doug_neeb

I am by no means a "pro" Maybe semi-pro or slightly advanced amateur. I like Breezebrowser. I take 250 - 300 shots at local HS football games. I put all the photos in a folder, batch rename by game. Then I open the Thumbnail view. On the right hand pane I can go flipping through all the images with just an arrow. There is a box you check to "Tag" and image. I tag preliminary keepers. Takes 10 minutes to go through the shoot. Tag anything that looks worth keeping. I then use the Select All Tagged function and copy (not move) the just the Tagged images into a folder. I then start whatever post processing I will do. If a Tagged image then looks crappy or cannot be cropped to something interesting, I just delete it from the Tagged folder.

 

You can find it here if you are intersted.

 

http://www.breezesys.com/BreezeBrowser/

 

Just my $.02 which when discouted to actual present value may be worth less.

 

Doug

I have started shooting high school football this year. Most of the games are at night under high school lights. Some stadiums have better lights than others.

 

Some tips I have learned. I shoot at 800 ISO with a f2.8 80-200mm Canon. Once the sun is down I shoot with aperature priority AV. In other words I "hard set" the camera at f2.8. That is wide open for light. I then let the camera automatically set the speed. You also need A! Servo autofocus and center metering.

 

Second, a good monopod is an absolute must. The lens is heavy, and as the game goes on it is nearly impossible to get good shots with handheld.

 

Third, I always try to shoot from the visitor sideline. It means tha tthe home crowd in the stands, and the home team on the sideline, will be in the background. Much better than cars or powerlines or just empty stands.

 

Fourth, you must pick your places and then blast away. I try to anticiate when the play will go to my side of the field. I try to focus on a single player (even a lineman). Once I shoot, though, I usually just hold the button down and blast until the play ends or the buffer fills. I shoot 300+ shots a game and keep 75 - 100. Get a bigger digital card and fill it up. No shame is trashing a bunch to get some good ones.

 

Fifth, try for non-acton shots. Kids on the sideline or talking to the coach or the huddle as it breaks or the linemen in a stance or the wide receiver on the line. Much easier to shoot and good images.

 

Finally, if you have read this far.. here is the link to my shots from this year. I am still learning.

 

http://dmneeb.exposuremanager.com/wildcat_football

 

Hope some of this helps.

 

Doug

I use Exposure Manager at www.exposuremanager.com They give unlimited storage space for like $79. You upload thumbnail size, anyone can browse and then order. You can set the prices you charge. Works for me. BTW I am not affiliated in anyway with the site other than as a user.

I have a couple of questions about white balance settings. I know

that these sound very basic and simple, but I just need some

understanding.

 

First, I have a cardboard card that I have purchased. It is 18%

grey on one side and white on the other. I mostly know how to shoot

a card to use for a custom white balance. I certainly know how to

use my camera (Canon D30) to set custom white balance. But here is

the one place I seem lost. Am I better to shoot the grey side or

the white side? I mostly shoot HS football so it is always

outside..sometimes in daylight and sometimes under stadium lights.

I have been shooting the white side, and then using that image as

the custom white balance. I have just begun to shoot in RAW

format. If I shoot the grey side do I then just tell my camera that

the grey image is white? Sorry that doesn't seem to make sense to

me.

 

Second, and this should be quick. When I shoot the card to get an

image to use as custom white balance, do I shoot it with my camera

set to automatic white balance? In other words, what is the correct

white balance setting to use when shooting a white card?

 

Just confused.

 

And, thanks in advance for any help.

 

Doug

I just bought a used 2x extender for my AE-1 program. I do not think that the 2x extender lens will allow me to use the AE features anymore. It doesn't click at the green A on the 50mm lens. Here is my question, can I set the speed to program and then set the F-stop to whatever reads on the internal meter? What if the internal F-Stop that shows is blinking? Not just the highest or lowest F-Stop but all the F-Stops blink sometimes and when there is more light they stop. If I manually set the speed will the internal meter show me the right F-Stop to use? Is one way to "guess" to put the 50mm lens on without the extender, get a F-Stop reading at the spped I want, then put on the extender and adjust the F-Stops by two settings? thenAny advice would be helpful. Thanks Doug