I have noticed that many of you use great action photos of your daughters as avatars. For the less skilled photographers among us, would you be willing to share your tips and tricks for photographing gymnasts in motion from across the gym? All of my photos of my daughter doing gymnastics are terrible--by the time I get the shot framed and take the picture, she has moved.
Parents photographing gymmies in motion
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First of all I make sure that I take a few pictures of other gymnasts before the meet during warm up to make sure I have all of my settings correct. Then when I do take my pictures I have my camera set up where I just hold the button down and it takes like 3 frames per second. I probably take 200 pics at a meet to get 3 or 4 good ones.
I do video now and then am able to just take a frame of what I like (still trying to remember the how to do that LOL) but those that get the best photos in our gym also have the great camera's (no Kodac Easy shares LOL) with the huge lenses. Also they have the option on their cameras so it can take the fast shots so they just hold down the button taking 20 photos in seconds, You do have to know your kids routines so you can be ready with the frame all set for when she gets there.
I wish I had a great camera to take those action shots, but I have a good friend that does and she will take them of my DD and hers at meets (thank God) so she does a great job.
I wish I had a great camera to take those action shots, but I have a good friend that does and she will take them of my DD and hers at meets (thank God) so she does a great job.
Two options:
1. use an hs camcorder that allows you to create stills from video
2. Continuous shot digital camera
A word of warning, though. The places where meets are held are notorious for bad lighting. Add motion of the gymnast to that and it makes for difficult picture taking. Having a low aperture lens really helps burial expensive. I think the pic I have for my avitar was taken with a digital 35mm with the a 2.8 f stop zoom and camera set continuous shooting. When you think about it, it was a very expensive pic, considering the lens alone was $700. Still, I love photography and its worth it to me. It may have been from my camcorder but I don't think so because I usually don't get as clear shots with it.
Also, not all those avatars are the member's own gymnasts. There are generic pics out there to use.
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1. use an hs camcorder that allows you to create stills from video
2. Continuous shot digital camera
A word of warning, though. The places where meets are held are notorious for bad lighting. Add motion of the gymnast to that and it makes for difficult picture taking. Having a low aperture lens really helps burial expensive. I think the pic I have for my avitar was taken with a digital 35mm with the a 2.8 f stop zoom and camera set continuous shooting. When you think about it, it was a very expensive pic, considering the lens alone was $700. Still, I love photography and its worth it to me. It may have been from my camcorder but I don't think so because I usually don't get as clear shots with it.
Also, not all those avatars are the member's own gymnasts. There are generic pics out there to use.
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QUOTE]I think the pic I have for my avitar was taken with a digital 35mm with the a 2.8 f stop zoom and camera set continuous shooting. When you think about it, it was a very expensive pic, considering the lens alone was $700. [/QUOTE]
As well as the above post, I aslo keep my ISO set at 3200
As well as the above post, I aslo keep my ISO set at 3200
Yes, very important. Also, I meant an HD camcorder in my first post.
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You need a fast lens to really capture the action. I use a canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens and I bump the iso up really high.
I've always been told the difference between a professional and amateur photographer is a pro only shows their good pictures.
Take lots of pictures, eventually you'll end up with some good ones. It also helps if the gymnast is performing the skills correctly. It's much easier to get a good picture of a kid scoring in the 9's than a kid scoring in the 7's. There are simply more chances of the legs straight, toes pointed, eyes open, etc...
I agree with the poster who said they take many pictures. I have a digital camera (DSLR) and a variable aperture lens telephoto lens. I usually take anywhere from 800 to 1000 exposures per meet. These will include my own two daughters and maybe 1 or 2 teammates. I will usually keep anywhere from about 40 to 50 of those pictures to upload to an online site. I will probably personally find 4 to 5 of these pictures print worthy.
I recommend the following for a higher yield while still keeping things on a budget:
a) Do not use a point and shoot. While great under perfect lighting, it does not have the flexibility or the lens you need to take a decent picture indoors (especially at a gym meet). Buy a digital SLR. Pretty much any model $300 and up (new - not including lens) would work. Of course, the more you spend the better camera you can get because of the features offered. Later models come in higher resolution so you can always crop your images to your liking.
b) Get a faster lens. The standard zoom to f5.6 will not work. It's just too slow for light to get in for action shots. A big zoom with low F stop is the most flexible but it is very expensive (say $1500/2000 and far up). Instead, a prime (aka fixed) lens at say f1.8 or lower will be cost effective. Even a standard 50mm/f1.8 stock lens for around $100 can do an OK job. The challenge then is to find a spot in the stands at the right distance to shoot.
c) Open up your ISO. The higher the setting the faster the shot and the brighter the picture. Use between 800 to 1600. If set too high, you lose a lot in clarity. A picture taken at ISO3200 is very blochy and grainy when blown up. The use of an editor after the fact can help smooth/soften some of that.
d) Get a decent editing software. To start, there is no need to spend the big bucks on Photoshop. Do some research to find a good free/cheap one (ViewNX is great for Nikon). Don't worry about underexposure by say 1 exposure. If the image comes out viewable and in focus on the screen then it's probably good enough. The software will take care of the slight underexposure really well.
e) If your hands aren't steady, use a tripod or at least a monopod (or use one anyway). Or, take shots from a fixed position.
f) Lastly, take lots of shots. Digital photos are free so why not. Practice practice practice (with both the camera and the software).
Good luck and have fun!
a) Do not use a point and shoot. While great under perfect lighting, it does not have the flexibility or the lens you need to take a decent picture indoors (especially at a gym meet). Buy a digital SLR. Pretty much any model $300 and up (new - not including lens) would work. Of course, the more you spend the better camera you can get because of the features offered. Later models come in higher resolution so you can always crop your images to your liking.
b) Get a faster lens. The standard zoom to f5.6 will not work. It's just too slow for light to get in for action shots. A big zoom with low F stop is the most flexible but it is very expensive (say $1500/2000 and far up). Instead, a prime (aka fixed) lens at say f1.8 or lower will be cost effective. Even a standard 50mm/f1.8 stock lens for around $100 can do an OK job. The challenge then is to find a spot in the stands at the right distance to shoot.
c) Open up your ISO. The higher the setting the faster the shot and the brighter the picture. Use between 800 to 1600. If set too high, you lose a lot in clarity. A picture taken at ISO3200 is very blochy and grainy when blown up. The use of an editor after the fact can help smooth/soften some of that.
d) Get a decent editing software. To start, there is no need to spend the big bucks on Photoshop. Do some research to find a good free/cheap one (ViewNX is great for Nikon). Don't worry about underexposure by say 1 exposure. If the image comes out viewable and in focus on the screen then it's probably good enough. The software will take care of the slight underexposure really well.
e) If your hands aren't steady, use a tripod or at least a monopod (or use one anyway). Or, take shots from a fixed position.
f) Lastly, take lots of shots. Digital photos are free so why not. Practice practice practice (with both the camera and the software).
Good luck and have fun!
Wow--there is sure a lot to learn! Thanks to everyone for the information. Our current camera is an older digital point-and-shoot that does not do well in low-light situations, so we have been looking at new cameras. I had been hoping to avoid a digital SLR due to the size and the learning curve, but it sounds like we will need to go in that direction. We have been having similar (but less severe) problems photographing all of her activities. Little kids just move so fast!
I tried all last season to get some good action shots with a basic dslr camera with mild success. I was able to make great hd video's, and would occasionally remember that I could take still shots as well. At her state meet I was amazed at the pictures that the professional photographer took. I ended up paying for all of the pictures on a flash drive. I was planning on upgrading my camera, but I will now get the pictures that come out and buy the professional ones each year at states. It makes it so much easier to enjoy the meets for me.
I do agree that taking a lot of pictures is the best idea. I also took the camera to practice after I got it to practice and got some great shots. I will probably try again with all of the great advice about settings that were given in this thread!
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I do agree that taking a lot of pictures is the best idea. I also took the camera to practice after I got it to practice and got some great shots. I will probably try again with all of the great advice about settings that were given in this thread!
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Do most meets have photographers? I am hoping they do b/c I'm terrible at action shots, even with my Nikon with super fast memory card and lens. LOL.
We only went to two with a professional photographer, a large invitational and states, so I would say only the big meets. With the cost of the pictures it's probably better that way!
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