Ronald Davis
October 2024 - Eyes on the Heavens
About the Image(s)
Title: Eyes on the Heavens
With the AFL football season coming to an end on 28 September, I included a frequently taken photo of players looking to the sky for the descending football. The match was a final between 2 suburban teams. I like the photo as the two opposing players seem to be mirroring each other in a symmetrical way. I also submitted this photo as it was also taken with equipment from around 2010 technology, and once again Topaz has done a great job in bringing this photo up to a reasonable standard. Don’t throw away the old equipment or photos as processing technology is making average lenses and equipment quite impressive.
Camera and Lens: Pentax K20D; Sigma 150-500mm at Focal length 370 mm
Settings: F6.3, 1/750, ISO 1600.
Processing: Lightroom Auto and Topaz, De-noise. Sharpening.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted
Ronald, it has been said that a sport image where any sort of ball is involved, it should be in the frame, as well as the eyes following the ball. Here we have a bunch of eyes lost lucking at the open space. I am sure that you have a burst of images where the ball is still or back into the frame, but I get that your intention indeed is to show us and make us anticipate what is going the happen next. Posted: 10/03/2024 22:07:08
Hi Ronald, I can only agree with Isaac that the ball has to be in the photo in any case. The players are all looking up at the sky in anticipation of getting the ball. The other question for me is what kind of ball it is, is it round or oval (like in rugby). I once learned that a photo has to speak for itself and you don't have to guess what's happening. Posted: 10/04/2024 09:12:03
Ronald, I have to agree with the others. If only the ball was there it would add a purpose to the image. The same thing applies to my soccer images, the ball needs to be in the frame in my opinion. Posted: 10/05/2024 00:04:52
Agree with Bruce and the other. Aside from that, great picture! Posted: 10/11/2024 21:47:58
Thanks all for comments. I personally don't believe a ball is necessary in sports photography on many occasions. Australian Rules which is played over the whole ground and players will have a direct opponent will often push and shove well before the ball has arrived, in fact the umpires do not watch the ball they watch the playesr to see if infringements occur and they often do. Player's jostling makes for fine photography and the photo above "eyes on the heavens" may have been taken as the player blue jumper has arrived late to the contest and he is about to jump onto the stripped jumper players back to take a mark, if he has kept his eyes on the ball then this is within the rules. Often mark of the year will go to a player in the AFL competition who has taken a mark by even jumping onto the shoulders of the player in front. Golf is another sport where the ball is hardly featured, it travels too fast for the camera. Posted: 10/16/2024 02:22:04
Ronald, you make a strong case for images without the ball and your additional image supports it well. I find the same problem with my soccer images since the action away from the ball can be quite powerful. Bruce Posted: 10/23/2024 23:44:48
Thanks Bruce. Including the ball in sports photos is a serious problem with erratic movement of the ball at high speeds (a miss kick e.g.) especially if you are trying to fill the frame in your sensor. I notice with programs like Topaz though this problem can be overcome I am now finding I only need 1/3 of subject within photo. Have not tried it with a 12x8 print but it is coming as my club still has 1/2 of its monthly competitions for prints. Software development is making photography too easy. Posted: 10/28/2024 20:49:41
I think it's much better to show the ball, but since you have chosen not to do so, I would recommend cropping out as much of the sky showing through the leaves as possible. The image below is cropped on the top and a little on the left. I think it is a reasonable trade-off between showing the implied height of the ball and eliminating the hot spots. Posted: 10/31/2024 02:36:54