The Usual - Fastpitch Softball...

[chemisti]

[prncfarquad]

Nice series Jeff, like the colors and crispness of your images

[garykohs]

All nice. I especially like #4.

[Rox74]

Can you share your settings?
My daughter plays for Twist in Frisco and I've not gotten the camera out to her tournaments yet, but we have 1 this weekend so I'm going to wipe the dust off (it's been 2 years since I've shot one of her games, sad isn't it). What Axe team is this? We have a girl that used to be on my husbands team that plays on the 98's.

[chemisti]

Originally Posted by Rox74

Can you share your settings?
My daughter plays for Twist in Frisco and I've not gotten the camera out to her tournaments yet, but we have 1 this weekend so I'm going to wipe the dust off (it's been 2 years since I've shot one of her games, sad isn't it). What Axe team is this? We have a girl that used to be on my husbands team that plays on the 98's.

I shoot with a D300 set in Portrait Picture Mode and raw. Generally I shoot in Aperture priority. These were generally shot between f2.8 and f.4 with a 80-200 f2.8 AF-s (except #3). I use portrait mode because I like the skin tones - but I have customized the portrait settings with reduced sharpness, color, and contrast because my workflow involves batch processing with Capture NX2. I would rather bring up color, sharpness, and contrast in PP.

Workflow:
1. I will set a custom WB in camera and capture a WB image for reference later if needed. This will allow me to adjust WB on a bunch of images all at once.
2. Straighten and crop.
3. Batch correct: I have saved settings that work well with my shooting style so I can apply a bunch of corrections (saved in custom settings in CNX2) in batches to optimize workflow. I can then batch something like 40 - 50 4x6 prints which will do resize, NR, adjust exposure, contrast, color adjust, sharpen and output to a 300 dpi jpg file.

I don't know really how to give shooting settings, because they are so variable depending on conditions - just try to keep shutter above 500 and above 1000 if possible with the lowest ISO possible.

#3 was shot with an old Tokina 400mm F5.6 manual focus lens from the outfield fence set up on a Induro ballhead tripod. It meters on my D300 and is generally shot at f8 - f11 at whatever combination of shutter and ISO I can get away with.

My biggest tips are to get as close as the umps/coaches will allow and get down on one knee - really. I think that any kids sports are better shot low - just me. I think it gives the subtle perspective of "bigger than life".

A 70-300VR will do a bangup job in good daylight. Focuses quick and has good sharpness and color, IMHO.

Finally - AXE 18U. This is her last summer. She plays HS ball and is giving it up after we win the state championship next summer. Or whenever she is done.

Humor.

Good luck.