Girls softball - Homage to MikeMac

Inspired by Mike's great photos and even better advice, I went out yesterday to shoot some of my daughter's softball game. The midday florida sun once again was my worst enemy with blown highlights and shadowy faces. I still perservered in an effort to emulate Mike's great sports portraits.

I'm not close, but I'm definitely getting better!

#1


#2


#3- I caught it!


#4


#5


#6 - Don't look at the ball!!!


#7


#8 - Soft, but I finally got the elusive "ball on bat"


#9 - Fastball! (Through the backstop fence)

 

Thanks, Gale.

Maybe it's me, but I always seem to get a strange, brown cast when I use shadow/highlight. I've never been satisfied with the colors after I use this tool.

Thanks for looking, Mike! I never shot softball with the 300mm before yesterday. It certainly forced me to think about my composition with each shot.

 

Peter,
She plays on her school softball team. This is not affiliated with the ASA. We play other middle schools in our area and (fortunately) do no traveling.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

Hey, thanks for looking at these. I was hoping you would chime in.

I did the PP on all of these in about 30minutes at 0600 this morning. I was just so excited to see these and get them posted. I will go back on some of these and see if I can selectively lighten some of the shadows.

You sold your 300mm, f4 lens. What are you waiting for?? I thought you would have your f2.8 by now. Sigma or Nikon???

 

I do use a monopod with this lens. There's no way I could hold this lens steady on a D2X for an entire sporting event. I just don't have the guns for it!

I'm now wondering why I bothered to get the VR version of this lens. I shoot mostly sports (like you) with this lens and try to keep the shutterspeed above 1/1000 where VR is just not an issue.

 

Thanks for commenting, Rod. I've always enjoyed your sports pics.

Shooting softball with a long prime was really an interesting experience. It really forced me to go into portrait mode and focus more on faces rather than capturing all of the action on the field.

 

Thanks for looking at these, Eric. I'll have to check out that action you recommended. I haven't had much luck with the standard PS shadow/highlights tool.

 

Topher, I've had this lens now for only 6 weeks. I've used it primarily for shooting sports on a monopod. With the high shutterspeeds required to capture sporting events, I've had the VR turned off the entire time. The VR just gives the lens a bit of lag and in no way helps with the shooting.

I'm beginning to ask myself whether I should have saved the money and looked for a minty 300mm, f2.8 AF-SI or II instead of the new VR version. I just have not had the need or the opportunity to use the VR on this lens. I truly wonder if you will ever use it. It does have the new "nano crystal" coating (whatever that is):biggrin: . I doubt I will be selling my toy, but in retrospect, I am certainly second guessing my decision.