Another MMA Photo

[bcummings88]

I can't seem to get the lighting proper. In some photos that are less zoomed in, the pictures came out well but others, like this one, they came out dark. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it.

Camera: Nikon Coolpix P90
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal Length: 59.9 mm
ISO Speed: 3200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

[bobby62914]

Larger aperture and manual focus. If the fighters are further away from the fence it will disappear with a large aperture...

[Jim Bryant]

Have you thought about getting equipment that will allow you to photography such events. I know there's that old adage of , it's not the equipment, but the operator. Well... in this case, I'd get rid of that cool pix and buy some proper gear.

[harrysixtie7]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

Have you thought about getting equipment that will allow you to photography such events. I know there's that old adage of , it's not the equipment, but the operator. Well... in this case, I'd get rid of that cool pix and buy some proper gear.

I 2nd that, the cool pix is struggling. Ideally you need a lens with a wide apeture throught the zoom range, or something that handles a high ISO well. It might be SLR time if MMA is what you plan on shooting a lot of.

[Niepce]

Originally Posted by harrysixtie7

Ideally you need (...) something that handles a high ISO well.

Definitely, but considering that the ISO is 3200, the Coolpix handles it pretty well I think (consider that, a few years ago, such a figure was just unthinkable...).

[Elmo]

From an equipment collector. I do not think any high priced camera could do better in relating the dark gloom of the activity. crop out the spectator on the right and it is beautiful story telling piece.

I know the shot is not what you were after but it does a beautiful job of telling a story to me. The key to most good photographs is they must tell a story.

Elmo

[Chip]

The more you zoom in, the smaller the aperture (unless you're using a fixed-aperture zoom lens like Jim ). So, the more you zoom, the darker your pictures will be . . . unless you or the camera can fully offset the smaller aperture by using a slower shutter and/or higher ISO.

(too slow a shutter can lead to motion blur, so that's another complication)

Looks very good for ISO 3200.

Anyway you can get closer to the action and zoom in less? Or maybe just zoom in less and crop?

[BryanC]

Your image has a certain look to it that reminds me of a famous painting: 'Stag at Sharkeys'

http://redtreetimes.files.wordpress....t-sharkeys.jpg

[bcummings88]

Originally Posted by Elmo

From an equipment collector. I do not think any high priced camera could do better in relating the dark gloom of the activity. crop out the spectator on the right and it is beautiful story telling piece.

I know the shot is not what you were after but it does a beautiful job of telling a story to me. The key to most good photographs is they must tell a story.

Elmo

I thought about cropping out the spectators to the right but decided to leave them in because they are actually the guy on tops corner men.

And until I can save up for a "real" camera, the CoolPix is all I have.

[BryanC]

Originally Posted by BryanC

Your image has a certain look to it that reminds me of a famous painting: 'Stag at Sharkeys'

http://redtreetimes.files.wordpress....t-sharkeys.jpg

I don't know how my original comment was taken, but it was meant as complimentary. I really like this image.

Originally Posted by Elmo

From an equipment collector. I do not think any high priced camera could do better in relating the dark gloom of the activity. crop out the spectator on the right and it is beautiful story telling piece.

I know the shot is not what you were after but it does a beautiful job of telling a story to me. The key to most good photographs is they must tell a story.

Elmo

I was thinking along the same lines as Elmo...that it might not be the shot you were after, but to me it's a great image. As he mentioned also, it tells the story. Brutal? Yes, but isn't that part of the story? It really captures the mood and action without having to be crystal clear, in your face. Everyone in the photo is sort of vague and anonymous, yet you know who they are. The fighters...you caught them at a perfect moment to tell the story...one in an obvious advantage, the other, well, not so much. There's the cornermen, the little detail of the gloved hand of one grasping the chain link fence of the cage. The pattern of the cage itself, the light playing off of it. The spectators behind the fighters, one looks like he's smiling, one looks like he's yelling something, the female with maybe a concerned or shocked look, the silhouette of another man in the back.

I think it's a pretty powerful image. Again, maybe not what you were looking for, but I think you captured something unique...just my opinion.