weekend tournament pic heavy

So I went to the highschool tournament before Tysons. It was nice to try out different settings without shaking. Whenever Tyson wrestles I get so nervous I shake!

After trying setting after setting I realized that I will never get what I am looking for without a speedlight. I am going to buy one for sure and hopefully soon post the "money shot" I have been waiting to get.

Here are some from this weekend. The blue and orange mat did not help either and I was so nervous I did not think about changing my WB. That might have helped just a little but not much.

This one was my favorite (comp wise) even though my mom said ''why did you get that guys foot in there" I said mom I tried to do that lol.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377618781/" title="tyson wrestling 1-1_filtered by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8359/8377618781_ee442b2b32_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="tyson wrestling 1-1_filtered"></a>

horrible orange and I was under exposed sooc

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8378696540/" title="tyson wrestling 5-11 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8378696540_91dbbbdc4c_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="tyson wrestling 5-11"></a>

a little better with the orange but still horrible by their faces

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377621605/" title="tyson wrestling 5-9 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8377621605_2e861ac2b8_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="tyson wrestling 5-9"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377622663/" title="tyson wrestling 5-7 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8377622663_f5b7ecab39_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="tyson wrestling 5-7"></a>

Had a crush on this guy! some girls like guys for their cars, I liked him for his lens lol (kidding)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377623077/" title="tyson wrestling 5-5 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8377623077_b8a0f6e98e_n.jpg" width="320" height="213" alt="tyson wrestling 5-5"></a>

and the blue, not as bad as the orange

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8378699718/" title="tyson wrestling 5-3 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/8378699718_aa8fe892e0_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="tyson wrestling 5-3"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377624605/" title="tyson wrestling 5-1 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8377624605_1dd27cfc19_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="tyson wrestling 5-1"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377625857/" title="tyson wrestling 3-1 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8377625857_58f88917ef_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="tyson wrestling 3-1"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377626519/" title="tyson wrestling -1 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8503/8377626519_3ec2bc9a32_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="tyson wrestling -1"></a>

Tyson's friend. On this one I like the movement

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8377626939/" title="isiah wrestling -1 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8377626939_3465e1cbd9_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="isiah wrestling -1"></

All sooc as I am so tired but a proud mama Tyson took 1st place:)

Oh and a quick snap of Tyson with Ben Askren (olympic wrestler and mma champ) The one time dh did not mind me going up to a stranger an asking for a pic!
Thought u might like this one Sadie:)

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59564612@N05/8378840762/" title="1 ben askren-1 by tialee1, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8378840762_3796684fa1_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt="1 ben askren-1"></a>

You've given yourself great CCs on these. I would just go back fix the color cast and brighten some. These are great action shots!

These all look great to me. Very photojournalistic. And congrats to your DS for 1st place!

Thanks girls, I had some that I liked more but they showed the kids faces and I won't post kids I don't know. When I edit them I will burn out the faces so I can post the ones where I had better lighting. :) Can't wait to see what I can get once I get a speedlight. Oh and Gigi there was another photographer there with a card rubberbanded to his flash so I seen what you were talking about:)

I think they turned out good as well! Can't wait to see what you can do with a speedlight.

Very impressed with these especially with no speedlight!

Nice set, Tia! Don't be so hard on yourself.

I love that first one. I think the comp is spot on and personally, I like that the ref is partly in the shot. He's not the main focus, but having him there grounds the picture (I know what the boys are looking at).

Judo tournament mats are also red, so I feel your pain on the color cast. Not much you can do but try to clean it up in post. The blue seems pretty forgiving (or you did a lot of clean up already).

I love the movement you caught in the shot of Tyson's friend. The flying feet look WAY cool!

Tyson looks really pumped to be w/ Ben Askren. I would be too! :D

So where were you able to position yourself to take these shots? Are you able to sit on the mat? What kind of lens did you use?

I would suggest that you get as low as possible. In judo, since I am a coach and sometimes a competitor, I am allowed right up to the edge of the competition mat. I sit down about half way between the midpoint of the mat (where the judge is usually at) and one of the corners (where the other judges sit). By being so low, it helps to keep out the crowd and also you can see more of the faces.

I think these look great though! Are you scrapbooking these? I'd love to see your pages. I am about 4 years behind in Logan's judo album, but I am going through some old pics to have printed so I can try and get caught up.

Best,
GiGi

Thanks Gigi, yes we walked in and dh said ''look, thats Ben Askren" dh was just as excited as Tyson. He is a huge mma fan so for christmas I bought him 5th row seats to UFC!!! I cant wait we go on the next weekend on the 26th and I will be bringing my camera for sure! Crossing my fingers to get a pic with Rampage to add to the one we have with chuck liddell:)

I do sit on the floor right at the edge of the mat but the judges are in the middle so I squeeze wherever I can get a good shot. Sometimes it is right next to the other kids parents lol but whatever it takes right lol! I am shooting with my tamron 28-75 2.8 lens.
I have my 50mm as well but I feel like I need a biit more zoom at times so I almost always use the tamron.

I am not that great at editing any suggestions on how to clean up the orange? The blue is sooc and yes, much better.
My boss comes back in a month and he is amazing at editing so I am going to see if he can teach me more in photoshop since I do most of my editing in lightroom. I also told him about this board and he might join lol.

As for scrapbooking I have not done much since my accident. I wish I could do it again and was just thinking of giving it a try again since it has been years. Plus I have been doing better with my neck so I might be able to scrapbook again? We should both try to do atleast 1 page this month:) If I even remember how to lol

One more thing I need to work on is the shaking of my hands while taking wrestling pics. Tyson is a very good wrestler but I can't help but be so nervous with his epilepsy. His dr. gave us the okay and dh does not want him treated any different than any other kid so I said okay but it still freaks me out. Thank god we are almost 2 years without a grand mal seizure!!!

I'll take your challenge - at least one page this month. well ... can we say before the end of Feb since Jan is more than half over? ;)

I know you worry about his epilepsy. I can only tell you that for me, controlled physical activity has HELPED with my seizures. I haven't had a gran mal seizure since high school (& that was so long ago that I can barely remember gradution. ;) ). As long as I avoid exercise in harsh sun and extreme dehydration, the activity helps keep my seizures at bay. And I honestly think that the active lifestyle that we live is the reason it has been so long since my last major seizure.

I hope that helps you to feel better.

As for the shaking hands ... get a small tripod or monopod. I use a monopod for soccer since I move up and down the sidelines and find it really helps to steady my hands. I know they make fairly small, collapsible tripods and monopods. Perhaps this would help you you. It sounds like you've got a good lens for this. I am thinking about getting a 35mm. I currently use my 50mm f/1.4 as it is my fastest lens. But when the action gets close to me, people get chopped and I sometimes miss the shot. KWIM? I have a telephoto lens (18mm - 200mm) that I use for soccer, but it only opens to f/3.5 and that just won't do for judo. I usually open up to around f/2.2 for tournament shot.

Anyway ... I am super jealous of your UFC tickets! Please share lots of pics so that I can live vicariously through you. I have done some MMA portrait work (used for fight promotions) and I just LOVE IT! In fact, I think that would be my specialty if I could get to that point.

Anyway ... I'm rambling and need to get back to work.

Let me know when you get to your scrapbook page and I'll do the same. :D

GiGi

That really does help me feel better so thankyou for posting about your own seizures (((hugs))
Yes end of feb works for me with the page and I will look into the monopod for sure:) Also, I remember your mma shots and they were very good! I agree that is your thing:)
Hope to post some great ufc shots soon!:)