taking picture in a golf outing event - Need Advice

[john_valjean]

I am planning to take golfer pictures in a golf outing event, shotgun at noon, so far forecast shows 85F sunny

with no clouds. I am using a canon xti with a 24-135mm IS canon lens. I am worried that I will have a lot of

shadows on the faces and dark shadows in the pictures, since I will be shooting players about 20+ feet away, so

probably a flash on the camera won't help. Any suggestions or techniques, thank you in advance.

[warrenlewis]

If the camera has a spotmeter, take the reading from the players faces. Consider a polarizer for wide angle shots. <P> Hydrate and have fun.<P>Warren

[conraderb]

off camera flash is the obvious answer.

 

check out www.strobist.com.

[savagesax]

Why 20 feet away? OMG NO NO NO! I shoot these golf events all of the time. It's just a 4-some; 4 people per group. I think a 6 to 8 foot shot vertical is about right with a flash, You can also turn them so the sun doesn't blast them in their eyes. Then you have nice shade on the faces with a hit of flash. Pretty simple day of work! Try not to make it difficult and ask the players to take the sunglasses off just for the shot. Take 2 shots, if you see a blink take a 3rd. Each foursome takes about 30 seconds or less. Have fun with this, keep it simple, it's an easy gig.

[stephen_kinosh]

If this is a pro event, be careful of shutter and lens noise. Can be very distraction to the golfer as he is swinging.

[picturesque]

Well, the times I've covered a golf event, it's been the way Bob describes. However, I've always wondered how sports photographers covered golfers from a distance in the bright sun without benefit of fill flash. Just up the shadows in post production? Anybody know? I know you can get adapters for the flash to match a telephoto angle and thereby extend the range, but otherwise... I've been hit on the knee by a golf ball, too, so be careful...

[William Michael]

``I've always wondered how sports photographers covered golfers from a distance in the bright sun without benefit of fill flash . . .``

 

well . . . there is massive compression with the EF500/F4L (sorry, could not resist)

 

. . . I think mostly positioning themselves with the sun behind them, and avoiding shooting at noon, and then post processing (digital)

 

***

 

Amateurs are distracted by shutter noise, too.

 

***

 

If you can get closer than 20ft, that would be good, otherwise you gotta get the best angle (for the sun)

 

 

WW

[shoppix]

If they are about to swing forget the flash and being close. They might throuw a club at you for messing up their shot! In a Pro event you would likely be thrown out!

Pay attention to get those -after the shot- reactions.

Enjoy!

[jamie_adams3]

It depends on the event and how far you want to take it, but each course has a signature hole, find it! Take the

shot of the 4some then a shot of each golfer's tee shot from behind them, looking down the fairway of the

signature hole. Get the shot just past impact with the ball in flight. They love it. BTW Get a shot of them as

they address the ball just in case they are a hacker and shank the drive into the woods!

 

JA

 

To practice timing, go to your local driving range with somebody that plays