Before and After — Ty Loomis Pass
The Before and After series focuses on the two or three key creative choices, in terms of composition and processing, that go into creating an image. Specific technical details about the shot have been left out — you won’t hear me talking about tone curve adjustments and whatnot unless it was a key component of the end result.
Last of the Ty Loomis shots from the 2009 Houston AVP tournament.
Exposure
- Shutter: 1/2000
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 200
- Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM (at 90mm)
Composition and Processing
- You might ask, why shoot zoomed out so far if I’m just going to crop it tight in post? The answer is that the action is moving so fast on the court, it’s not always clear the ball and player are going to be compressed into such a small space. Maybe the player lays out and dives, or maybe the better capture is with the ball further from the player. By shooting further out I’ve given myself extra flexibility in capturing a shot you might otherwise miss.
- Keep in mind I’m not advocating giving this much room to the subject — I like close shots and think people don’t get in close enough. One way to help that is to follow your subject and not the ball. In any sport. Know where the action is going to go and be there first. There’s usually some cue that’ll let you know when to let the shutter fly. In volleyball, I like to focus on the defending player and listen for the sound of the hit. That’s when I start shooting, even though I haven’t seen the ball yet. If it goes someplace else, no big deal, we’re not shooting film anymore. Just line up for the next one.
Original:
March 03 2012 08:25 pm | Photography