Any tips for shooting cricket?

I am guessing local and not at a county ground?


I find the 300+1.4 perfect for local cricket

Most cricket grounds I go to have white backgrounds which is hard work with white kits... i either meter off the grass and over expose 1/3 stop or av mode and over the same..

Backgrounds are hard work and a lot of stuff is unavoidable.. but do try not to have the car park in the background as thats real poor... but again sometimes unavoidable..

the best time to shoot cricket is around 5pm onwards... mid day is the worse time on a sunny day as the sun is high and there all wearing helmets which makes for very dark faces.

dont try to follow the ball when a btasman whacks it.. look aroun at the fielders to see who looks like they are going to catch it... point at him and start firing as the ball is gonna get there quick .

loads of local cricket on my website :) might be some ideas..

Cricket is on for a long time.. you need patience.. dont be happy wiht a simple bat on ball shot.. keep at it and you will get soemhting good... keep looking about see if anyhting else is going on. there usualy is... watch the score.. if a batseman is near 50 or 100 be ready to capture him waving his bat to the crowd.. move around.. get shots from different angles and you will find new things to shoot...
 
Nothing to say its going to be bright sunshine so you might be in luck.. bit of cloud :)

redmonkee said:
Do you think it is worth having two bodies for cricket?
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Nagh... I have missed the odd catch that comes near me.. but its rare you need to have a shorter lens by your side all day..

I do however go shorter now and then to get a full shot of bowler and batsman... right distance.. right angle and right lighting you can get them both in focus without going too wide.. I got such a picture in center pages of my mondays local.. they like to use one now and then... this got printed big http://cricket.fotopic.net/p65595125.html

but just a simple lens change will do..
 
KIPAX said:
and a hat.. seriously.. its a long day if the sun is out..
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Definitely! And not a baseball cap (or your ears and neck will burn), something designed for sun protection and preferably with a floppy brim at the front so you can shoot portrait orientation.

I also recommend a cool bag with some cans of Red Bull in :D
 
desantnik said:
Definitely! And not a baseball cap (or your ears and neck will burn), something designed for sun protection and preferably with a floppy brim at the front so you can shoot portrait orientation.
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Like a cricket hat you mean? :) I ahve a good one but i tend to have my collar up as well on my tee shirt

I bought one of these in stone/beige colour it has a pull thing so it fits all sorts of head sizes.. i find off the shelf shop ones too tight.. this is perfect with built in sweat band.. and rim floppy anough to use camera all way

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....080&var=410003193904&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Sandwich brim.
Towelling sweatband with mesh lining (for extra comfort).
Elasticated drawcord size adjuster with toggle.
Offers protection against sunlight UPF50+.
 
A cricket hat?! Lets not get too into this!

This is more my style and works a charm! :D
 
Meter off of the grass?

I'd be looking for shutter speeds around the 1/500 mark to keep it sharp.
 
By the nature of things cricket is usualy played on a fine if not sunny day so i wouldnt worry about shutter speeds too much:)

i answered your question re metering in my first post...
 
KIPAX said:
thats cutting it fine at 420mm dont you think?
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Depends what you are used to I guess... 1/500 is awfully fast for me :D
 
Never done it, but I'd take LOTS of memory. You're going to take hundreds and hundreds of shots without trying.
 
desantnik said:
Depends what you are used to I guess... 1/500 is awfully fast for me :D
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at 420mm? its only just above the focal length isnt it hmm I certainly wouldnt advise it.. but if you can manage cricket at those setting then it must work :)
 
Thing is though, 1/500 will freeze the action, on a monopod for stability naturally, chuck in some IS/VR if you have the DT's or something because if you don't and you've got it stopped down to f9 you are going to find when a cloud comes over you are shooting ISO3200 or something mental.

Its all well and good if you have a nice long f2.8 or even f4 prime, but a 300 f4 with a TC means you start to run out of room quite quickly...
 
desantnik said:
Its all well and good if you have a nice long f2.8 or even f4 prime, but a 300 f4 with a TC means you start to run out of room quite quickly...
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The OP says he has a 300 2.8 and a 1.4 ... thus he will be at 420mm f4.. i would suggest faster than 500 and not wiht IS .. IS is ok when just shooting at a batsman but not if you want to get the catch.. esp the wicket keeper

500 will do if needs must... but given the ops equipment as listed in his question i would certainly want to go over 500 :)
 
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