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General Photography Technique Discussion on General Photography Technique

Grainy digital images

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  #11  
Old 26-01-09, 19:49
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Quick rule of thumb for telephoto work is that the speed should be the inverse of the focal length times 1.6 (for crop factor). For 300mm focal length, then 300x1.6 = 480, therefore speed = 1/480th second (as Christine advised).
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  #12  
Old 26-01-09, 21:25
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Thanks Mike, something else to jot down in the memory.

Is there another rule for low light conditions? I cannot use a flash for very obvious reasons yet I'd still love to take photos under floodlight conditions of around 120 lux. Would this mean a much better camera or dare I push the ISO to it's max of 1600?

TBH, I'm not used to having the luxury of setting the ISO for perhaps each and every photo taken and until it was mentioned above it never even entered my head I now have this readily avalable.
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  #13  
Old 26-01-09, 22:06
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Put the ISO up to 1600 in those conditions, it will be a bit noisy but far better than no shot or a blurred one. Spot focus is a real boon for wildlife or sports, most people who do that sort of photography use it all the time. Do not underexpose the shot at high ISO as this will increase the noise a lot.
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  #14  
Old 26-01-09, 22:29
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Thanks Mike, the club have a friendly game tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, I may just take the camera with me for a few test shots and see what comes from them. Until now I never had the equipment or money to throw away on conditions like this, a whole new world is opening before my eyes.
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  #15  
Old 26-01-09, 23:22
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Low light photography is best with a tripod and long exposures (provided that the subject is not moving). Bracketing the exposure is a good idea. Also, shoot in RAW: white balance adjustment is better than with JPEG and the dynamic range is a bit more.
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  #16  
Old 26-01-09, 23:40
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So much to remember, but I will definately give all options mentioned a try.

I will be taking along a monopod, my tripod is a bit cumbersome especially if I have to move out of the way in a hurry.

Sports photography is so very different from my usual comfort zone but I feel like a kid again and can't wait to test myself in this new arena
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  #17  
Old 27-01-09, 00:30
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Hi Trevor,

They're not bad shots as a starting point.
Yeah, definately a monopod if you need the support...never a tripod unless really want to cause much grief.
Digital is great, and experimenting is great. Take plenty of shots and be prepared to ditch most of them. Be ruthless.
I've just finished wading through over 3000 images taken at a football game last saturday. I've ended up with just over 100 shots I'm happy with just over a dozen the club can use for their own purposes, and just two I would be happy to include in a portfolio.
I don't claim to an expert football snapper, I'm learning myself, but know from others who are more experienced I've had contact with, that If 1 in every 10 shots taken are 'keepers', you're either one of the world's best sports snappers, or you're not being ruthless enough!.......anyone who's telling you anything different is telling you porkies!


Some of the tips I've picked up from others, and some I've found out the hard way myself;

Always use single point AF....on continous AF mode (servo AF I think on canon?)

Set the camera to activate the AF with the back button only (* button on canon?)...not the shutter release button. It gives you more accurate control over AF...as the action isn't always bang on that centre point.

I use matrix metering and have a function button programmed up for spot metering. taking spot meter readings off the players is pretty accurate normally.

Unless it's a really bright sunny day, open up the lens aperture as wide as it'll go.

Try to achieve a shutter speed 1/400- 1/500 minimum. If you can't get this crank up the ISO. Players and ball are more likely to be blurry when travelling across the frame, so aiming at action travelling towards you could get lucky and get a shot off at nearer 1/250.

Try to antipate where the action will be.....try second guessing which team mate the goalkeeper is going hoof the ball too. Great to get some jump shots in the air
Likewise, tracking a winger down the line with the ball is ok, but swing your gaze to the centre box for the all important ball cross.

Positioning; It might appear a little anti-social to others, but get yourself sat low down somewhere between a corner flag and goal posts.......a great position for action shots.....However, murphy's law dictates your always at the wrong end of the pitch when something good happens! Try to fill the frame with action, wait for it to come nearer, as it'll save heavy cropping on the image.

With later floodlit games I've been using f/2.8 wide open, ISO 1600 and 3200 and still only getting a shutter around the minimum of 1/400- 1/500. So good luck with the game tommorrow!....I might be inclined to try and get some 'pan' shots with slow shutter speeds...stood on the sidelines and players running past with the ball, they'll not be sharp but they use the slow shutter blur creatively, maybe?

Hope this helps?

good luck tommorrow


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  #18  
Old 27-01-09, 03:46
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Since you’re at it Trevor, try few more options.

Joe has already mentioned in his post about AI SERVO. Set your camera to AI SERVO mode and preset your focusing points. You can save your focusing points as your custom function (CF). AI SERVO mode won’t give you any focus confirmation as beep or light as it’ll focus continuously and lock just before you press the shutter for capture. Shooting with AI SERVO mode needs some practice. AI SERVO mode also eats up battery faster than normal shooting. So keep spare batteries handy.

Members like Canis Vulpes and nigelblake can give their experienced viewpoints here.

If you have any so called protective filter on your lens, remove that and try out. Chances are that you’ll get better/sharper shot. Longer focal length lenses don’t like regular filters. I can’t give a scientific reason for it but that’s what I’ve noticed.

More from big gun gurus here.
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  #19  
Old 27-01-09, 10:49
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Trevor,
I've attached a few pictures I took last saturday, to try and illustrate my suggestions.

The first one was taken as a penalty was taken. It gave me time to prefocus (exactly as Rudra suggests above) on the ball, and frame the shot ready for the player to run into shot and kick it. Bonus is you know the ball is going to be sharp, but watch out for the players 'kicking' leg...that's gonna be the first thing to go blurry. Set piece moves where you know that the ball and/or players are going to be in a set place really helps increase the chances of getting sharp images......Rugby Union is a much easier field sport to photograph in this respect! American football is a sport I've not but I'd love to photograph because of this too.

The second illustrates my point about filling the frame with action. I took this as action got quick close to me. It can be a bit hit and miss regards the framing and crop, so have your motor set to continuous shooting. Would also say take plenty of shots, as the chances are the action you see in the viewfinder has already been and gone by the time the camera mirror flips up and shutter opens!....try and press the shutter release slightly before the action happens (sounds mystic, but gets easier with practice).

The third shot shows what you'll probably be getting as the light goes and the floodlights switch on. Shadows get harsher, light isn't as bright, and shots get more 'grain'/noise on them. I've tried to reduce this on neat image program (photoshop has a similar 'filters' function), but the tendency is for everything to go a bit smudgy and soft if it's filtered too much (I'm guilty as charged!) notice also, the ball getting abit blurry, a result of slowing down the shutter speed due to poor light levels.


I hope this helps?

cheers
Joe
Attached Images
File Type: jpg _D2H3730_edit_rs.jpg (125.0 KB, 17 views)
File Type: jpg _D2H3937_edit_rs.jpg (200.1 KB, 17 views)
File Type: jpg _D2H4050_edit_rs.jpg (202.2 KB, 18 views)
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Last edited by Joe; 27-01-09 at 11:09.
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  #20  
Old 27-01-09, 18:02
Trevor Trevor is offline  
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I really appreciate both Joe's and Rudra Sens' input and advice, sadly I don't have a lens that I can get open to f/2.8, f/3.5 is the best I've got with the smaller lens, I might give this a try tonight and hope that some of the action comes my way. I wish I did have a f2.8 lens and may have to convince my wife that I need another lens at some point in the future.

Anyway, it has been a beautiful day here so I took myself off to the coast to practice a few shots in what are my usual comfort zones. I just set the ISO, let the camera sort the f stop and I manually focused, although not action I'm delighted with todays results.

Here are two photos that show the difference after taking some of the previous advice. The first swan is the jpeg after convertion from RAW, the second is a crop of the same picture, the same goes for the second two images. I feel much happier with my investment this evening after feeling quite depressed about it on Sunday before I joined this forum. Thanks one and all.
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File Type: jpg Swan 01.jpg (317.3 KB, 7 views)
File Type: jpg Swan.jpg (356.1 KB, 10 views)
File Type: jpg Aldeburgh 01.jpg (114.2 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpg Distressed 01.jpg (155.6 KB, 10 views)
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Last edited by Trevor; 27-01-09 at 18:07.
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