Basketball

Philpalmer

Philpalmer

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Phil
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Morning all.

I received my first ever press pass yesterday to shoot the GB men's basketball team in a few weeks at the copper box arena.

Has anyone done much basketball, if so any pointers?

Cheers

Phil
 
@Philpalmer - hope you'll enjoy your GB vs NZ game at the Copper Box...
Firstly... have a look at some of the NZ basketball 'Haka' videos before you go to the game.. then you can choose the best place to be for this.
I was lucky enough to have many chances and angles to cover their Haka last year at the World Championships.. personal favourites are either side-on or from behind the opposing team (note, you might be limited to where you can access!)

As for the game of basketball - you are in luck that it is the Copper Box, with lighting one of the best at any indoor venue in the UK!
Your shooting location will be behind the base line (behind the baskets) - whether you have photographers benches or not, depends on the game/organisers.
If benches are there, then those are your locations to choose from.
If not - try to get to the corners (between the advertising boards.
(lot will also depend on VIP seating - but I am sure you are provided space to shoot)

Many agency photographers tend to choose either right at the corner on the base-line (right hand side when looking behind the basket).
This is due to most players being right handed and there fore running towards you/basket more often - so you get more face-on photos of players running through the channels.
But as with many rules/best positions - there is no need to stick to them.
Personally I often choose the left hand corner ... :)

Other favourite position of agency photographers is the spot closest to the basket (on the benches).
If there are no benches .. these spots are often taken by the TV camera and the floor wipers.

Reason why I like to go as far to the corner of the base line to shoot, is that from there you get the widest un-obstructed view of the action at all times.
Closer to the basket you will get possible more dramatic images of the players at the hoop.. but often find your view blocked by players in the paint or referees black trousers (I have a 100000's of images of referees trousers).
From the corner you can cover the players bringing up the ball - rotating the ball on the perimeter - players running through the channels for lay-up/slam-dunk - players shooting three pointers over the defenders - pictures of the benches and coaches - plus a nice background with the crowds (assuming there will be one to make it worth worrying about)

If you have the corner spot - and sitting on the floor (and if you use remotes) - try putting a remote next to you (be kind to other photographers and if space is limited.. make sure everyone is OK with it.. I know.. I am overly polite) You can use something like 24-70 or 16-35 to get a nice wide view of the action with the crowd/benches/etc in the frame. As with all remotes, you'll get a lot more garbage than keepers.. but good ones are good!

Your main lens probably will be 70-200 - that will cover most of the court for you.
Depending on the event I cover, my own set-up can be anything from 2 bodies to 5-6 bodies - this is with various remotes set around.
But my go-to handheld lenses are 16-35 / 70-200 / 200 f1.8 / 200-400 f4 with 1.4X
Covering basketball with a 300mm or 400mm prime does give you some nice different images - but not sure I personally would choose that if I am there to mainly cover the action (i.e not wanting to focus on expressions or certain players for a feature).

You didn't say whether you've covered lots of basketball before... but the images to look for could be :

- Players rising to the basket (nice ones when the player runs through two defenders with feet in the air) -try to always include at least a small part of the basket in these images!
- Defender blocking a shot - both players in the air (shoot wide enough to have feet in the image - or tight enough to focus on the face/ball)
- Coaches getting animated... OK - this depends on the coaches and not sure either of these really gets too animated ;-)
- Subs bench jumping up for a big score/dunk/three pointer
- Players celebrating when scoring at the other end (they tend to turn around towards fans/bench - so you get nice stuff from the opposite end!)
- Slam-Dunk - ok, it's bit of a cliche image, and depends on the players on the court, etc... but we all want some of these from the games.
- Defence - players hustling the forwards with the ball.
- Shots through the D - when you get the forward on the perimeter just framed through the crowded paint..

Would post some samples of my images - but covering a tournament abroad.. so keeping me doing 16 hour days here.. so limited time.
Feel free to ask anything else... and can try to answer them in some sort of half intelligent way.

OH - almost forgot, you naturally need to take pictures of the cheerleaders ;-)

Sorry to post such a long reply... and probably mostly non-sense.
 
That's absolutely fantastic. I really appreciate your reply and that's definitely helped a great deal. It's my first ever time shooting basketball.

I know the game well as I've watched for years so I'm fairly clued up on what's going to be keeper shots.

As for equipment, I'm only a keen amateur and therefore do not have several bodies and thousand pound lenses. I currently have a 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8 and a 300mm f4.

Would you suggest throwing a bit of cash at something else? I don't want to waste this opportunity I've been given. I may not get a press pass again at basketball for a long while. (Though it is my ambition to shoot basketball full time).

I will be at the court in plenty of time before tip off to suss out where I'm going to shoot from etc. Of course I'll ensure I move around over each 1/4, I don't want the same stuff all night long.

I'm not there covering the game for any media company so I do have the luxury of trying any shot I possibly can with no pressure.

Do you know if there are any rules on posting my images anywhere seeing as they will be from a press location or will that be down to the event organisers themselves?

Once again thanks for your in depth reply, it really has given me some great advice!

Regards

Phil
 
Follow everything GooGaBu said and you can't go far wrong.

You mentioned moving around every qtr. nothing wrong with doing that, but don't be scared to stay in one spot. You can get a hell of a lot of different shots from the same place, especially if you're new to shooting bball, get a spot near the corner, relax into it and get used to the action. Don't forget you'll also have the other team coming towards you in the second half so you get both teams from one end (unless you specifically want to shoot one team).

I wouldn't worry about your equipment. I shot my whole first BBL season with the 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8. I still use the 85 now and I had loads of published shots taken with the 50. Both great bball lenses.

If you're interested I wrote a bit on my blog about shooting bball.

http://www.robsamblesphotography.com/blog/2014/10/shooting-positions-for-basketball

Good luck and enjoy! I'll actually be at the game myself but to watch rather than work for this one.

Cheers
Rob
 
Thanks very much Rob. I've had a look at your blog, another good source for me. I feel a lot more confident now going into the game.

I'll position myself on your red dot to start with, and more than likely I will stay there.

Good to hear my both my lens will be good enough. I was worried about their AF speed.

Do you have a website/link of any of your work?

Thanks again

Phil
 
@Philpalmer - using primes vs zooms is something that we all have out take on. So what goes for me, isn't necessarily what suits you...
From your selection, I might be tempted to take all three lenses with me - give it a go with all of them and enjoy the different results (depending on your camera body - the 300mm f4 will be OK for the light at the Copper Box.)
My personal point of view - if there is any way you can get your hands on to a 70-200mm f2.8 .. whether it is the old Canon f2.8 - or the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 or Tamron...
It just is the lens made for basketball :) But it is easy to say, and not to consider that it will cost you good few hundred to get one of these.
Of course, you could try to hire 70-200 for the event - can't imagine the costs of renting it for two/three days being over the top?

Prime lenses do restrict your 'optimal' action field of view (or that is coming from me - who likes zooms).
Personally I've done few basketball games with a prime only, but the primes were 200mm and 400mm.

I know few photographers who like the 85mm on their second body.. so that might be a good one to have.
The 50mm ... not one I would take with me to capture action, but that's not to say it won't work.

In regards to rules on posting... check with the media guy at the game, I am sure he'll be able to advice you on this.
I know all games apart from football in the UK need the extra exposure ... so you might be lucky and be able to post some online for everyone to view.
Remember to get pics of Andrew Sullivan (Team GB captain) reaching his 100th cap!!

Wish I could be there to cover the game myself - but unfortunately work takes me to cover a two week tournament in Austria at the same time!
 
I've only shot 2 basketball games back in March at the Copper Box Arena as one of a group of photographers shooting for the London Lions. As I was new to this it took me until halfway through the first game before I was getting the results I was looking for. I found my 70-300 the most used lens, but as it wasn't an F2.8 fast lens I was mainly shooting at iso 3200 on the d7100. I found the lighting during the teams initial warm up period not so good, it was better once the game was under way. It would have been really useful to have had a second body for the closer action. I even captured some interesting shots with an 8mm fisheye while leaning over into the arena under the basket, camera at arms length composing via live view and firing short bursts. The 8mm was a little too wide, a Nikon 12mm fisheye would have been better, or a 11-16mm F2.8 Tokina.

Basketball Action at the Copper Box Arena London by Steve Bell, on Flickr
 
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Thanks all for you time in helping me.

I think I need to find myself a zoom within a budget to just ensure I have covered most ranges. Would the 17-55 Nikon 2.8 be too short? I'm worried the 85 1.8 won't AF quick enough.

The 70-200 2.8 I know would be ideal however it's a little to far over my budget. Perhaps if I'm lucky one day to get a regular spot courtside then I would invest.

Great set of images Rob.

Thanks again!!
 
Philpalmer said:
Thanks all for you time in helping me.

I think I need to find myself a zoom within a budget to just ensure I have covered most ranges. Would the 17-55 Nikon 2.8 be too short? I'm worried the 85 1.8 won't AF quick enough.

The 70-200 2.8 I know would be ideal however it's a little to far over my budget. Perhaps if I'm lucky one day to get a regular spot courtside then I would invest.

Great set of images Rob.

Thanks again!!
Click to expand...


I think the 85 is a perfect range for basketball..used to use mine all the time for bb until i got the 70-200..... 17-55 is too short IMHO ..doable but...

Some of the venues I got to are so dark the 70-200 isnt gonna hack it so the 85m (usually set at f2) is great..
 
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I bit the bullet....I've bought a 70-200. I figured rather than moan about not having what I want I may aswell spend and be happy. So a 70-200 and an 85 are all set and ready for the copper box!
 
Philpalmer said:
I bit the bullet....I've bought a 70-200. I figured rather than moan about not having what I want I may aswell spend and be happy. So a 70-200 and an 85 are all set and ready for the copper box!
Click to expand...


unless your going arty or sitting under the basket then the 70-200 is all you will need...... a wide angle for crowd or room shots and maybe between quarters for team talks ect...
 
Philpalmer said:
I bit the bullet....I've bought a 70-200. I figured rather than moan about not having what I want I may aswell spend and be happy. So a 70-200 and an 85 are all set and ready for the copper box!
Click to expand...

Hope you'll find it worth it :) Feel free to post your comments on using it for the sport and whether YOU found it useful.. or feel you would have been OK with the lenses you had.

As for what @KIPAX mentioned about team talks - I am guessing that at the International games you will not be allowed behind the team benches (in real terms you should not get there in BBL/EBL1 games either - but rules are relaxed in the UK in this regards). But International games are more governed by the FIBA rules... so guessing that will be out of question. But the wide crowd shots are nice when the arena is full enough for it.
 
Is it possible to like a whole thread? Good advice given to someone who is basically a competitor and that advice being acknowledged and thanked for by the OP. What TP is (or should be!) all about IMO.
 
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