Topic: Any Photographers here?

[Walter Bailey]

Hey guys.  I got a fancy new camera and lens (Nikon D50/Sigma 70-200mm F2.8) and I would love to take some nice weightlifting pictures at comps.  I would especially like to be able to take pictures during the pull, or when the lifter is pulling under the bar (when the movement is at its fastest).  Here's the question.  At a typical competition in a school gymnasium, what kind of ISO/Shutter speed should I use?  I hope there's somebody here that knows what I'm talking about.

Walter

PS  Since it's a thread about pictures, do any of you guys have some nice pictures you took during competitions you could share?

[Adrian Cadmus-Dixon]

Walter,

Here's some pics that Aaron took from the BC Juniors:

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Paul LaDuke]

I know a little about photography, but not nearly enough.  The faster the iso speed the clearer the picture during athletic contests.  I would use the fastest iso setting the camera has (1600?) and see what results you get.  You may want to experiment with all the iso speeds of 800 or greater.  The advantage of digital photography is you can change that on the fly.  So experiment with different iso speeds with every picture and have some fun learning the differences.

The problem you will deal with most will be with the lighting, not iso speeds.  Some  gyms will not have enough light for you to get the shutter speed fast enough to keep the bar from being blurry especially in the auto mode.   Every gym's lighting will be different.  The good ones have windows and the lighting is great during the day.  Others are dark and the light is yellow at night.  Be sure to set your white balance on the camera before the meet as lighting hues will vary greatly.  

You will probably have to resort to a flash which some lifters may find annoying to distracting.  Since you will be using a flash, you will have to be close to the platform.  

Another feature of some of the nice cameras is the burst mode.  You should be able to take a series of 3 or more pictures in quick sucsession that would be really neat to see.

The greatest thing about digital photophraphy is that you can take thousands of pictures without spending money except on batteries.  So have some fun.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Walter,

I believe your camera records in a RAW format. That is very cool. I would suggest you try to take advantage of that ability by editing in RAW before export. Photoshop CS2 or the new CS3 do it though you should check to ensure your camera is supported. Other options may exist. I would check in to them. You can do amazing things when editing in RAW, but it requires more storage.

Thanks

[Shawn Thomas]

Ty Johnston is a member of my weightlifting club the"Barbarians". He became jr. provincial champion in the 85's 80 snatch/105 clean&jerk.