portrait orientation

Photodiva

Photodiva

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Carol
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A request from the club 'can I do more portrait shape pics so they can find suitable ones for the poster?'. I have to say I've struggled with rotating the camera mid-action, even more now that with the 1D the viewfinder is much lower when rotated and feels off balance. I dislike portrait shape pics as I often end up cropping hands and feet. Since the 70-200 means they have to be fairly close or closing, can anyone offer any advice about focus point, best way to compose? I used to just crop a portrait from the 50D 15mp but that's going to be harder with the 10mp 1D.

Also, on a side note, one of the directors pointed out a picture I'd taken of the Cup from the winners match last season, on a table in the middle of the pitch, filling the frame, and said 'the sponsors would have been happier if their ads has been in focus - talking about the wall hoardings around the edge of the stands. Holds breath, counts to ten. So, in addition to getting superb action shots, I now have to try and get the advertising in as well. Anything else, Sir?
 
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Photodiva said:
Also, on a side note, one of the directors pointed out a picture I'd taken of the Cup from the winners match last season, on a table in the middle of the pitch, filling the frame, and said 'the sponsors would have been happier if their ads has been in focus - talking about the wall hoardings around the edge of the stands. Holds breath, counts to ten. So, in addition to getting superb action shots, I now have to try and get the advertising in as well. Anything else, Sir?
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Then tell the sponsors to stump up some cash your way or pay for a mobile advertising board to be made up like most do, theyre the clubs sponsors not yours, i doubt very much neither the sponsors or the club made any sort of financial contribution to your new gear. :thumbsdown:

Im sorry Carol but when youre doing this purely for the love and directors and sponsors start demanding things like then its time to walk away, most small clubs dont have a large pot of cash to throw around and should be grateful for what they get.
 
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Gary Coyle said:
Then tell the sponsors to stump up some cash your way or pay for a mobile advertising board to be made up like most do, theyre the clubs sponsors not yours, i doubt very much neither the sponsors or the club made any sort of financial contribution to your new gear. :thumbsdown:

Im sorry Carol but when youre doing this purely for the love and directors and sponsors start demanding things like then its time to walk away, most small clubs dont have a large pot of cash to throw around and should be grateful for what they get.
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I'm not sure 'demanding' was quite what was meant, but rather a complete lack of understanding. I agree, if the sponsors want pics specific, they need to pay up! We'll see. :bonk:
 
Well Carol to get the shots the sponsors want you would need a 400/600 f/2.8 wouldn't you Carol :naughty:, well its worth a try :LOL:
 
AFC said:
Well Carol to get the shots the sponsors want you would need a 400/600 f/2.8 wouldn't you Carol :naughty:, well its worth a try :LOL:
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Now that is a good idea ...
 
I enjoyed your Dart's v Gills shots and my personal view is that they didn't seem different from your old camera, clear, bright, sharp, I'd be happy with them.

I loved the behind the goal shot of the keeper diving full length.(y)
 
Thanks Martin. I deliberately set up behind Dartford goal in the first half to try and get some of the goalie and Dartford defenders, and because the sun was behind me! I stayed that end for the second half, too. Shame is they are wearing the Academy kit which is white and a bit more of a nightmare than the black/white kit they usually wear. Anyway, Virgin Atlantic should be happy ...
 
Carol, really if you want more portrait pics you only have two options - crop them out of landscape ones, or practice until it does feel natural to use the camera that way. Personally I would have thought the 1D with integrated grip would be easier to use like that than an un-gripped 50D.

Focus point selection is no different really. For football shooting portrait I'd be using one over the players mid chest where the logos on their shirts give maximum contrast. I wouldn't try to swap mid-action as you put it, just shoot for a few minutes in that orientation in each half and you get a few good shots to satisfy a requirement to fill a particular space.
 
Thanks Andy. I'll give that a go.
 
Carol, take a look at any match on my website and you'll see that a large percentage are shot in portrait mode, it's something you'll get used to plus it actually uses more of your pixels than shooting in landscape and cropping to portrait mode hence much bigger prints
 
Carol, even with a 1 series or D3 I still used the main shutter button. I've never got on with the position of gripped shutter buttons. Might be easier that way.
 
Gary Coyle said:
Carol, take a look at any match on my website and you'll see that a large percentage are shot in portrait mode, it's something you'll get used to plus it actually uses more of your pixels than shooting in landscape and cropping to portrait mode hence much bigger prints
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Thanks, just hoping to gain a bit of advance knowledge to flatten the learning curve here. Do you keep the centre focus point, or move it? I can see a lot of practice is going to be necessary ...
 
The23rdman said:
Carol, even with a 1 series or D3 I still used the main shutter button. I've never got on with the position of gripped shutter buttons. Might be easier that way.
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So far, I would concur with that!
 
The only thing I dont like about using the 1D series in portrait using the alternative shutter release is the fact that the joystick isnt easily accessible as it is in lanscape.

Also in Portarit, you get to cover the action closer in.
 
Photodiva said:
Thanks, just hoping to gain a bit of advance knowledge to flatten the learning curve here. Do you keep the centre focus point, or move it? I can see a lot of practice is going to be necessary ...
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Move it, but mines set to auto switch focus point when turned to portrait, dunno if Canon has this option.
 
Tugster said:
The only thing I dont like about using the 1D series in portrait using the alternative shutter release is the fact that the joystick isnt easily accessible as it is in lanscape.

Also in Portarit, you get to cover the action closer in.
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For a given value of 'closer' ! LOL. I seem to struggle with cutting off limbs. Last nite was a case in point, twice when a nice portrait opportunity arose, suddenly I'm being overwhelmed by 2 bodies and a ball off the pitch and almost on top of me behind the goal line in space of what seemed like millliseconds. Yikes! I wimped out and stopped shooting. Is a longer focal length preferred - what do you guys use?
 
Photodiva said:
For a given value of 'closer' ! LOL. I seem to struggle with cutting off limbs. Last nite was a case in point, twice when a nice portrait opportunity arose, suddenly I'm being overwhelmed by 2 bodies and a ball off the pitch and almost on top of me behind the goal line in space of what seemed like millliseconds. Yikes! I wimped out and stopped shooting. Is a longer focal length preferred - what do you guys use?
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2 body set up, D3S with 400mm and 1.4x and D700 with 70-200mm
 
2x MKIV's one with 400mm + 1.4 if necesarry and the other body has the 70-200 mk2 +1.4 if necesarry...Not always needed for footy and rugby but for junior cricket it is very useful to get bowling sequence shots from side on.
 
So do you get predominantly portrait shots with the longer length or the shorter length, or both.?
 
for me its usually the longer set up, by the time theyre filling the frame in portrait mode its just right to switch to the second body in landscape mode.
 
Thanks, I had a notion that you were using the longer length, which makes my situation even more of a challenge.
 
Gary - sorry noob question - what do you put on your monopod to turn the camera portrait?
 
Nothing mate, when i say nothing i mean the lens inbuilt tripod collar, the tripod collar on the lens allows the turning of camera and lens to portrait mode.
 
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