TIPS FOR H.S. FOOTBALL PICTURES AT NIGHT?

[scott_southard]

Hi everyoone.

 

It is about that time again for high school football.

 

I will be taking pictures at night with my Canon 20d equipted with my

Canon 75-300mm 2.8 EF IS USM lens

.

 

My question is how should I set up my camera and lens for the night shots.

 

We have good lighting at the field.

 

Check out my photos at my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbchsfootball/sets/

GO TO THE BLACK JERSEY GAME SET.

 

Also you can check out my photos at my website: www.bbchsfootball.com

 

I really want to take my sports photos to the next level.

 

Any suggetions would be apprecieted.

 

Thanks.

 

Scott Southard

[j_smith6]

<i><b>Canon 75-300mm 2.8 EF IS USM</b></i>

 

<br>I wish there was such lens.

[j_smith6]

Tips: high ISO like 800 or 1600, Tv mode (if it would be too dark you'd have to use Av mode and fastest aperure), fast lens, tripod or at least monopod. 5 fps, few fast 2GB memory cards, continuos AF. I think that's everything. Try to use RAW, if buffer is too small use JPGs.

[leopoldstotch]

If you do a search, or just look at older posts from the sports forum, you will find that this exact same question has been asked dozens of times. They should provide all the info you need.

[zackojones]

Scott,

 

I asked this very same question right before you did. I got a bunch of good feedback. What I ended up doing is bumping up the ISO as it got darker until I ended up shooting at ISO 1600 by the end of the game. If you go to my flickr page ( ) and look at 08_10_07 set you can see the ones I took recently.

[wilsontsoi]

Those typical Friday night HS games are notoriously dark. Good start point is to shoot at f2.8, ISO-800, manual flash at around 1/8-1/16 and 1/250 sec. or so. Adjust up or down as needed.

[dave_hoffmann]

Football at night with a 20D, easy, Manual mode; ISO 3200; f/2.8; 1/250-1/500 depending on the light.

[darrendrevik]

<a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/Darren/SHS2006">I second Dave's answer.</a>

<p>All shot with a 20D, 70-200 f2.8L IS, ISO3200 set wide open on apererature priority under some of the crappiest lighting in north Georgia.</p>

[nick_morris2]

I use an EOS 1D Mark III with a 300 2.8 I also invert a flash on my monopod using a super

clamp and hook it to my Turbo Quantum. Inverting the flash sends the light in an upward

motion from about a foot below the camera and lights up the eyes hidden in the helmet very

nicely. I have been doing it this way for the local paper for the past 2 years. It's a neat trick I

learned shooting combat assignments with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp

Pendleton CA. Give it a shot it makes for some incredible lighting. And who ever said to

leave the flash home...NO, bring it with you, it helps pull coller out of some of the darker

jersies and helps with darker uniforms. I highly recomend a flash ( a decent one anyway)

Enjoy shooters it's football season.

[robbie_caswell]

I have been doing alot lately with just my 85mm f/1.2 and though focally limiting it has been SOO nice.

 

You can never have enough speed and your football pics appear to need a minimum of f/2.8 lens. I would even consider a 135mm f/2