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Need pointers for shooting outdoor sports please

Discussion in 'Sports Photography' started by MD2595, Sep 29, 2008.

  1. MD2595

    MD2595

    835
    Jul 6, 2007
    Fort Worth, TX
    I was asked to take a few pics for a friend's daughter's 8U soccer game.

    I thought I was doing well with the D300 and Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 lens. I was chimping during the game and thought the pics looked good until I got home and looked at them on the monitor. I seem to have been catching quite a haze. I use a UV/Haze Sigma filter, and about half way through the game I switched to a Sigma circular polarizer.

    Are there any tips for eliminating this haze? I was trying to shoot with the sun at my back, but for some of the pics that doesn't seem to work.

    TIA,

    Matt
     
    MD2595, Sep 29, 2008
    #1
  2. photojedi

    photojedi

    60
    Sep 25, 2008
    NH
    what time of day were you shooting? as for the filters, and this is only my preference, i wouldn't use them for sports photography.
     
    photojedi, Sep 29, 2008
    #2
  3. kiwi

    kiwi

    4,934
    Jan 1, 2008
    Auckland, NZ
    Maybe post some examples Matt ?

    My only thought would be to take off the filters.
     
    kiwi, Sep 29, 2008
    #3
  4. nipprdog

    nipprdog

    1,781
    Jun 8, 2006
    IN
    Agreed on both counts.
     
    nipprdog, Sep 29, 2008
    #4
  5. jfriend

    jfriend

    313
    Nov 11, 2005
    SF Bay Area
    If you show us some of the photos, we might have a better idea what caused the haze look. Things to consider doing to minimize this:
    • Clean front element (no dust, no fingerprints)
    • No filters
    • Sun at your back (no sunlight on the front element and subject front-lit)
    • A good lens hood
    • Proper exposure w/o too much contrast setting
     
    jfriend, Sep 29, 2008
    #5
  6. Oldtime

    Oldtime

    2,166
    Jul 5, 2006
    Durham, NC
    With out photos as others have said this an stab in the dark
    I use a sigma with out filter with no problems
     
    Oldtime, Sep 29, 2008
    #6
  7. Aqualung

    Aqualung Subscribing Member

    16,847
    Dec 6, 2006
    West of Boston
    Yup, pix will help. FWIW I shoot this combo, just posted some from today, and the past month have made several posts if you search on my username...
     
    Aqualung, Sep 29, 2008
    #7
  8. MD2595

    MD2595

    835
    Jul 6, 2007
    Fort Worth, TX
    I had to run out to my son's baseball game last night, so I couldn't stick around to see any replies.

    I'm at work now, so I'll get an example posted when I get home.

    Oh, and the game started at 10:30 am and ended at 11:30, so it was pretty much mid day.
     
    MD2595, Sep 30, 2008
    #8
  9. MD2595

    MD2595

    835
    Jul 6, 2007
    Fort Worth, TX
    This is the haze...

    [​IMG]
     
    MD2595, Sep 30, 2008
    #9
  10. jfriend

    jfriend

    313
    Nov 11, 2005
    SF Bay Area
    For those interested in a larger version, I found it here:

    This image just has very low contrast. The likely reason is that you were shooting into the sun, perhaps even with sun on the front element which causes scattered light in the lens to reduce the overall contrast.

    This image can be improved a lot with simple post processing. In the future, you either have to avoid shooting into the sun or you have to get the exposure right while keeping the sun off the front element. In these conditions, I would definitely avoid a filter on the lens as that's just an additional sun-lit surface to cause scattered light.

    I did a black point adjustment and a white point adjustment and an s-curve for additional contrast.

    That turned this:
    384048476_QjpPz-XL.jpg
    Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)


    Into this:
    384047969_Qccmr-XL.jpg
    Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
     
    jfriend, Sep 30, 2008
    #10
  11. MD2595

    MD2595

    835
    Jul 6, 2007
    Fort Worth, TX
    Thanks for the help, next time I'll try to keep the sun out of the equation. I'm using the Sigma LH1134 lens hood, which is a large hood that comes with the 120-300 f2.8 APO DG HSM EX lens.

    I'd rather get as good as capture as I can than spend time in PP.

    I've got Lightroom 1 and CS3, but I just HATE sitting in front of the 'puter to fix a shot that I should have gotten right the first time.

    Again, thanks for the advice, next time I'll take the filters off.

    Matt
     
    MD2595, Sep 30, 2008
    #11
  12. kiwi

    kiwi

    4,934
    Jan 1, 2008
    Auckland, NZ
    Nice work on this John, I agree with what you have said

    The secret of shooting into the sun is using +EV comp (+.3 or even +.7) and get as much of the player in frame as possible to minimise the blown backgrounds. You can get some VERY nice results.

    Mike Mac is the master of this imho.
     
    kiwi, Sep 30, 2008
    #12
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