all-star sports photograph

<p>Still looking for some help on this. Does no one have any Minor league teams or colleges that they do business with?</p>

<p>This question lends its self to be posted not only here but in the business forums. And so I have opted to post here.</p>

<p>I have begun to grow fairly rapidly over the past few months. I started my business nearly 4 years ago and for what ever reason now is the time that the clients are really coming. This question is aimed at those of you that have contracts with local minor league sports teams, colleges, high schools, organizations and so on.Or do you have contracts???</p>

<p>I can't see approaching HS and asking them to pay you to do T&I since parents are going to be purchasing pictures. I can see having them pay you if they want say 20-30, 16x20 prints to put up around school. And then colleges is a real mystery for me. I can't see selling a lot of T&I pictures to the players and parents if any at all. At the college level I think it would be more about the college having pictures to hang and for web and print. The same for minor league teams.</p>

<p>For those of you that work with these groups already do you sign contracts with them or is it an open ended non written agreement. I'd like to make sure I put something in place to protect the items I put out there and also cover myself so the schools don't try and sneak things in like I know they will. I work for a local HS and I know how many of them operate and think of photos.</p>

<p>I guess the bottom line is I'm being asked by Schools, Groups, and local sports teams to do pictures. I want to make sure I get contract were necessary and find out what other of you may be dong, since I can't go ask the few photographers that I'm starting to compete with. And make sure I'm trying to get whats fair so I can move my growing business forward.</p>

<p>Sorry if this post is all over the place.</p>

 

<p>Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the input.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses so far. However, in this case a folding dolly is not an option. My current camera bag is not large enough to carry all my gear in one bag and I need to get a larger bag to carry everything together. The Lowepro x300 and the Thinktank Airport Security V2.0 are looking to be my best options right now.And both are airport friendly in the event that I need to fly with my bag in the future.</p>

<p>If anyone has any other suggestions or bits of info to help please let me know</p>

<p>I'm going to be buying a rolling case here soon and looking for some insight from those that use a rolling style camera case. I'm looking at the Lowepro x200 , x300 and a few different Thinktank cases. I'm going to be calling B&H and Thinktank to ask questions but I wanted to get some feed back from those of you that are using one currently.</p>

<p>The gear that will be going into the case is as follows.<br>

2x D300's with grips<br>

300mm on the camera "main lens"<br>

70-200mm<br>

17-55mm<br>

Nikon flash<br>

Quantum Flash if it will fit<br>

Quantum power pack<br>

Pocket wizards<br>

wet weather gear<br>

and other goodies.</p>

<p>If anyone has a list of gear close to this, what case are you using to get it all around in? And do you have any pro's and con's about the one that you have or have tried?</p>

<p>My first concern is to make sure that the case is big enough to get it all in to keep from carrying multiple bags to game locations.</p>

 

<p>To all those who may search for this same answer in the future. Problem solved. The radio triggers that come with the Photoflex Starlight kits do not sync to the specs that they claim which is 1/250. the max sync speed they will work to is 1/160. I left all my setting as they were before but set the shutter to 1/250 on my camera and with Pocketwizards now attached as the transmitter and receiver and they worked perfect.</p>

<p>Also food for thought. The Photoflex transmitter died after one use. The strobes seem to be great but the weak link is the transmitters and recievers they sell. If you buy a set of Photoflex strobes invest in Pocketwizards. they are well worth the money.</p>

<p>I was planning on using the strobes anywhere from simple portraits to using them to light sporting events, which is what I mainly shoot. For portraits that 1/160 isn't a problem. its the sports side that I'm worried about. I found someone that is going to let me borrow some pocketwizards tomorrow so I should soon have my answer soon. If there is anyone that know about these strobes specifically please still respond.</p>

<p>Ok. here is the gear list.<br>

*Photoflex StarFlash 650<br>

*D300s<br>

*Photoflex wireless triggers</p>

<p>I just bought these last weekend and I thought they would sync with my D300 at 1/250. But the fastest I can get the strobes to sync are at 1/160. I have only used them once and I got everything out to play with it again and see if I had a setting messed up and the wireless transmitter no longer works, (piece of cheap @$&*). So anyway I don't have a way to test any play with the strobes right now until I can get some new triggers.</p>

<p>Is anyone familiar with these strobes and do you know if they will sync at 1/250. I was going to test and see if there was a delay with the remotes causing a slow sync, and a few other things. But will I can't. If anyone knows that would be great otherwise I will do some testing once I can get some triggers.</p>

Hey Paulie, thanks for reminding me why I stopped coming to this site. Never said it was difficult to get the settings correct. Just said it was difficult to shoot. Just because you can get the settings right doesn't mean you are going to get the images. Low light HS Gyms and fast action sports have many challenges and settings are just a part of it. But hey thanks for taking the time to take a jab at me will I was just trying to share a cool photo.

<p>No flash. They kick all the lights off over the crowds during the Varsity games. So all you have is the lights over the court. Makes for very difficult shooting but sometimes the end result like this makes for a cool look.</p>

I was privileged to be in the right spot at the right time last night to be able to capture this shot. Thought I

would share it.<div></div>

<p>If you have a local shop that works with acrylic you can always start there. they may have some clear boxes already or can possibly make you one. Other wise I would just start using google and putting in some basic descriptions and terms and see what you can come up with.</p>

<p>I shoot a lot of HS softball and baseball this time of the year and I rented a Nikon 300 f2.8 for about a month or so. It is quit a bit different to shoot with than my 70-200, but I really like it. <br>

I plan on shooting with it as much as possible and trying all sorts of stuff out to test the lens. So what I really was hoping is to get a few pointers from those of you that have a 300 and use it daily. Now I'm not looking for settings. I'm just looking for any tips that might help me in getting used to shooting with this beast.</p>

<p>People just don't care.... I think it is a lack of respect form one Photographer to another. Plain and simple.</p>

<p>And it unfortunately gets worse as the number people purchase semi high end cameras and start calling them selves photographers.</p>

<p>Personally if I showed up at an event and found out there was another Photographer that was the Official Photographer for that event I would not shoot for sale. I may get some shoots to add to my portfolio but I would not turn around and sell them. I would not want another photographer to do that to me so I would not do that to them.</p>

<p>I had seen a few on You Tube but I had not seen that one. Interesting. Thanks for sharing that one.</p>

<p>Thanks for the input. It sounds like the strobes win.But I may look at a pair of AB1600 to either bounce off of the gym roof or defuse the light. Maybe better to dial back the 1600's and shoot half power or what ever than push the 800's to full power.</p>

<p>As for insurance and mounting I had already assumed that that was a given. There is no way I would put a strobe up in the stands and not make sure that it was tied down or mounted in some fashion.</p>

<p>As I stated in my previous post I'm not a fan of this and would rather shoot available light but the agencies that I am now starting to shoot for are looking for shoots that are shot at a much lower ISO than 1600. So I am forced to conform to their standards to be able to contribute.</p>

<p>My question goes out to the people out there that are currently shooting HS indoor sports using lighting devices.<br>

I first have to say I'm not a big fan of it but several agencies that I'm now starting to shoot for require that I light. So this is my question.</p>

<p>For those of you that do. Do you prefer remote speed lights or strobes?</p>

<p>I have an SB-900 and was thinking of buying another one to start lighting, but I could get two 800 Alien bees for almost the same price. So that got me thinking. Is there a draw back to using strobes vs a speed light. Power could be one I know, but functionally? Any thoughts. Or could there be an advantage to strobes?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Look into a Sanho Hyperdrive. Right now they are very hard to find, but i know several people that use them and they back up vary quickly.</p>

<p>That was interesting. Thanks for sharing your find.</p>

<p>Upload an example of what your talking about for better help. Sounds like shutter speed but the EXF data will be a big help.</p>

<p>I would go with the 70-200 f4 if that fits your budget. That way you have the better glass and the ability do add a teleconvertor later. </p>

<p>Thanks Joseph. With all that info I think I could write a book on my response, but I won't.</p>

<p>I'm not sure on the ISO on your 1D MarkII as I shoot Nikon. So I'm not sure on the ISO quality at the higher speeds. As for the 300 f4, I'm not a big fan. I have always known the f2.8 large tele to have better glass and functionality. But I could be wrong.</p>

<p>Also with the extenders I have heard of cases were there is a mismatch with the lens and an extender, and the end results or soft images. I have been told that people have sent their lenses in to the manufacturer and had them matched to an extender. I have never done it so I don't know personally.</p>

<p>Personally what I would do is look at renting a 300mm f2.8, 400 f2.8 and even maybe a 400 f4 and see what you like.<br>

<a href="http://www.samys.com/">Sammy's Camera</a><br>

<a href="Borrow Lenses.com">Borrow Lenses.com</a><br>

<a href="http://www.lensrentals.com/for-all">Lens Rentals.com</a></p>

<p>Here are a few that I know of, and see for yourself. You could also try renting a newer body and pairing it with your 300mm f4 and see what you get. You may just need a newer body that functions better at higher ISO speeds.</p>

<p>Also if you can post an unedited image with all the meta data in tact I would interested in seeing what what you are talking about. Seeing an unedited image a lot of times helps me a little better. I might be able to see something else for you to think about.</p>

<p>David</p>

 

<p>there are a few things I didn't see in your post, what time of day are you shooting? Are you shooting day time or HS at night, indoors or outside? Also what body are you using? Which 300mm are you shooting with currently. What ISO are you shooting at?</p>

<p>Also depending on how much you crop out and then how big you try to enlarge it you are going to get a softer looking image.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>there are a few things I didn't see in your post, what time of day are you shooting? Are you shooting day time or HS at night, indoors or outside? Also what body are you using? Which 300mm are you shooting with currently. What ISO are you shooting at?</p>

<p>Also depending on how much you crop out and then how big you try to enlarge it you are going to get a softer looking image.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p>and even better if it allows to keep autofocus and F4 with the 1.4 extender.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It won't allow you to keep the f4 with the 1.4 teleconverter on your 70-300 F4-5.6. With the 1.4 tele your will loose one stop so your f4-f5.6 now becomes an f5.6-f8.</p>

<p>On a 2x teleconverter you loose 2 stops and your lens is now an f8-f11 70-300mm.</p>

<p>Look at the specs on the teleconverters and you will see. They tell you in the specs how many stops you will loose with their teleconverter.</p>