NFL Football - some results

[DJ-S1]

Thanks to all the great tips I received, I got a few pretty decent shots at the Patriots - Bucs game today. (Pats dominated 28-0, if you are interested:D )

Please critique these so I can improve should I ever luck into tickets again!

Tom Brady cranks it up from a nicely-formed pocket

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680499-M.jpg

Colvin tries to strip the ball from Cadillac Williams

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680507-M.jpg

Dillon sheds a tackle...

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680509-M.jpg

...and prepares to lower the boom on a defensive back

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680513-M.jpg

I just got in so I haven't worked up many of them yet, but I thought I'd share a few to thank you all for the help. What do you think? :ear

[Eric&Susan]

I think you did darn good:thumb

I like the action in the first one and of Dillion lowering his head.

I have Brady on my fantasy team and almost didn't start him today but thankfully I did. It's good to see the Pats back in form in time for the playoffs:clap

Eric

[DJ-S1]

Thanks Eric - it was a good time and they played very well. Got most of their injured guys back for a few weeks now so that helps a lot.

[wxwax]

Nice job! "Dillon sheds a tackle" is the best, I reckon. The player is nicely isolated from the surroundings and is in a good action pose. When shooting from the stands, it's impossible to get the narrow depth of field you need to isolate a player from his background.

[yoyostock]

Those look great! This weekend, I'll be in similar shoes as DJ last weekend. My Redskins are playing the Giants in order to keep our playoff hopes alive. I scored some great seats 16 rows up from the field at the 50 yard-line. I'd like to borrow a lens and take it with me to try and get some shots (Just checked; FedEx Field is OK with bringing the camera and no restrictions on lenses).DJ, I think you said you used a 70-200 f/4L for your Pats game, is that right? Does anyone have an opinion about using the 70-200 f/4 versus the f/2.8? The weather is expected to be partly sunny and it's going to be a day game. Anyone think there will be a significant difference between using either of those two lenses?

[JimM]

Those look great! This weekend, I'll be in similar shoes as DJ last weekend. My Redskins are playing the Giants in order to keep our playoff hopes alive. I scored some great seats 16 rows up from the field at the 50 yard-line. I'd like to borrow a lens and take it with me to try and get some shots (Just checked; FedEx Field is OK with bringing the camera and no restrictions on lenses).DJ, I think you said you used a 70-200 f/4L for your Pats game, is that right? Does anyone have an opinion about using the 70-200 f/4 versus the f/2.8? The weather is expected to be partly sunny and it's going to be a day game. Anyone think there will be a significant difference between using either of those two lenses?

For a day game, f/4 should be fine. I think I would try to score a longer lens if you shooting from the stands though. Try to grab a 300mm, or even a 70-300mm. Good luck!

[DJ-S1]

Yeah, f/4 was okay - I shot mostly at ISO800 and speeds were around 1/500. I agree that if I had a choice between f/2.8 and 300mm, I'd take 300mm. Just have fun, I sure did! And don't forget to post the results. :thumb

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/49102234-L.jpg

[yoyostock]

Thanks! It's my first effort at shooting some sports shots, so this should be pretty fun. I'll certainly post something after the weekend. Well, my local shop has the 70-300mm (f/4.5-5.6) DO lens. How would that work? It's either that or the 70-200mm f/2.8 they have.

[DJ-S1]

What body are you shooting with?

[yoyostock]

20D. What body are you shooting with?

[DoctorIt]

Nice results DJ. :thumb

[Chase]

70-200 f2.8 with a teleconverter.

[DJ-S1]

I was shooting a 20D as well. I had to crop the heck out of them to show pretty good action. So I guess I would lean to the 300mm and try ISO1600. But I don't think the 200mm 2.8 would be a bad choice, you just have to crop a lot.

Just make sure whatever you do that you keep your shutter speed up there, at least 1/500, but faster than that is better. Good luck!

[Murphy66]

Good shooting, I am so jealous!

I've been a Pats fans since Jim Plunket's days. It's great to see them playing well again and your excellent shots.

I have the 70-200 f4 and the 1.4 extender. I have noticed that the USM is much slower with the extender on, just FYI.

Go shoot some more of the best team in football!

[yoyostock]

Thanks, DJ! I ended up swapping the 200mm with the 300mm. I'll post the results after the weekend. Here's to some good pics and a win!

[DJ-S1]

Good shooting, I am so jealous!

I've been a Pats fans since Jim Plunket's days. It's great to see them playing well again and your excellent shots.

I have the 70-200 f4 and the 1.4 extender. I have noticed that the USM is much slower with the extender on, just FYI.

Go shoot some more of the best team in football!

Thanks Murph - they are getting dangerous again, just in time to make a run I hope!

[DJ-S1]

Thanks, DJ! I ended up swapping the 200mm with the 300mm. I'll post the results after the weekend. Here's to some good pics and a win!

Good luck! I'm torn on the Skins-Giants. I was a Redskins fan when I was a kid (we lived in VA at the time) But I’ve been a Patriot’s fan for over 25 years now. My wife is a lifelong Giants fan, so I wouldn’t mind seeing them win a bit, too. Here’s to a well-played game and a lot of fun taking photos!

[brawler1970]

:):

hey, you are ready for some playboy shots now!!!! nice photos!!!

"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time."
- Vince Lombardi


www.benchclearingbrawl.com (http://www.benchclearingbrawl.com)






Thanks to all the great tips I received, I got a few pretty decent shots at the Patriots - Bucs game today. (Pats dominated 28-0, if you are interested:D )

Please critique these so I can improve should I ever luck into tickets again!

Tom Brady cranks it up from a nicely-formed pocket

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680499-M.jpg

Colvin tries to strip the ball from Cadillac Williams

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680507-M.jpg

Dillon sheds a tackle...

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680509-M.jpg

...and prepares to lower the boom on a defensive back

http://daveorama.smugmug.com/photos/48680513-M.jpg

I just got in so I haven't worked up many of them yet, but I thought I'd share a few to thank you all for the help. What do you think? :ear

[yoyostock]

[quote=brawler1970]:):

hey, you are ready for some playboy shots now!!!! nice photos!!!

Huh? Did you mean playoffs?

Well, the Skins/Giants game on Christmas Eve game was fantastic!!! Santana Moss (who people were calling Santa Moss or Santana Clause) lit it up in the first half with 3 TDs. Add Chris Cooley's TD (both of whom were starting on my fantasy team) and I was a happy camper.

Given it was my first time trying to shoot sports, I got some decent shots, or so I think. I'll have them up on the Smug this weekend and post some here as well. You're right, the 300mm did pay off for certain shots, but on many others, I found myself shooting at 200mm in order to get more of the overall action in. Another thing I felt difficult at first was getting to the play before the play. This is where knowledge of the sport one is shooting comes in handy. After I found myself missing some great receptions and tackles, I began predicting where plays would occur that allowed me to get ready ahead of time.