Game called on account of fog...

[rutt]

I went to a game on Nantucket yesterday. The field really sucks for photography, high fence all the way around except for the outfield. But I noticed the two photographers for the two local newspapers had brought a lader and were atop the visitor's dugout, clinging to the rough roofing material. So up I went and shot until the game was called because of the fog.

These guys are good. But I miss little leage.

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531684-L.jpg

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531796-L.jpg

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531899-L.jpg

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531951-L.jpg


http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531953-L.jpg

[pathfinder]

I went to a game on Nantucket yesterday. The field really sucks for photography, high fence all the way around except for the outfield. But I noticed the two photographers for the two local newspapers had brought a lader and were atop the visitor's dugout, clinging to the rough roofing material. So up I went and shot until the game was called because of the fog.

These guys are good. But I miss little leage.


Great action shots!! - Were you using the 100-400 or the 70-200? Was it really that foggy too?

[damonff]

Hey Rutt! Longtime no read. Even though the shots are foggy, they still look great. The first one is my favorite.

[rutt]

Great action shots!! - Were you using the 100-400 or the 70-200? Was it really that foggy too?
I brought 100-400 because I loved it so much for little league. But in this venue on this particular day, the 70-200 might have been better. The only shots were on the 3rd base line and I was on top of the visitor's dugout, so I was close enough. I missed the very shallow DOF of the 70-200 because the backgrounds are pretty distracting.

It was really that foggy. The game really was called on account of fog at the end of 5. The umpires said they just couldn't see the ball. The park is right on the south shore of Nantucket, one of the foggiest places on the East Coast, and this was a foggy day. I think you can get an idea from this shot. Notice the difference between the pitcher and the people and cars in the background.

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531882-L.jpg

[rutt]

Hey Rutt! Longtime no read. Even though the shots are foggy, they still look great. The first one is my favorite.
Yeah, I considered using for the Challenge, but I don't think there was one as good as the one I entered. For me, there is something so great about good little league! The kids are just getting good and are so involved with the game and proud of themselves when they make the plays. It is still innocent, but they are playing hard. I would have needed a really exceptional shot of these guys...

[rutt]

Great action shots!! - Were you using the 100-400 or the 70-200? Was it really that foggy too?
BTW, something that has been known to work for me in the past with pictures shot in the fog or mist is white/black point correction. I'll have to try it on some of these.

[wxwax]

I've noticed that increasing the contrast removes fog/mist. This is actually an irritant when you want to preserve the foggy feeling.

[rutt]

I've noticed that increasing the contrast removes fog/mist. This is actually an irritant when you want to preserve the foggy feeling.
What do we think about the foggy feeling in these baseball shots? It's sort of unlikely...

[wxwax]

What do we think about the foggy feeling in these baseball shots? It's sort of unlikely...
Personally, the only shot I feel the fog is part of the story is the last, of the pitcher. All of the others look more like they have too little contrast, instead.

[rutt]

Personally, the only shot I feel the fog is part of the story is the last, of the pitcher. All of the others look more like they have too little contrast, instead.
Yes, I totally agree. I was asking sort of a rhetorical question. Fog + baseball < baseball, IMHO. Even XC skiing was better without the fog. Fog is nice, but so far I have not been able to blend with sports photography. Perhaps raincoat ads or noir novel illustrations. (Though the LL pictures from the It Was Ugly story were not sunny day baseball. But not fog either.)

[rutt]

Here is a before and after of one of these with B/W point correction, USM, and a little crop. The fog just vanishes. Hmm, I wonder what would happen with B/W correction on the shot of the pitcher with the foggy background. If it makes the pitcher sharper and preserves the fog in background...

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531951-L.jpg

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5618623-L.jpg

[rutt]

Hmm, I wonder what would happen with B/W correction on the shot of the pitcher with the foggy background. If it makes the pitcher sharper and preserves the fog in background...

Here is what happens:

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5531909-L.jpg

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/5618952-L.jpg