Football focus question

[alex_feldman1]

This is a request for tips and tricks, but also for general criticism of technique.

 

I'm very much a beginner at sports photography, and just shot my first college

football game. The game was on ESPN, so the lighting was adequate. Getting a

clear shot was often a challenge, as there were boatloads of people on the

sideline, many with nothing better to do than get in the way - in fact, I'm

convinced that the reason people use such big lenses at these games is that way

they can stay far from the play and have fewer people in the way. But that

isn't my big question.

 

The biggest problem I seem to have in sports photography is the autofocus. With

gymnastics or volleyball, in relatively dark arenas, It can be almost impossible

to use, and I generally line up my spot and focus first, and wait for the

athlete to get there. It isn't ideal, but I've gotten some good shots that way.

With football, though, that doesn't work. I can get some decent shots with the

autofocus, but an awful lot of shots - maybe 20% or more - wind up backfocused.

I know what the problem is, as I fail to anticipate the action properly, I

swing the camera into position and shoot, fast, and don't always get the center

focus point aligned on the subject.

 

Some of these shots are taken very frantically, with almost no technique at all.

That typically happens on the big plays, which are hard to anticipate, but

valuable to shoot. So, any ideas on how to improve?

 

Oh yes, my equipment. A Canon 350D with the 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 IS, and 400

2.8 IS. I know a 1 series body woud help, but I decided to put my money into

lenses, and since I use the equipment for things other than sports, I'm happy

with that decision.

 

Thanks for any ideas.

[conrad_stoll1]

I started shooting NCAA football last year. The best thing that i've found to do to focus

best is just follow the ball. Sometimes you do that through the lens, and sometimes by

watching the play and realizing where its going to go. A lot of shooting football is also

luck. Sometimes the play comes to your side of the field, sometimes it doesn't. If you're

waiting on the 30 trying to catch a shot of the running back, and the QB passes 50 yards

and the guy runs it in for a touch down, then you're out of luck. Likewise if the play goes

around the line and players are inbetween you and the subject.

 

Thats just my advice. I'm also a big fan of using a single lens for a while, trying to get

pictures with that focal length range (like use a long 300 or 400 for a while, get some long

shots of a catch, a run, maybe a few throws or blocks, then switch to a wider lens, camp

out on the sidelines or the corner of the endzone and wait for someone to run past you). I

hate switching lenses in the middle of a play or something like that.

 

Oh, and i'd also say, that ou made a good choise on putting money into lenses. Great

glass makes more of an impact on photo quality than a shiny new body does.

[doug_buffington]

How do you guys get on the sideline of an NCAA football game? Are you affliated with

another organization?

[alex_feldman1]

I'm employed at the university in question, not as a photographer or in the athletic dept., but after almost 20 years lots of people over there know me. Also I had already taken lots of pictures of other sports for which you don't need any kind of special permission, so they knew I was sincere in my desire to simply take pictures. At the game, there were several people there with cameras who clearly had only a marginal interest in taking pictures. They were there to cheer for the visiting team.

 

I realize luck is a big part of it - thanks for the ideas.

[robbie_caswell]

Best way to get access is to find a weekly newspaper that is photography deficient.

 

Offer to shoot for $XX an image and they will handle the press pass and credentials. It's a pretty cool gig and you can do well with a minimum investment.

 

I'n never asked at HS games, but got shown the door (well the bleachers) at my local DIV II school because I didn't have my credentials in order.

[neil_hanawalt]

Heres the deal, sports photography is a percentges game. You have to shoot alot to get a little. And to increase your percentage you must have a fast frame per second camera, 5 to 8fps. The best shots are when your camera is in between shutter actuations. This is a bummer. I normaly use my old (for digital) Nikon D1h which is 5 fps. Last Friday night I thought I would try my D70s, won't do that again. At 3 fps I caught all the junk and few of the gems. When this is the case I rely on some non-action shooting, catching the emotions of the game and sideline activity, to come home with some good shots. Read the following article about how to get good focus for sports: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/sports.htm#focuspriority