Pro Toggers:Shooting Sports in Snow

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This is mainly aimed at the pro toggers, as the title suggests.

So with the threat of snow all over the UK, how do you guy's cope with snow covered pitches, is it as simple as if you were shooting for snow scenes etc and adjusting as necessary, or is there a little more to it?.

If you have any tips or trick's of the trade that you can share with us mere mortals, then I think we would all be grateful for your advice.

Thanks in advance.
 
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AFC said:
This is mainly aimed at the pro toggers, as the title suggests.

So with the threat of snow all over the UK, how do you guy's cope with snow covered pitches, is it as simple as if you were shooting for snow scenes etc and adjusting as necessary, or is there a little more to it?.

If you have any tips or trick's of the trade that you can share with us mere mortals, then I think we would all be grateful for your advice.

Thanks in advance.
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Well...the exposure stuff is slightly different...obviously white snow is brighter than green grass. It can fool the camera. I generally pick exposure settings and chimp/adjust.

The far more important factor is staying warm on the sidelines...wrapping up well and keeping the head warm is vital. The colder the head, the slower your responses.

I remember a story of a photographer at Green Bay in the USA getting some fairly severe Hypothermia during a game!
 
How long is it since you went to a game? They now have this wonderfull invention called undersoil heating, the groundsman flicks a switch and the snow melts and the pitch doesn't freeze.

The only reason a game is called off now due to snow is if its unsafe outside the stadium.
 
Little John said:
How long is it since you went to a game? They now have this wonderfull invention called undersoil heating, the groundsman flicks a switch and the snow melts and the pitch doesn't freeze.

The only reason a game is called off now due to snow is if its unsafe outside the stadium.
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Hmmm, not too many rugby stadiums have the undersoil heating...granted most premier league and championship football grounds do, but half of my work is Rugby Union...where they still play in snow.

Actually, come to think of it, I had 2 games cancelled last year because of snow/frozen pitch. And the last time I went to a game was Saturday...smart-ass. :p
 
jamesb84 said:
Hmmm, not too many rugby stadiums have the undersoil heating...granted most premier league and championship football grounds do, but half of my work is Rugby Union...where they still play in snow.

Actually, come to think of it, I had 2 games cancelled last year because of snow/frozen pitch. And the last time I went to a game was Saturday...smart-ass. :p
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I had games at Cardiff City and Bristol City had games postponed due to frozen pitches last year...in fact pretty sure Portsmouth did as well. There was a weekend when all but a few games of football were cancelled as well wasn't there?
 
AFC said:
So with the threat of snow all over the UK.
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Eh where did you see that?

All I have seen is that there may be some snow down the east coast towards the end of the week.
 
Little John said:
How long is it since you went to a game? They now have this wonderfull invention called undersoil heating, the groundsman flicks a switch and the snow melts and the pitch doesn't freeze.

The only reason a game is called off now due to snow is if its unsafe outside the stadium.
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Thats OK for big clubs, but there are a lot of small clubs and those like Southend Rugby Club for instance who dont have undersoil heating.

So as for undersoil heating, NOT ALL clubs have it.
 
bigrob said:
Eh where did you see that?

All I have seen is that there may be some snow down the east coast towards the end of the week.
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BBC weather...I know they cant forecast the result of a one horse race, but they have been right lately.
 
Do they play if there's snow on the ground? I'd expect the pitch to be frozen. Time to do indoor sports, methinks!
 
Photodiva said:
Do they play if there's snow on the ground? I'd expect the pitch to be frozen. Time to do indoor sports, methinks!
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They do..if it isn't frozen. I shot an FA cup match between Bristol City and Cardiff City last season in a real snow storm. Makes for interesting pictures.
 
How dare you go indoors Carol, where's your photographers bottle.

PS. I you want a hand indoors let me know....:LOL:
 
jamesb84 said:
Hmmm, not too many rugby stadiums have the undersoil heating...granted most premier league and championship football grounds do, but half of my work is Rugby Union...where they still play in snow.

Actually, come to think of it, I had 2 games cancelled last year because of snow/frozen pitch. And the last time I went to a game was Saturday...smart-ass. :p
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I had 8 jobs out of 9 spread over a fortnight cancelled in January. I believe there is a sweepstake on this Winter. :shake:
 
Rovers_Andy said:
Just waiting for your December rota :LOL::naughty:
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Hehehe...thankfully in the South West we don't get it too badly...couple of frozen pitches and a snow-storm that never settles is about the worst we get (except for last year)
 
Little John said:
How long is it since you went to a game? They now have this wonderfull invention called undersoil heating, the groundsman flicks a switch and the snow melts and the pitch doesn't freeze.
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My stepson is a head groundsman for Fords Social club looking after football, rugby and cricket pitches and he doesn't just flick a switch and the snow disappears and neither does a lot of the park and school pitches up and down the country where grass roots footbal and rugby matches are played....:D

We dont all shoot or play at top class grounds...:shake:
 
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Gary Coyle said:
The snow actually insulates the ground to some degree and stops it freezing.
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But how do they know where the white lines are? Must make for some interesting ref decisions? :thinking:
 
AFC said:
How dare you go indoors Carol, where's your photographers bottle.

PS. I you want a hand indoors let me know....:LOL:
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LOL - last year I trudged up to the footie ground on a snowy saturday afternoon only to find the match had been cancelled. I wish I'd checked the website first before venturing out! Dammit I thought, if I can turn out why can't they :)
 
Photodiva said:
But how do they know where the white lines are? Must make for some interesting ref decisions? :thinking:
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Some of the ref's decisions I've seen they must be playing on snow covered pitches all year round....:LOL:
 
Photodiva said:
But how do they know where the white lines are? Must make for some interesting ref decisions? :thinking:
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Generally, the areas around the lines are cleared to leave the line itself, and a little patch of grass either side.

That's what they do with the rugby at least...
 
jamesb84 said:
Generally, the areas around the lines are cleared to leave the line itself, and a little patch of grass either side.

That's what they do with the rugby at least...
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Seen this done for footy as well.
 
I know I'm not a pro togger (in fact far from it) but out of curiosity, would a 2 stop ND filter help with the exposure?
 
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its rare you would get a game played on snow.. depends on the league level i suppose but deffo rare..

should be no different than ice hockey played on white ice.... expose for the player and fix the rest post process.. i find shadow/highlight tool in photoshop does a good job on such big expanses of white..
 
Heres a few from a game last winter

1

snow01.jpg


2

snow02.jpg


3

snow03.jpg


4

snow04.jpg


5

snow05.jpg


6

snow06.jpg
 
Grrrrrrrrr.

Anyway, im not looking for critique, just showing how my cam handles shooting in Snow.

You doing owt Saturday Ste, might need something covering at short notice if the weather disrupts things in West Yorkshire, theres already a couple off your side of the Pennines though.

Cant promise owt though but would be nice to know youre available if needed.
 
2 big Lancs cup Semis and (upto now) both on, Blackbrook v West Bank and Simmies v Bank Quay. all my original plans are now off as council in Halton have closed their pitches. Would do eith of these if needed.
 
Well round here we've had over 10cm snow today and the match tonite has been postponed. So at least I don't have to worry about camera settings and can sit in front of the fire watching tv keeping warm instead!
 
Photodiva said:
Well round here we've had over 10cm snow today and the match tonite has been postponed. So at least I don't have to worry about camera settings and can sit in front of the fire watching tv keeping warm instead!
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Get used to it, it's going to be another long winter!
 
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