Shooting Cheer

[PEC]

Well - I shot some a cheer event last night. Much tougher shoot then I expected.

Shot with my d700 and a 85 1.4 with auto iso on with 2000 set as the high iso and min shutter as 1/250.

After reviewing my pics www.aChanceEncounter.com/cheer it is clear to me that i needed at least 1/500 shutter and prob higher.

If I had to do again, I would use flash to help stop the action and light up the people. Direct overhead lighting was troublesome with shadows in the faces.

It also seems that the AF didn't always focus as fast as the 8 frames per second the camera was bursting with... so i need to slow down a bit.

Prob should've stopped down a bit for added DOF but needed the speed of 1.4.

Thoughts/Suggestions - please be kind - never really done this before - most of the time i do outdoor shooting :)

[andyz]

The link doesn't work for me.

[PEC]

try now :)

[Sonny]

It's fixed now.

[PEC]

Come on TPF'ers - someone out there is really good with shooting these types of events and can give me a couple of pointers :)

How about if I say "Please"?

Please.

[Kalrog]

My son does cheer and I've had a bit of experience doing his events. I usually use my 35-100 f2 and have it set between f2 and f2.8 depending on the light. Also usually ISO 1600 and keep the shutter speed above 1/500 for the older teams (middle and high school). Above 1/1000 would be ideal, but that hasn't happened at an indoor event yet. With your settings, you must have been in worse light than I am used to from events.

My suggestion with camera settings: Get off of auto ISO. It seems to want to lower that before it raises shutter speed (I see pics with ISO as low as 640), and that isn't what you want. If ISO 2000 is not too noisy, go with that. See if that doesn't raise your shutter speed with leaving the rest of the settings the same.

Second: Please reconsider using flash - don't do it. The last thing you want to do is distract a flyer or a base as they are doing a basket toss. I know you will get raccoon eyes and the like because of that, but it is better than a fall.

Third: Your framing is pretty good. I would like to see some "Team" pictures of everyone being in sync during a tumbling pass or something like that. You have a good handle on getting an individual during the action, but I think your timing is a bit off. Most of the action type shots are just a split second away from being ideal action stoppage (eg: A Chance Encounter | Cheer )

[PEC]

Thanks, Nathan - good call on AUTO ISO. A 35-100/2 sounds like a great lens for cheer. I can shoot at iso 2000 without much concern, so I will shoot with A priority and ISO 2000 and let the shutter fall where it will.

Regarding getting the whole team - wanted to get the team action but was only shooting with the 85 1.4.

Next time perhaps i go with 2 bodies 35/2 & the 85 1.4

i could use a 28-70 on my d700 and the 85 on the d300 (crop).

I was really surprised with how fast the action happens alot going on all at the same time.

Headed to Orlando on Friday for World's (my son is competing with Mav's).

[Kalrog]

Originally Posted by PEC

Headed to Orlando on Friday for World's (my son is competing with Mav's).

Good luck!

My son was in the mini level (8 and under) this past season. No Worlds for us - they don't do it at that age. But he moved up to Youth for the upcoming year and we have high hopes. We do CheerStation in Austin.

[PEC]

Cool. - My son also coaches full time at Champion Cheer in Southlake (DFW area). This world's team has been practicing in Weatherford.

[Bob_S]

No flash. Try it at 6400, F2 or 2.8 and whatever the fastest shutter speed you can get. A D700 is pretty clean at 6400 especially for prints. If you can get up to 1/800 then you can back off of the ISO some. Shoot manual. Unless this light is changing, set it and forget it. Auto ISO is really nice outside when clouds blowing by creating alternating sun/cloudy conditions but I wouldn't use it in a gym. Shoot in RAW and adjust for too bright or too dark uniforms in post as needed. Did I mention no flash. :)

I like the comp in most of them. You have some great expression shots! I agree about seeing more of the team shots though. Ideally you want a mix of individuals and team.

Watch the crotch shots and ones where the movement makes the person look unflattering. Things like bellies hanging over uniforms and legs and arms right as they land. The high kick shots are ok sometimes, but some of them you can even see the girls face.

I really do love the expression shots.

[PEC]

do ya'll tend to shoot from the floor up to the stunts or from the stands?

[ldelacruz]

Originally Posted by PEC

Come on TPF'ers - someone out there is really good with shooting these types of events and can give me a couple of pointers :)

How about if I say "Please"?

Please.

My daughter has been doing cheer now for 3 years so I have had a lot of practice. This year she was on a Mini Level 3 and we just competed in Dallas at the "All Level Worlds". Most of my shots are with a 1D MKIII and I use a 300 f2.8 or 70-200 2.8. I shoot manual, keep my shutter above 1/500 and in most arenas my ISO is under 1600. Hope this helps.

[Kalrog]

Originally Posted by ldelacruz

...she was on a Mini Level 3....

I didn't know mini level 3 was really possible! I've seen mini level 1 and 2, but never 3. Congrats to her!

[Kalrog]

Originally Posted by PEC

do ya'll tend to shoot from the floor up to the stunts or from the stands?

The floor (or as low in the stands as I can possibly get) is my preference. It tends to show the height of the tosses and stunts as well as improves the chances of getting the faces of the athletes.

Sometimes the team shots work better from a bit of elevation though. In order to see 3+ rows of people you have to.

[PEC]

one last question (for now)

do you use matrix metering? I would think spot would be tough.