3 Challenges of Shooting High School Football

Submitted by jmichaelthurman on Tue, 11/22/2011 - 17:24

Public access

For the last year I've been struggling for interesting subjects to shoot. Well, I've been struggling for subjects other than my one-year-old. Those of you who have done the stay-at-home-parent gig will know what I mean.

My wife saved my creative bacon in October. The Homecoming football game was looming and she need shots for a project. The probelm she had was a) a lack of equipment to shoot sports and b) the lack of a shooter. Thus, my good fortune!

I hadn't shot sports since the days of FILM, but who am I to dissapoint my lovely wife?

(Okay. Sports means playing with very cool toys and watching the games from the sideline. Torture. I know.)

Up to the Challenge?

Keeping up with a toddler, photographically, can be work. Tracking a football game from a few feet away is a challenge of another level. Of the many things I needed to work out, the following are the three challenges which I considered the most important to meet.

1. Lights (or a lack, thereof)

Photography is all about the light.

The field where I shot the most was poorly lighted, but not as bad as it could have been. There were two banks of lights behind each bleacher. Each bank had three rows of lights. At ISO 1600 an aperture of f/2.8 metered an average shutter speed of 1/200th.

Ugh.

My kingdom for ISO 6400, right? That wasn't in the cards, or in the camera. For this series, I was limited to ISO 1600. Fortunately, good glass was more available than a faster body. Under demanding conditions, good glass just works.

Lesson: Buy the best glass before you buy the best camera.

2. Camera

How many times have you read your camera's manual?

How well did you understand that bit about AI Focus, AI Servo and One Shot AF modes?

How well do you understand how your camera's AF sensor systems works? (No, I don't mean from an engineering / programming perspective. I mean from a "how do I get the best perfomance" view point.)

Me neither. Until October 16th, that is. That's a Saturday...after a Friday night game. Oh, well. Live and learn.

I can't tell you how your camera works, but I can tell you how mine does...now.

Lesson: Find a non-critical opportunity to practice focus tracking under realistic shooting conditions...before you shoot a game about which you care.

3. Action

Be aware of the game you're covering. Know these "when and where" points:

The major action (frequently, "where's the ball?") is likely to occur.
You can see the faces of the players (and coaches) and they exhibit their most vibrant emotion.
You have the technical ability (light, lens, focus, composition) to capture images that will make the viewer pause...gasp...stop.
...and capture images that tell the story of the game.

Lesson: Know the game. Tell the story.

There are times to get on-field portraits in the can. My football project requires them.

On the other hand, they will not make anyone gasp.

Know why you're shooting.
Know what you need to get...and what you really want to get.
Know you're equipment.
Don't skimp on lenses.
Oh...and have an efficient workflow. More on that, later.

______________________