Indoor high school volleyball

[SJH Foto]

Here is one of my volleyball images. Please tell me if you think the action shot is eye-catching and dynamic enough to be interesting. Also, does the noise seem too great to make the shot noteworthy?

It was taken with the Canon 40d at ISO 3200 100mm f/2 with a shutter speed of 1/800sec. Alas, I only have Photoshop Elements 2.0 to work with.

For more of my work, go to www.sjhfoto.com

[Mikey054]

One of the most important rules in photographing action is to fill the frame with the chosen subject. This picture has to much going on and this will distract the viewer from the key player (no.23). If the picture had this player only, filling the frame, the impact would be dynamic. It would still tell the story of the game, but would stand out instead of the viewers eye travelling all around the picture. You have, in my opinion nearly captured a great shot.
I often shoot indoor sports, but to date have never had to increase my iso rating to more than 800. so I was impressed with your 3200. Keep at it, practice, practice practice. You are definately on the right track.

I have often spent hours at baseball, soccer etc, watching where the plays will erupt into something interesting, then letting loose. I usually take anywhere between 200 -400 frames and from that I may get 10 to 15 shotes that are suitable for print....and then I am happy. Good luck and all the best.

[smc1377]

I was looking at your website and I'm curious as to why a good portion of your volleyball pics have the bottom half of the athlete's body cut off.

[southernbelle]

I was wondering the same thing...

[SJH Foto]

Thank you for asking! I try to get a full range of different pictures. Some are close-ups, while others have a full-body shot. Especially when they are in mid-jump or making a dynamic play. What do you think? Should I change my shooting style? Maybe more full-body shots will be more interesting? You can email me at SHagins_17551 at yahoo dot com or respond here

[smc1377]

Yes, you probably should change your shooting style. Sports photography is unlike portrait photography in that upper body shots/close-ups usually aren't desirable. They don't tell enough of a story to make them interesting. If anything, it actually looks awkward and only leaves the viewer wondering what the heck was going on.

Looking through your photos, I really had no idea what was going on at the time. Were they just standing there? Were they mid-air? Did they just spike the ball? Or were they just making a funny face?