Sports Photography FAQ with Peter Read Miller on Cropping, RAW, Backgrounds, Flash and More!

[@JMHSPhoto]

Thank you Peter for another installment.

[@keithr2835]

I love this video. I am new to sports photography for youth and high school and this video answered a lot of questions. I hope there are more to come. Thanks!!

[@AllSportImaging]

Thanks Peter for more great tips. With winter upon us, how about an episode on cold weather shooting? How do you keep your equipment (and yourself) going during a frigid (or rainy) game?

[@peterrm11]

Comming soon.

[@AlexChambersXYZ]

9:15 I was expecting to hear the piano play immediately here haha but I'm glad you went into detail as to why

[@thothheartmaat2833]

I just got a 6d and it has autofocus options, not autofocus modes but a menu of autofocus tweaks. I left the stickiness/ reactive option alone until I was out and it wasn't picking things up quick enough. Then I set it to plus one reactive, then I set it to plus 2 reactive and now autofocus is really fast. There is that issue of something getting in front of you or needing to switch quickly so I found that having it on highly reactive is best. In my mind, it's up to me to have the focus point where it needs to be or else I'm relying on the camera to keep focus if I lose the subject but then you can't switch to something very quickly and that's pretty important. Sticky af is kind of like an 'i suck' back up plan that makes you suck even more. Also leaving it in the middle means you suck too.. switch to highly reactive and put the point where it needs to be and don't lose it. Although I have noticed that even in this setting if the point moves off a runner briefly it can keep in focus but maybe because I have the setting where it focuses on whatever is moving more or it wasn't long enough to change the focus.

[@ppiercejr]

I would love a video about how you prepare to shoot a new event. I know that you have shot many a football game and done the Olympics as well, but if you were to get an assignment to say shoot a golf tournament (or other sport you don't normally do), maybe to cover Phil Mickelson in his last attempt at the career grand slam at the US Open (could be any assignment, just an example). How would you prepare to shoot it? Would you go to the venue early, would you look at other images, would you come up with a plan of photos you want, etc. Thank you for all the work you put in, these videos are great so far.

[@JMHSPhoto]

I'm going to take a crack at this Q. And although I'm certainly not P R M here, I have shot differing venues as golf. My experience with golf coverage are these. Most of us are not entering as Getty or SI shooters, so access although not limited, is restricted in that you're not going to be able to access ALL areas such as pre-event areas for candid shots etc. And as with golf and etiquette NO shutter noise prior to the hit of the ball. So you're not able to FPS yourself into, and following the stroke. If you had a quick mirrorless... another story if it's a quite model. Your images are going to be really hard lit due to direct sunlight. So if you're able to, grab images when they are standing in shade or out of direct light. Post work on those hard light images can be a challenge. And in as much a venue goes.. No, you will get access to a game or tourney a bit early, but to what end? Your angles and spots will be determined by where media will have access. Each event will have areas outlined in your media kit laying out spots and rules as they pertain to that day. Peter was very good/lucky/associated with Sports Illustrated. And HIS access and reputation DID give him a bit of leeway in as much as photo spots. So, we're not all colored with the same brush here. So it's usually a matter of shooting the same venues over and over, making friends with staff, and along with that... getting goodies. ALWAYS treat venue staff with total respect. They can be the difference between a good day and a great one.

[@peterrm11]

All of above. We will be covering this topic coming up.

[@luckyduckimages]

Another great video... A few questions and/or ideas for you. 1) how long does it take you to write, record, edit, produce, and export a 10 minute video? is it getting faster yet? 2) photographic process. Can you talk about your prep (which I think you don't have to think about any longer). e.g.

[@luckyduckimages]

e.g. ASSIGNMENT [ Notre Dame vs. USC (football), 11/24 @ 4:30 kickoff, no-assistant, 2 JPG mages sent each (pre-kickoff/halftime/after game), no rain expected] camera(s), lens(s), straps/harness, monopod, roller bag/bag(s), PC/MAC, kneepads, hats, jackets, shoe choice) 3) In the above fictitious assignment; How do/did you process images at game location for near realtime delivery? 4) How do you develop a shot list if the editor doesn't assign you one? Thanks for building this channel...

[@peterrm11]

Getting faster all the time. More on prep coming up.

[@thothheartmaat2833]

I have a question.. how did you shoot back in the day with 3200 max iso film.. is the answer low shutter speed? Pulling the film? Fast lenses? Please tell me all about the techniques used in accomplishing this for night games. I still have a 40D that I'm trying to keep relevant and I see it as a great film days simulator. This sounds like a really interesting story.

[@nordic5490]

Thanks.

[@davidribeiro6905]

What telephoto canon lenses do you recommend when one cannot afford the 400mm f2.8 prime? Doesn't have to be Canon, could be Tamron, Sigma, etc. Currently using 70-200 f2.8 from Canon, but the reach is too short. Thought of adding a converter, but would not convinced with the supposed lack of IQ.

[@JMHSPhoto]

David. I'm also going to take a crack at this one. The whole f/2.8 thing is this. Given in most sports images we want/need a frozen subject (unless it's done intentionally for whatever reason) we're shooting 1/850 minimum, and 1/1250 to make sure we get that moment of 'peak action' completely still. So every stop of light is really important to keep the ISO as low as possible. That f/2.8 on that large glass can be the difference between ISO 1250 -- all the way past the unusable 10,000, and we don't want that. So for sports shooters to enter ANY venue with confidence -- knowing they have as much light gathering capability as possible, we go for the large fixed glass. Now, that's not saying you yourself NEED this type of equipment. Lets say your a shooter that does all outside field sports. Do you NEED f/2.8? or WANT f/2.8? So it would be the latter here.. You can get solid images off of those variable aperture glass models just fine. You won't be testing the ISO on your body too much unless it's all night time games. In that case, yea, the fixed models would work great for you too. The 300mm 2.8 models are very reasonable, and I wouldn't hesitate to look at used models. The 400 2.8 models of ANYTHING are pretty well the Crème de la Crème of glass by any maker.. so you're looking at a sizable investment no matter the maker. So think about WHAT you shoot -- WHERE you shoot it, and make the call. If I didn't hit all the points here.. I apologize.

[@davidribeiro6905]

@@JMHSPhoto I shoot a lot at night on poorly lit fields so the camera is well tested in that regard, I can't really complain. I'm using a 6D Mark II with the Canon 70-200 F.28L Mark II. I'm extremely pleased with them, but the reach is just too short sometimes. I was looking at the Tamron 150-600mm G2 but I feel like I'll get the reach, but I'll have to push the ISO so far it will not be worth it. I don't want to go below 1/1250. I sometimes go 1/1000 and if there's a ball involved, then there's slight blur, so yeah, I guess, something's gotta give. Thanks for comment. I appreciate it!

[@peterrm11]

You might look for a used Canon 300 f2.8-not the latest model. I use the Canon 1.4 extender a lot and I'm very happy with the results.

[@davidribeiro6905]

@@peterrm11Thank you Peter.

[@craigc7708]

@@JMHSPhoto remember, if they wear helmets, 2.8 my pick up the face mask and not the face depending on how far away the player is from you.

[@bradheath2592]

New to photography but I want a camera to shoot my kids basketball games as well as wildlife . Any thoughts on a camera ? Budget would be $1200 for a body

[@tylerpoling5609]

I shoot with a 6d mkii. It doesn't have the best framerate but it gives very usable images at high iso's. I get usable images when shooting at 12,800 when photographing high school football

[@chelostgo]

Thanks Any tips for shooting shyncronized swimming?

[@peterrm11]

Like gymnastics and figure skating-you have to know tthe routines. I don't know how practice/warm-ups work in synch swim, but I'll bet that they do parts of their routines before the event. You have to watch, otherwise you will always be chaseing it.

[@bngr_bngr]

What are the focus modes you are taking about? Do they refer to the 1Dx ii?

[@BruceLeroyUK]

bngr bngr they refer to the 7D Mark 1 and 2. As well as the 1DX Mark 1 and 2.

[@peterrm11]

The EOS-1DX and the 1D X Mk II have 6 selectable focus modes under the purple AF tab in the menus.

[@adokapo]

What happened to sound?

Fro knows photo should at least listen to Peter and rethink his anti- cropping in sports photography rants. Jared Polin aka Froknowsphoto says one must suck as a sports photog if u didn’t frame it right in cam and then u crop after. Lol Peter why do sum photogs believe that all photos have to be shot raw and must not be cropped ?

[@VadimOm]

that 40 second loud intro is quite annoying