ISO 3200 | 78mm | f/2.8 | 1/800 sec
This is the favorite picture I have ever taken. I was using my Sony a7iii to do some videography work for the game, so I checked out the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Canon 70-200 f2/8 telephoto lens. During all of the state basketball games, I was juggling both of my cameras, switching in between photos and videos. This arena was well lit, so I did not need to worry about a higher shutter speed. I usually shot at 1/500 or 1/640, but I wanted to be safe and I shot at 1/800. I loved the 70-200 lens because I could get really cool action shots, as well as portrait shots. This I think was a combination of both. You can obviously see the action, but it is also a portrait of Omaha because he is the one in focus. I was also shooting in the continuous driver mode, so I captured the entire sequence before and after the dunk. I put together the photos into a video software and made a stop motion like video. This was just the main picture that captured the dunk the best. I absolutely love this picture because at this specific moment, everyone in the entire arena was watching Omaha perform this dunk. You can see the reactions in the players faces as well as the crowd behind him. But what makes this picture iconic is the dunk itself and Omaha’s face. He slammed it home and he was ecstatic. Not only was he going crazy but so was the entire Waukee student section behind me. The only thing that would make this picture better is if the student section was in replace of the Ames student section. Although, I love the contrast between the purple colors and the orange colors behind him. It shows how he exceeds the opposition and how he plays to win.
ISO 1600 | 93mm | f/1.8 | 1/1600 sec
This was my first time being in a well lit arena as well as my first time using the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 art lens. I paired the lens with my personal camera, the Canon EOS Rebel SL1. This was just a cheap camera that I bought so that I could get a start into photography. This was also the first time that I shot in manual mode. I was messing around with my settings the entire time, but I still managed to get some amazing shots, like this one. I thought that the well lit arena and the f/1.8 aperture was not only a rare opportunity, but a blessing. So I cranked up my shutter speed to try and get the best freeze frames possible. I loved how the high shutter speed captured the girls’ hair and was able to freeze it in the moment with no motion blur. The zoom lengths of 50-100mm was perfect for this game because I could capture wide shots and close up shots since I was courtside. This was also such a great moment to capture. Chloe was shouting after her kill. Even though Chloe’s face is the only one you can see in this picture, you can tell how excited all of the other players were because of their body language.
ISO 1600 | 200mm | f/3.2 | 1/250 sec
This was my second time shooting football and I was using my own equipment, the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 paired with my Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6. I was still not comfortable using manual mode yet because I was still very new to the photography game. I was using the aperture priority mode, kept the ISO auto, and I was manually adjusting the shutter speed. I knew that since there was no motion going on, I could drop the shutter speed down to 1/250 and I could spare some extra ISO. This game was supposed to be a blowout in favor of the Spartans, but they got locked down and beat. I knew that this was a golden opportunity to capture the sadness and defeat emotions displayed by the players, as bad as that might sound. I think this was the perfect photo to demonstrate losing; Tyge showed defeat on his face, and Tate showed sadness on his face. Tate was looking down because he was crying. There were many great pictures from this game, but this picture was the best out of all of them.
ISO 1600 | 50mm | f/2.8 | 1/500 sec
This was my third or fourth time shooting for the basketball team, but it was my first time shooting a basketball game with my new camera. I saved my money and bought a mirrorless camera, the Sony a7iii, along with the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I bought the a7iii because I wanted to be a hybrid shooter, shooting both photo and video. At this point, I was a much more tailored photographer and I was more experienced with manual settings. I knew how to frame better and capture amazing pictures. This shoot was difficult though. The gym had poor lighting and there was a red hue everywhere. So I tried to keep the shutter speed as low as possible. I kept it at 1/500 and I think that allowed for better exposure and I was still able to freeze action with 1/500. I was trying to get some cool wide angle shots, but Connor was too far away from where I was on the courtside, so I zoomed in to 50mm, which worked out nicely for this photo. I was manually adjusting the ISO because I knew that the camera would mess up the photos by over exposing them since the lighting was poor. I love this picture because you can see the dedication Connor was making for the basket. You can see how he went around the defender in order to make the layup. Connor made efforts like this every time he took a shot. This picture captures/demonstrates his capabilities and his dedication to his sport.
ISO 6400 | 75mm | f/4.0 | 1/1000 sec
This was my first game ever shooting a sport (excluding cross country). I wasn’t even a part of the school newspaper yet, but my publications teacher could see I was passionate about photography and wanted me to be able to get more practice in. She gave me a press pass and I was able to go on the field to shoot some pictures, using my own equipment (Canon EOS Rebel SL1 paired with my Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6). I had been watching a lot of YouTube videos in order to better understand camera settings but I wasn’t too confident in my knowledge and skills yet, so I left the camera in aperture priority mode. I didn’t want to mess up anything and not capture key moments during the game. But regardless, I still had to manually adjust the shutter speed, because that was really the only thing I understood at the time. I used 1/1000 as a benchmark, which paid off well because I was able to freeze all of the motion without any motion blur. I was glad that I was using this lens because it defaulted down to f/4.0 in the aperture priority mode. This was clutch for this picture because it allowed everyone in the play to be in focus. This was in the earliest stages of my photography career and yet it is still one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken. I absolutely love how I framed this shot. I honestly don’t think I did it intentionally, but the wide angle shot and the higher aperture allowed for me to capture the entire play happening. You can tell exactly what everyone in this picture was doing or what they were supposed to do. You can see the hole that was made for Rusty (carrying the ball) to run through. You can see the Spartan quarterback (2) right after the handoff to Rusty. You can also see the Spartan fullback (25), who was one of the other options hanging out to the side where the designed play was. You can see the safety (19) dive off of his receiver and go in for the tackle on Rusty. I also love how you can see the offensive and defensive lines still battling. I wanted to do this panoramic crop because it really captures the entire play perfectly.