Cheer Comp w/35mm 1.8

[My2Girls66]

Original

Original

cropped

cropped with noise reduction applied

cropped and noise reduction applied

untouched

cropped

untouched

cropped

Let me know what you think
All taken with D80, 35mm 1.8 @f/2.2, 1/500, ISO 1600
Its a 3 minute routine and I am not fast enough to change settings! I messed with shutter speeds on other teams before deciding on 1/500 @ f/2.2 for our team.

 

[disneyboy2003]

I think you did a great job! That was the right lens for the situation. I think you got the right settings and were able to get sharp pictures of the competition, despite the fast-moving pace of the cheerleaders. Looks like it also helped that you had the camera on burst mode, too. Great job on the picture with all the cheerleaders jumping in the air and the backflip pictures, too!

Too bad the routine was only 3 minutes long. If the routine were longer (or if you were there to capture some of the other cheerleading teams), you could have tried getting some real close-up shots with a longer lens. Take the 2nd to last picture, for example. How much more powerful a photo would that have been if you just isolated the cheerleader in the middle? Actually, you can probably crop the photo to get the same effect.

Is it me, or are the pictures just a tiny bit yellow? I have a feeling it's the gym walls that make the pictures appear more yellow, and thus playing tricks with my eyes. You can try playing around with the white balance on Photoshop (or Lightroom, Aperture, etc) to see if that makes a difference.

You can also try adding some vignetting and/or dodging/burning to your photos to lead your viewers' eyes toward the subject. In the last picture, for example, you did a great job capturing a complex move. My eyes start at the base where the group of cheerleaders are, and my attention is drawn upward. As soon as my eyes reach the top of the cheerleader, I'm distracted by those "State Champs" banners and I wanna read more about the State Champs! If you add some careful vignetting to the photo, it'll draw the viewers' attention to the cheerleaders in the center, making the background less distracting. Vignetting is a very common technique used in wedding photos, so give it a try! (but don't over-do it!)

I'm not a pro, I've had zero photography training, and I've never really done any photo critiquing, so keep all this in mind as you read my post. I do think that given the 3-minute time constraint in a low-light situation, you did a great job capturing fast movement with very minimal blur.

 

[My2Girls66]

Thanks for the reply! The walls were yellow. They tricked me for a bit, too when I 1st saw the color in the viewfinder. I am hoping to get an 85mm 1.8 eventually to get a little closer. Its a tough call with cheer comps since it goes so fast you really have decide whether you want to get closer and or go wider and stick with it unless you have a second body. This time I was able to get right on the floor near the mat
Thanks for looking and commenting

 

[pointandshoot]

I shoot martial arts in a yellow gym. High ISO, yellow walls, bad lighting, busy backgrounds, and action makes for a tough shoot. I think you did a great job. Keep practicing and your technique will improve.

No exif data to glance at. Did you use a speedlight or on camera flash? I am thinking of mounting some speedlights and trigger remotely the next time I shoot in this environment.

Chuck

 

[My2Girls66]

Thanks No flash. Others were using them, tho. Toward the end of the competition the announcer did say no flash photography for the safety of the competitors.