Freeze Frame Basketball

[tiffanyfoshee]

I have fondness for Sports Photography. I take advantage of all of my little brother's games when I attend them and shoot many shots. However, indoor photography is so hard. Right now it is basketball season and it seems like I take a hundred pictures, but only a few are worth keeping. I know I need a better lens, but I am still saving up fot that, so for now, what could I do to get better shots, and more than just a few good ones? I am getting a new external flash for Christmas, and I know that will help some with the lighting and red eye issues that I have. I've edited the attached photo some, hopefully it made my shot look better and not worse. Let me know what you think! Thanks so much!

Camera: EOS Rebel t1i

[Cola]

It looks a bit blurry, maybe try a faster shutter speed. When working with low light you need your shutter at its slowest without blurring. I stick around 1/80 at the slowest when doing handheld but your subjects are in motion. Try increasing your iso.

When using your flash on moving subjects be sure to use rear curtain flash on your camera. This way the slight blur you will get will be behind your subject and not in the direction they are moving.

I know it can be tough with moving subjects but try to still get a good composition to capture a moment. In this photo I see 2 backs so the image doesn't really speak to me. The girl in white doesn't really have an expression that conveys any kind of emotion to really tell a story with the photo.

Continuous focus is important in situations like this too.

[Jim Bryant]

The more pictures you take, the more sports photography becomes second nature to you. Practice, practice and practice more...is the key.

[amy_bb]

Tiffany, I feel your pain :-).

I also love to practice my sports photography and my current challenge is an indoor gym, no flash allowed, moving gymnasts and restricted distance from the action.

I had to bump up my ISO (and then had to fix noise in PP), use the fastest shutter speed possible, keep my lens wide open and shoot 880 pictures to get 160 that were passible with about 10 that were "pretty good".
The other thing I have learned is that as a hobby photographer w/o any kind of access pass and hobby-style equipment (if that's what you have, I guess I shoudn't assume), there are parts of the activity which will just NOT shoot well from my allowed bleacher/ location. Once I resign myself to this, I focus more on taking the best shots I can from the spot I am allowed to shoot from and not worry so much about shooting a little bit of everything. This way, I'm not messing w/my settings so much for the changing action and can focus more on composition and expression.

Just my 2cents...
Good luck!

[Jim Bryant]

if you're having problem with settings, try putting the camera on manuel, highest ISO and lowest f-stop, then adjusts your shutter speed until you get the proper exposure.

[lputman]

What are you shooting with?

[bookloveraz]

I like the editing you did to it, but wish that their heads were a tad lighter, and a tad sharper.

[wamplers]

You're still getting too much ambient light exposing the sensor, which is what is giving the blur. Up your shutter to your sync speed (1/250s) to reduce the ambient light and then try again. If still blurring, then drop your ISO. When using flash, you want the flash to freeze the motion.

[danbaileyphoto]

A hundred shots and only a few worth keeping. That's the way action and sports photography works. Welcome to the club!

The idea is to shoot tons of images and go for the one GREAT shot from the event.