Girls' Soccer - Too Busy?

[Chip]

Taken at a grade school soccer game, with the goal just off to the left.

Too many players in the shot? Is it too busy? Taken from too far away to have meaningful impact? Any other comments and criticisms would be appreciated. Thanks.




Camera: Nikon D90
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV

[wulf]

The colour looks good and it appears well-focused (as well as I can tell at this size). The overall cluster of players (blue and white, then two white vs two blue and then blue and white on the right) is excellent, with no chopped off or protruding limbs.

The weaker points are having heart of the action (the ball) in shade, the girl behind the blue player on the ball and possibly some of the individual expressions (blue 9 looks like you caught her mid-hop and not looking her most glamourous, although, again, hard to tell at this size).

However, it is hard to get all the elements working together because the purpose of the game is not just to let you have some pretty pictures. It looks like your basic settings are good. You need to just keep shooting, waiting for that moment when every player in the shot looks great; I'd say your odds of that shot coming up pretty soon are good, based on this showing.

Wulf

[wamplers]

Wulf makes some good points and I agree with what he says. I would crop it closer too.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by wulf

The colour looks good and it appears well-focused (as well as I can tell at this size). The overall cluster of players (blue and white, then two white vs two blue and then blue and white on the right) is excellent, with no chopped off or protruding limbs.

The weaker points are having heart of the action (the ball) in shade, the girl behind the blue player on the ball and possibly some of the individual expressions (blue 9 looks like you caught her mid-hop and not looking her most glamourous, although, again, hard to tell at this size).

However, it is hard to get all the elements working together because the purpose of the game is not just to let you have some pretty pictures. It looks like your basic settings are good. You need to just keep shooting, waiting for that moment when every player in the shot looks great; I'd say your odds of that shot coming up pretty soon are good, based on this showing.

Wulf

Thanks very much, Wulf. Your listing of the weak points is helpful. I'll keep trying to improve, with the hope that the stars will align for one of these photos at some point relatively soon.

Originally Posted by wamplers

Wulf makes some good points and I agree with what he says. I would crop it closer too.

wamplers - Thanks. I'll give your crop idea a try.

[wulf]

I probably wouldn't crop anything off the left and right - you will start to cut off the girls' limbs! You could trim some space off the top and bottom, making it more of a panoramic format though, and making the girls relatively larger in the frame.

Wulf

[kgb224]

My opinion is that you leave the picture as it is.Why remove the players on their way where the action is.Outstanding capture.

[Chip]

Thanks again, Wulf. And thank you, kgb224.

I looked at cropping just a bit off the bottom and/or top (not the sides) and is just didn't look right to my eye. I'll stick with the 16:9 format for this one.