How can I improve low-light indoor sports photos with a Sony a6000 and 50mm f/1.8?
Asked 10/11/2019
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2 answers
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I shoot indoor roller derby with a Sony a6000 and Sony E-mount 50mm f/1.8. I’d like to improve image quality without spending a lot on a new lens. Because I don’t have a zoom, I often crop heavily to frame the action, and many images need significant white balance and exposure correction afterward, which leaves me with soft-looking results and noticeable noise. What technique, positioning, or camera-setting changes can help me get better results in this kind of dim indoor venue?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
1
Just a few seemingly unrelated observations from looking through your most recent album posted to facebook:
- Select a shooting position that does not place an open door to the much brighter outdoors in the background. Instead, keep that light behind or about 90° to the side so that instead of fighting that light, you are using it to illuminate your subjects.
- Shoot raw. Adjusting white balance and exposure/contrast after the fact is not destructive with raw files the way it is with JPEG images. For a good example of how well done raw processing can transform a less than ideal action shot, please see this answer to Lots of noise in my hockey pictures. What am I doing wrong?
- Don't try to make the inside of a cave look like the middle of a park at midday sun. The camera doesn't know that everything in the image is not supposed to be medium brightness. Use exposure compensation or manual exposure to set exposure to more accurately reflect the actual conditions under which you are shooting. Let dark corners be dark.
- Don't be afraid to kick the ISO up a little. Your images aren't excessively noisy for use on social media and other web viewing. Noise that is noticeable at 100% pixel peeing magnification on your monitor is much less noticeable when someone is viewing a downsized version on facebook.
- Combining the previous two points will allow you to shorten your exposure times, which will help to reduce the amount of motion blur in many of your images.
- Don't expect every frame to be a masterpiece. Shooting sports/action in low light is challenging! Every frame will not be a "keeper". Learn to let go of the ones that don't work and only post the ones that do.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A few technique changes can help a lot even before buying more gear:
- Choose your position carefully. Avoid shooting with a bright open door or other strong light source in the background. If possible, keep that light behind you or off to the side so it helps light the skaters instead of forcing the camera to balance a dark rink against a bright background.
- Shoot RAW, not JPEG. RAW files give you much more flexibility for correcting white balance and exposure with less image damage than heavy JPEG editing.
- Don’t over-brighten the scene in post. Indoor sports venues are often dim, and trying to make them look like daylight can exaggerate noise and reduce clarity. Aim for a natural indoor look instead of pushing exposure too far.
- Reduce heavy cropping when possible by changing where you stand and timing shots more carefully. Better framing in-camera will preserve more detail.
So the main improvements are: better shooting angles, RAW capture, gentler post-processing, and stronger in-camera framing.
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