Friday Night Lights

Football is a fun sport to photograph.  It is especially nice early in the season as the sunlight is still available.  One key to getting a good shot is positioning.  However, luck plays an important role as the play needs to come the photographers direction.  The above photos demonstrate this point. Selecting the correct lens is always a challenge.  These were taken with a Nikon 300/2.8 lens.  I am still attempting to get a good reception photo.  It seems to be more difficult to capture. 

Cross Country 2011 Begins with 24th Annual Alumni and Friends Race

 And a good time was had by all.  Seventy-three runners participated in this Annual 4K Handicap run at Chinquapin Ridge XC course.  This is the home course of the boys and girls Noblesville XC teams.  The included photos display the beginning preparation before the big event.  

Even though my purpose at the XC meets is to coach, I still get a kick out of capturing the spirit of the meets and the environment.  My goal this year is to display more activities surrounding the meet itself but still capture enough photos to put together a nice slide show at the end of the season.  Photos taken with a Nikon d300, 70-200 vrii, 1/1000th sec, ISO 200, Shutter Priority.  The first photo was taken at 85 mm and the second at 200mm.

Indianpolis Colts Training Camp

I had an opportunity to travel over to Anderson University and watch the training camp of the Indianapolis Colts.  It is a very fan friendly facility.  Fans lined the sidelines and filled the bleachers.  As a photographer I could get nice and close.  But it was difficult to get to the front as the fans were anchored into position so they could be up close an personal.  It was interesting to hear the fan approval to a good play, of a solid hit.  As the team broke into different units it was great as a photographer as the repetitiveness of the action enabled some good photo ops.  Even with a 70-200 and 1.7 tel-converter on a Nikon d300, at times I was wishing I had a longer lens.  Then again I was able to position myself along the sidelines that the extra reach would have been detrimental as well.  I am trying a new website to post my photos.  You can go to it if you like and let me know what you think of the site.  www.kentgraham@photoshelter.com.  Here is a sneak preview:

Photographing the 4×100 Meter Relay Exchange

Photographing the 4×100 Meter Relay Exchange

As a high school track and field coach for 35 years I have witnessed many track meets.  One of the most exciting events is the 4×100 meter relay.  As a coach there are many coaching points that must be learned to prepare 15-18 year old boys for a smooth and flawless exchange.  Likewise as a photographer, there are many learning skills for capturing an exchange. There are few books or articles focusing on the art of capturing the moment of  the baton being exchanged between two individuals running approximately 10 meters/second.
I believe that the aspiring photographers need to study and read from the experts.  I certainly do not qualify as an expert in photography or the coaching ranks, but I  want to share what I have learned and perhaps one day you will get the photo you want and will think, “wow! now that is what I was trying to capture.”  You can study the experts in two very good books.  The first I picked up at a used book store:  Photographing Sports by Massimo Cappon and Italo Zannier.  It was published in 1981 by Rand McNally.  The picture in it are vintage sports. This is a true study book of technique with pictures to match.  A more recent publication by one of the great sports photographers G. Newman Lowrance titled:  Digital Sports Photography was published by Thompson Course Technology in 2005.  Mr. Lowrance gives great tips on the major sports of baseball, Tennis and Scoccer.  Contributors Andy Hayt and Jon Hayt cover ice hockey and basketball.
So, let’s get right to it.  The top two tips for photographing the 4×100 meter exchange is location and background.   Trying to determine where the exchange will take place within a 20 meter exchange zone is critical.  Most teams try to exchange the baton near the middle of the zone.  As a photographer you must determine if you are interested in capturing the  approaching runner with baton extended, exact moment of the exchange, or the outgoing runner with baton.  Also, you must determine which exchange of the baton you want to capture.  You may be trying to get a picture of a specific runner, or you may be just trying for a good sound photo.  Normally, the first exchange is the best to capture.  Because most incoming runners have not caught up with the runners in the outside lanes on the staggered start.  In big meets or invitationals most host schools like to keep the infield clear of competitors and coaches.  This is good for backgrounds if photographing from the outside of the track.  This is a good option if the exchange you are trying to capture is on the outside of the track.  However, lens selection then may become an issue as you may be too close.  If the team is on the inside of the track the backgrounds can be cluttered by people hanging around the outside fence.   Here are two examples for your consideration:

Cluttered background

Blurred background

Photo number 1:  1/2000, f/4.0 Auto ISO:  560, Focal length 120 mm, Lens: Nikon 70-200 f/2.8
This photo is fairly sharp.  My goal was to capture the runners and the exchange. I failed on three points, however.  The background is distracting.  Plus, I have cut-off the limbs of the runners. Using a focal length of 120 mm fills the frame, but the outgoing runner does not have much space to run toward.
Photo number 2:  1/60, f/22, Auto ISO: 800, Focal length 150mm, Lens:  Nikon 70-200 f/2.8
In Photo number 2 my goal was to blur the background and focus on the baton exchange itself.  The runners cooperated by making a decent exchange and they ran fast enough so the competition on their inside did not edge into the picture.
In future articles I will continue to discuss other considerations of photographing the sprint exchanges and other events in the great sport of track and field.

Photographing the 4x100 Relay #2

Finding a good angle for photographing the 4×100 relay can be a challenge for a number of reasons.  First, you must decide if you are trying to photograph a particular runner. As If so, you must know the exchange zone the runner will be entering or leaving.  If the runner is the leadoff leg of a relay, you will need to be near the first zone.  The only photo opportunities will be as the lead runner brings the baton into the zone, at the exchange or looking for the emotional shot after the exchange as the second runner begins his leg. Likewise these choices are available at each exchange.
Secondly you must know the lane assignment and position for a clear view of the exchange.  The first zone is the best exchange, as the runners typically have not made of the staggered start distance between teams.  This zone allows a better view of the actual exchange, and capturing the pre-exchange and post-exchange reactions of the runners.
If seeking several runners in the picture the second or third zone can be a good photographic position.  Standing beyond the zone, either inside or outside of the track will allow for a strong composition of the outgoing runners as they receive the baton. Taking a photo from a low angle can add the sense of power.  If using a high position from the outside bleaches you may be able to capture the wide-angle view more easily. If you try to be in position of thirty to 45 degrees to the lane you maybe able to capture the emotional reaction of the incoming runners yelling encouragement to the anchor leg.
Location and foreground clutter—In this photo I was attempting to capture the exchange of the gold and black team.  My positioning was in the middle of the exchange zone at a 30-45 degree angle of the runner on the inside of the track. Unfortunately the team in black had made up the stagger and blocked the view of the incoming runner.
Data:  1/2000, ISO 200, White Balance:  Cloudy, 70mm on a 70-220 f/2.8 lens.


This photo came from a series of the same exchange.  By panning the runners I was able to capture the exchange.  Fortunately, the black uniformed team on the inside had cleared the lane and the incoming runner slowed to the edge of the photo.  From a coaching perspective there is a problem with the exchange as the runners timing, extension and exchange need work.
Data:  1/2000, ISO 200, White Balance:  Cloudy, 70mm on a 70-200 f/2.8 lens.



Angle of view:  above outside track.  Again foreground clutter is distracting.  I did capture the moment, but the outgoing runner is cut-off.  This is a sharp photo but panning needs to be better.  This is at exchange zone two (similar to the above photo), so if the team on either side of the team you are photographing makes up the lane stagger getting a clear view is almost impossible..
Data:  1/2000, ISO 200, White Balance:  Cloudy, 70 mm on a 70-200 f/2.8 lens.


The location for this photo is the third and final exchange.  Initially I was attempting to capture a photo of the team in lane six.  By observing the race through the turn it became obvious that  team was way back and would  have a cluttered foreground.  So, I adjusted and followed the first place team through the zone.  My position resulted in the cluttered parking lot background. As this photo is unaltered, it s obvious the horizon is not level as well.  However, the moment of the exchange and the look back of the anchor runner is indicates poor timing in the exchange by the runners.  The full extension of the incoming runner and the turn of the head of the anchor demonstrates their effort to complete the baton exchange.
Data:  1/2000, ISO 200, White Balance:  Cloudy, 70 mm on a 70-200 f/2.8 lens.



This photo is of the first exchange.  It captures the difficulty of timing for the runners and again demonstrates a slow exchange as the incoming runner is too close to the outgoing runner.
Data:  1/1000, ISO 200, White Balance:  Sunny, 180 mm on a 70-200  f/2.8 lens.


This photo captured the emotion of runner #285 as she yells encouragement to her teammate.  It was taken 6 frames after the above photo as camera was in continuous mode.  The cut-off runner to the left of the frame could be considered a distraction.
Data:  1/1000, ISO 200, White Balance:  Sunny, 180 mm on a 70-200 f/2.8 lens.
I hope this blog gives you some ideas to photograph the 4×100 exchanges.  I am obviously still learning and trying to capture the ideal moment and will continue to look for more opportunities.  Let me know your thoughts through comments.