Big Air: Capturing the heights of b-ball

Canon Mark II, 85mm f1.8, ISO 1250, shutter 1/1000

Basketball Photography

I took a several hundred shots (good thing about digital) at a Michigan girls high school basketball game recently. Lighting continues to be the biggest challenge that any photographer faces when shooting indoor sports....especially a fast sport like basketball. Fast shutter speed is a must for me since I strive to eliminate the blur factor. But fast shutter speed requires higher ISO (usually around 1000 or higher which produces more noise in the pictures) and an aperture value of f2.0 or better (expensive lens). The resulting shutter speed should be 1/500 or better to ensure a clear photograph.

These shots were taken with a Canon Mark II, ISO1250, shutter speed 1/640 and aperture f1.8.

B-ball

I took these middle school b-ball shots this past week. I used a Canon Mark II with a 85mm f1.8 prime lens. The f1.8 enables a lot of light into the camera so that I can maintain a reasonable shutter speed (1/800). The ISO was set at 1000.

SI 2008

Catch these awesome photos from Sports Illustrated for 2008.

Mia Hamm

I took this shot a few years ago, but it's still one of my most favorite photos. I remember it well.....shooting with a Canon Rebel and a 70-300 mm lens at the time. Mia was taking a corner kick against the Women's Canadian National Team in an exhibition game in Minnesota. It just goes to show that high end camera gear is not always required (but it sure helps).

The Backyard

Never forget about the animals in the backyard.....there's always a little excitement. I used my 300mm f4 lens for this shot (f4.0, 1/1600 shutter speed and ISO 400).