| Georgia Bulldog’s Freshman Running Back #35 Brian Herrien Scored his first collegiate touchdown. In contrast, UNC’s Safety #15 Donnie Miles could not stop him during tonight’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on September 3, 2016, at the Georgia Dome. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 45600, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
While I have to know where to point the camera, which does take years of expertise to develop, the Nikon D5 camera is coming through on keeping the camera in focus, with great exposure and excellent dynamic range.
One of the settings I used to help me get this photo is using the 72-point dynamic area of AF.
You want to pick Autofocus Continuous mode for sports.
In the menu, Pencil selections, pick AF Activation under the Autofocus settings.
Then choosing the AF-ON will mean when you push the shutter release, it will not focus but fire the shutter to take a photo.
By changing these settings, you will notice the camera will stay in focus and shoot faster frame rate. Great for following a baseball player sliding into a plate and another player trying to tag them, or maybe a football player is running towards you to score. You will find more photos tack sharp in a series.
I generally put my focus point dead center and lock it, so I don’t bump it. However, I am trying to get photos of moving subjects, and off-center is too tricky for me. I may crop later for a better composition, but I want the issue to focus first.
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| UNC’s wide receiver #3 Ryan Switzer is tackled by Georgia’s defensive back #2 Maurice Smith & defensive end #51 David Marshall. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 45600, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
The key to getting great photos, regardless of subject, is always preparation. First, it is setting the camera up to execute what you need it to do. Dialing the camera to sports mode on some cameras will come close, but dialing in all the fine-tuning makes a HUGE difference.
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| Georgia Bulldog’s #2 Defensive Back Maurice Smith breaks up the pass to North Carolina Tarheel’s #3 Ryan Switzer in their win over UNC 33 to 24 during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome on September 3, 2016. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 36000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
Maintaining focus is very important. You often start following a receiver, as I did here, before the ball arrives. They are not standing still. They also are not running in a straight line. In football, the running tends to be very erratic, and this is where the technology of the Nikon D5 does a better job than every other Nikon that I have ever owned up to this current model.
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| Georgia Bulldog’s #27 Nick Chubb Tailback pushes for more yardage as North Carolina Tarheel’s defense tries to contain him. Georgia defeated UNC 33 to 24 during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome on September 3, 2016. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 40000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
Now, this is a tip that has improved my photography more than anything when it comes to photographing sports. Get in a spot where you will see the athlete’s faces. Expressions make a big difference in communicating the effort in a play.
That is the spot I was in to get all the photos you see in this post other than the one I took in the press box of the halftime bands playing. We had another photographer at the same place on the opposite side of the field. So we had the plays covered.
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| Georgia’s #5 Terry Godwin Wide Reciever is tackled by North Carolina’s #90 Naxair Jones defensive tackle after a reception during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff at The Georgia Dome on September 3, 2016. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 40000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
In football, if I look into the offense’s faces, then I am where they are trying to go the entire game–The End Zone.
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| Georgia’s tail-back #22 Brendan Douglas fumbles at the North Carolina 12-yard line. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 36000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
The other thing is the closer they get to me in the end zone, the more that background goes out of focus. So the most significant plays are often the ones where they are in the Red Zone. The Red Zone is the 20-yard line to the goal.
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| Georgia Bulldog’s #27 Nick Chubb Tailback is tackled by North Carolina Tarheel’s safety #15 Donnie Miles. Georgia defeated UNC 33 to 24 during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome on September 3, 2016. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 36000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
If you notice in all these photos, the players, for the most part, are running right at me. Being in the end zone is like being at the finish line of a track and field event. Now, if you are in the end zone, they run to your right and left, but you are not running up and down the field to get a good angle. So you need the lenses to get the photos.
The Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S lens I have fallen in love with, and it is on sale now for $3,399.
I use the Sigma 1.4x and 2x converters. The 2x makes the lens a 240-600mm ƒ/5.6 lens. The 1.4x makes the lens a 168-420mm ƒ/4 lens.
For football, I use the 2x converter almost all the time.
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| UNC’s tail-back #34 Elijah Hood is pursued by Georgia’s defensive back #35 Aaron Davis. Hood had less than 10 carries during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 32000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
Now to give those who have older Nikon models some of my insights, here are a few things I love with the Nikon D5.
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| Nikon D5 |
Compared to the Nikon D4 I moved up from, I went from 16 megapixels to 20. The frames per second of 2 more frames have made it where you don’t lose sight of the action. At 12 FPS, it looks like a movie in the viewfinder while shooting.
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| Nikon D4 |
I gained 3 more stops due to the higher ISO.
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| Georgia Bulldog’s #27 Nick Chubb Tailback pushes for more yardage as North Carolina Tarheel’s defense attempts to contain him. Georgia defeated UNC 33 to 24 during the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at the Georgia Dome on September 3, 2016. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 32000, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000] |
Buying a Nikon D5 will not make you a better sports photographer. However, if you understand the technical side of photography, the Nikon D5 will let you better capture what you want to do than earlier model Nikon cameras.
Now, if you are like me, with more than 30 years of experience, you know that you need to keep fresh. You need to practice with your gear like a professional musician does daily. Take the time and shoot kids playing sports in your community regularly and refine those skills, which let you anticipate what will happen rather than react. That is the other massive key to great sports photos. Those who can expect will always be a better sports shooter than someone who responds and shoots. They never get the moment.
One last photo for those interested in the highest ISO I shot at during the game. That was ISO 65535.
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| Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 65535, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000 |