Decisions...Decisions...Decisions....
posted by Gameshots, 9/17/2008 10:26:00 AM
When I shoot a Carolina football game I work in concert with my photographer 'teammate', CJ Driggers. This makes life so much better not only for me but more importantly for those viewing the Galleries that we produce. How so and why, you may wonder. Have you ever noticed how large the football field is? Especially at Williams-Brice matters are made more difficult because NO ONE is allowed behind the end zones to shoot or to stand around (in our way).
However, I digressed. The beauty of working with another photographer is we each have a different angle on the action. You would be amazed how often, even with the best of planning and scheming to avoid it, someone gets directly between the camera and the action. That someone could be, but is not limited to, one of the many officials (Side Judge, Back Judge, Referee, etc.), Network people (Red Cap - communicates to Ref's when TV is on/off, Instant Replay (IR) people, sideline reporters for radio and TV, and many others), law enforcement people, etc.
There is at least one exception, however. One of these sideline people that never seems to get in the way works for ESPN- Erin. You probably have not ever noticed her as well, just seems to blend in to the crowd.
As anyone who knows football can attest, sometimes the action is in your area of the field and quickly it can be at the other end and side of the field. So CJ and I will diversify, or divide and conquer. If we're on the same end of the field, we are usually on different sides. If one is behind the end zone, say in the corner of the end zone, if at Williams-Brice since we can't get 'behind' the end zone there, the other one is probably out around the 15 or 20 yard-line.
With the crush of photographers, we often have to shoot from our knees with someone behind us shooting over us. This is usually not a bad scenario as I personally like the angle of being low and shooting 'up' at the players but your line-of-sight can sometimes be limited especially when the action moves to the other side of the field.
At this time, I won't go into many of the specifics on the different lenses and camera combination's but merely mention a few high points. One of the problems that cause the photographers great concern is having a 'dust particle' on the camera's sensor. The main way to minimize this occurring is being very careful whenever you are changing a lens. Lens changing should be minimized and when done, the environment should be as dust-free as possible. Yeah, you can even be a bit fanatic about it. Having something on the sensor, to me, is of more concern that something on the lens. Lenses, especially telephoto ones, are amazing in that you have probably notice photographers shooting through the 'screen' at a baseball game, and in most cases, when you view the image you would never even know the screen was between you and the subject.
(By the way, the new baseball stadium will be a fantastic facility to either view a ballgame or for photographer's to shoot the game. Unbelievable.)
So in a game situation, I would generally have three cameras with me and the lens are already mounted so, in effect, the cameras are impervious to dust particles. Basically, one camera has the long telephoto lens mounted and is supported with a monopod (as it weighs about 15 pounds), the 2nd camera will usually have a medium range zoom lens on it (for shots in the Red Zone, for instance), and the 3rd camera will have a wide angle lens (maybe a 16-35mm) for a shot of the stadium, close in shots of cheerleaders, players, coaches, fans, the band, etc.
Although I would 'generally' have three cameras with me, this would NOT apply to shooting in the rain. Briefly, shooting in the rain is a story in itself but suffice it to say, keeping up with one or two cameras in those conditions (and all the other gear) will usually max me out. The beauty of having the three cameras is that you can almost instantly change cameras and capture an entirely different shot.
And, yes, you can guess wrong and wish you had your super telephoto when the touchdown was in the far corner or you can be glad that you did NOT use that telephoto when the pass was caught a few feet in front of you. You ought to hear the photographers guessing what play is going to be run from the two (or five or whatever) yard line! Then again, if we knew whether the play was going to be a run or a pass and where and to whom, the odds are that the defense would know also.
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Which camera and lens should I be using at this particular moment in time? Which will provide the BEST image to communicate what I feel should be captured at that moment in time. Where will I plan to be when I shoot the image?
When I shoot a Carolina football game I work in concert with my photographer 'teammate', CJ Driggers. This makes life so much better not only for me but more importantly for those viewing the Galleries that we produce. How so and why, you may wonder. Have you ever noticed how large the football field is? Especially at Williams-Brice matters are made more difficult because NO ONE is allowed behind the end zones to shoot or to stand around (in our way).
However, I digressed. The beauty of working with another photographer is we each have a different angle on the action. You would be amazed how often, even with the best of planning and scheming to avoid it, someone gets directly between the camera and the action. That someone could be, but is not limited to, one of the many officials (Side Judge, Back Judge, Referee, etc.), Network people (Red Cap - communicates to Ref's when TV is on/off, Instant Replay (IR) people, sideline reporters for radio and TV, and many others), law enforcement people, etc.
There is at least one exception, however. One of these sideline people that never seems to get in the way works for ESPN- Erin. You probably have not ever noticed her as well, just seems to blend in to the crowd.
As anyone who knows football can attest, sometimes the action is in your area of the field and quickly it can be at the other end and side of the field. So CJ and I will diversify, or divide and conquer. If we're on the same end of the field, we are usually on different sides. If one is behind the end zone, say in the corner of the end zone, if at Williams-Brice since we can't get 'behind' the end zone there, the other one is probably out around the 15 or 20 yard-line.
With the crush of photographers, we often have to shoot from our knees with someone behind us shooting over us. This is usually not a bad scenario as I personally like the angle of being low and shooting 'up' at the players but your line-of-sight can sometimes be limited especially when the action moves to the other side of the field.
At this time, I won't go into many of the specifics on the different lenses and camera combination's but merely mention a few high points. One of the problems that cause the photographers great concern is having a 'dust particle' on the camera's sensor. The main way to minimize this occurring is being very careful whenever you are changing a lens. Lens changing should be minimized and when done, the environment should be as dust-free as possible. Yeah, you can even be a bit fanatic about it. Having something on the sensor, to me, is of more concern that something on the lens. Lenses, especially telephoto ones, are amazing in that you have probably notice photographers shooting through the 'screen' at a baseball game, and in most cases, when you view the image you would never even know the screen was between you and the subject.
(By the way, the new baseball stadium will be a fantastic facility to either view a ballgame or for photographer's to shoot the game. Unbelievable.)
So in a game situation, I would generally have three cameras with me and the lens are already mounted so, in effect, the cameras are impervious to dust particles. Basically, one camera has the long telephoto lens mounted and is supported with a monopod (as it weighs about 15 pounds), the 2nd camera will usually have a medium range zoom lens on it (for shots in the Red Zone, for instance), and the 3rd camera will have a wide angle lens (maybe a 16-35mm) for a shot of the stadium, close in shots of cheerleaders, players, coaches, fans, the band, etc.
Although I would 'generally' have three cameras with me, this would NOT apply to shooting in the rain. Briefly, shooting in the rain is a story in itself but suffice it to say, keeping up with one or two cameras in those conditions (and all the other gear) will usually max me out. The beauty of having the three cameras is that you can almost instantly change cameras and capture an entirely different shot.
And, yes, you can guess wrong and wish you had your super telephoto when the touchdown was in the far corner or you can be glad that you did NOT use that telephoto when the pass was caught a few feet in front of you. You ought to hear the photographers guessing what play is going to be run from the two (or five or whatever) yard line! Then again, if we knew whether the play was going to be a run or a pass and where and to whom, the odds are that the defense would know also.
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Paul Collins. Paul has been a GamecockCentral photographer since 2005, with a focus on Gamecock football, men's basketball and baseball. He may be reached by email at paul(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.