Munster v Edinburgh for C&C

Gambler

Hey all,

I just uploaded some of the pics I took at the Munster game at the weekend and would love (I think!) some C&C.

















Full album is here, any and all comments are appreciated!
http://pix.ie/gambler/album/335203

Paulw

Crop, crop, crop.

Cut the image just down to the point of action.

#1 - don't see the point of the image
#2 - just crop to the three players on the right
#3 - just crop down to the player with the ball
#4 - crop down to the ball/line/tackle
#5 - crop down to the tackle itself, removing everything else
#6 - crop out the three end players on the left
#7 - crop down to Stringer and the ball
#8 - cropping down to the player with the ball might work.

Just my view.

Gambler

Heh, Yeah these are actually already cropped quite a bit, the problem I had with this batch is that I took them on ISO 1600 and when I cropped right down to just the ball players in most of them I ended up getting very obviously noisy pictures.

There are a few exceptions, for example in the second pic I cropped it leaving the tackler that didn't manage to bring him down shown looking on because I kinda liked the look of it but I do see your point, the other stuff outside the immediate action doesn't really matter so much

Paulw

I'd prefer a dull image with noise, rather than a distracting image. At the end of the day, you want a clear sharp image. Noise is secondary.

Here's an example at ISO 1600 I took - it's clear and sharp, and there is still plenty of noise in the full size image.

AnimalRights

What lens did you use? pictures not that crisp/sharp but I will say that overall they are great action pictures so you have the composition right.
I disagree with PaulW a bit and actually enjoy seeing the wider field of play and unless you're going to get a newspaper contract I see no harm in the uncropped play pics, some maybe could've been a wee bit tightly more cropped.

#1 I agree with PaulW, pretty pointless.
#5 #6 #7 would be my favs.

I think it's in your interests to save for a decent lens as you def have the ability to capture the action.

Gambler

I have a sigma 70-200 f2.8. I think the big problem is the settings I used (and maybe the camera to a small degree) rather than the lens. It was my first sports game with a decent lens.

I mostly had the camera set at f2.8, 1/500 and ISO 1600. I have the Digital Rebel XTI (Which I'm fairly sure is a 400D) and at 1600 the noise is fairly awful. I have uber shaky hands and didn't think I'd get away with using a monopod in the terraces so I kinda needed to 1/500 at maximum zoom.

AnimalRights

XTi is the 400D yes and 1600 wouldn't be that hot tbh, You were right about that lens been well capable though.

Gambler

Hehe yep, it's the workman, not his tools! :P

I like them - the wider view is adding elements which you normally don't see in sports photos in 2,3,4 and 6.