(Pueblo South High School linebacker, Gio Zanotelli, sacks the quarterback for a loss during the season opener against Centennial High School.)
High school football season has started here in Colorado. I was assigned to shoot a game on Thursday night, and another one Friday night in Pueblo's Dutch Clark Stadium. It isn't a bad place for football unless you want to shoot pictures at a Friday night game. This time of year there is still decent light in the first quarter and actually up to about halftime when things begin to get really dark.
I have to admit that I would be one of the first people to sign a petition to have all high school football games played on Saturday afternoons. Unfortunately no such petition exists and would most likely only be signed by me and a couple of other photographers.
So I will work to do the best I can with the situation and the tools that I have. I have done some research and have a few ideas on what I may try. I have been shooting so far with my Nikon D2h, and 300mm f2.8 lens, and an SB-800. I have been using alkaline batteries, but that will change soon as I move to rechargable batteries or a battery pack for the flash. This will allow me to shoot a burst of several frames and have the full amount of light for each image.
I was originally worried that this wouldn't work due to the camera's slow sync shutter speed 1/250th. However, I found out (because I rarely read camera manuals, it is much easier to call Ron Taniwaki at Nikon Professional Services and say "How does this thing work?") that there is a way to get the camera to sync at all shutter speeds when using the SB-800. At which point I hit myself in the head with my monopod and said "DUH!"
So far I have been using the flash as more fill than main light. However, that will change soon as the sun begins to set earlier and earlier throughout the fall. I actually have several SB-800s and have been thinking that I will use all three of them to light the action on the field. Stay tuned for the results of my on-field photographic experiment.
1 comment:
Bryan,
What is your method to shooting prep football at night with SB-800's? Your method (settings now) and how to use multiple SB-800's?
I shot my first one last weekend with a 200mm f2 at 1250 ISO, 1/640 speed, but would like to add flash for at least a bit of fill light and would be worried about ghosting -- methods to avoid that at night football with flash?
coloradomellotts@mac.com; www.kenmellottphotography.com
Up in Colo Spgs shootings sports -- Ken
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