All the marbles…
FEBRUARY 09, 2008 - Mid-Pacific’s Marc Obando celebrates after scoring against Kapa’a’s goalkeeper Parker Blaylock in overtime (penalty kicks) to win the DII HHSAA Championship at Waipio Soccer park. Exposure details: Canon EOS 1-D Mark II, EF 400mm f2.8, Manual, 1/500 sec at f/2.8, ISO 3200, Fluorescent white balance
I’ve been shooting the state high school soccer championships the last few weekends out at Waipio soccer park. Soccer’s a fun sport to shoot, since there’s almost always action going on.
But it’s also a sport in which little, if any, scoring can happen.
This was the case for the boys’ games Saturday night.
If the score is tied at the end of regulation, there’s a 10-minute overtime round. Then, if the score is still tied, there’s a second 10-minute round, with the first score winning outright. Then, if it’s still tied, it comes down to a penalty kick round of five kickers from each team taking turns shooting on a goal keeper. It’s all the marbles at this point. The team with the most goals takes the win.
When it became obvious that this game was going to be decided with penalty kicks, I decided I wanted a photo that would tell the whole story in one frame. I wanted both kicker and goal keeper in the same frame, so I went to the opposite end of the field, and was able to get both in.
Most of the pictures were simply kicker with flying goal keeper. Good enough, but I was hoping for a little more drama.
It came on the last kick with so much emotion from both players. Classic thrill of victory/agony of defeat.
February 11th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
What sort of noise reduction (if any) do you use during your processing routine? I notice you shoot at some pretty high ISO settings yet the photos I see on the blog look great. Is it a product of a smaller resolution vs the original file size?
I’m still learning, so stumbling across your blog was a great find for me. I always like to see what photographers used to get a certain shot, and your posting the exposure data under the photos really helps.
-Andy
February 12th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Thanks for checking out my blog, Andy.
I don’t use any noise reduction software, actually. Canon cameras handle high ISOs pretty well (although the new Nikon D3 trumps everything). One thing I’ve noticed to keep noise low is to make sure the image is properly exposed. If it’s on the dark side, and you need to lighten the image, noise seems to crop up a little.
Also, as you noted, the small size of the photos on the blog also help. If you saw this file jacked to some huge size, you’d see that there is some noise.
I too like to know what settings, etc. photogs used when they shot a certain picture, so I decided I’d include the exposure info with my photos. Most, if not all, of it can be found in the file info dialogue box in PhotoShop, which is how I get most of that information to include with the photos.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Duuuude! That photo is fabulous. You wanted drama and you got it. More proof of what I always tell people — Star-Bulletin photogs ROCK.
Seriously.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Richard,
I am just starting to get into photography with the digital format. I like your notes on the pictures and also enjoy how you think about composing your shots.
I am using my son’s sports as the subject of my shots.
Keep them coming. I’m learning from “The Master”.
- “Grassshopper”
February 15th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I truly dont understand why Kamehameha girls varsity soccer team had barely any exposure on in the newspaper EVENTHOUGH, they have won the past THREE ILH AND STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS! please explain! i’ve followed them for quite some time and i understand all the hard work and effort they put into their seasons. if you saw the amounts of running, practice hours and time they put into each and every season… you’d be quite amazed. it seems that the only way they ever make a front page of anything is when they LOSE.
February 18th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Last I heard, this was a PHOTO blog, not a pro-Kamehameha IMUA blog…..
February 25th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
thank you for taking this great photo of me and my teams win. It was a great shot.
Thank you,
Marc Obando
February 25th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Congrats on a great game, and a great shot!