your pretty much set.

 

Surely you have your packages set don't you, did you not have to show the club something here?

 

Hope that helps.

 

Have fun.

 

Mark

Thanks for the responses. Actually i am in a tiny town and the T-ball league approached me 4wks from the day to do their pictures since i am the most reasonably priced.I told them i would and began to put together some packages. I figure i will do trader cards / memory mates and some individual packages. Everyone is volunteer so i wont get paid for my time or anything as this is a poorer community. I still really need advice on what lens to use for a group shot. I am sore pressed for time and would like to get the right lens. Any suggestions?????? Thanks..

also, i took your advice on the 28-200 and looked at some options. I found these:

 

~EF 28-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 USM Standard Zoom Lens

or

~Tamron Autofocus 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

 

Is one better than the other?

I use a Tamron 28-200. You don't need fast pro glass for this, and you'll be using fill flash. Don't spend a fortune just for this job, but if you know you're going to do more with it, get the best you can afford. I've been doing T&I for over 20 years, (I hate to hear it put that way)and I've never missed anything because of not having ultra-fast glass. (Action is another story). I looked at your web site, you appear to work well with kids, and that's half the battle. Feel free to email me, and I'll send you some examples I shot last week. I'm glad to see Mark posted his thoughts here, hadn't heard from him in a while. Too bad we disagree on the team bench/kneeling option for pics.

Hey you can't disagree with me Ron it's just not allowed lol, I've been pretty sick with Radiation and Chemo for the last little bit but getting better now.

 

Mariah use the 28-200 for both stop it down till it's sharp and zoom to suit it'll work just fine especially with good day light. Drop me an email and I'll send you some stuff on memory mates you could find usefull.

 

Cheers

Mark

Hey Mariah where did you get that horse suit one your site, i want one.

I figured that may be the case, Mark. Hope all is as well as possible. That horse suit wouldn't fit you, judging by the pics I've seen.

Thanks for your help guys. The Horsie suit is only for babies there buddy!! :)