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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
PGA Valero Open in San Antonio
Tom Suarez, Photographer
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Austin | texas | USA | Posted: 11:07 PM on 05.08.09 |
->> I will be shooting the Valero open in a week and I am looking for a little advice. I have shot a lot of other sports but never golf.
Few questions for anyone who has shot golf.
What lenses would you suggest to carry around?
Any do's and dont's?
How do you identify players since they will not have numbers?
And last is anyone going to be there that might like meet up that I could shadow for the day?
I will be there on Sun. May 17th. Thanks |
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Scott Foley, Photographer
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Destin | FL | USA | Posted: 12:00 AM on 05.09.09 |
->> Tom
The Valero Open is a great tournament and the LaCantera Golf course is a pretty nice setting. I shot it back in 2007, carried my 400/2.8 on one body and a 70-200 on another body with a wide angle in the pouch...worked great for me. Definitely not the expert on photographing golf, but their are definitely rules to follow. There will be a media tent/area...ask them for a refresher on the rules of the course and they will gladly share it with you...they are great and very friendly folks...
Here is a link to my images so you get an idea of what you can get...this tournament was my second golf tournament... in 2007 there was several SSers photographing the action.
http://www.photoshelter.com/gallery-slideshow/G0000YntzB.Ug5Ms/
Big rule is not to photograph while the golfer is preparing to hit the ball nor during their swinging/ putting motion...it can get very embrassing if you nake this mistake...do not even chance it... |
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Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 12:16 AM on 05.09.09 |
->> Tom- if you try searching from the more than 2,000 news stories on our site by using the search bar on the top of every page you will find some terrific stories with great advice on how to shoot golf:
It's That Time of Year Again: Observations and Tips from the Links
Robert Beck offers wit and wisdom to help photographers shoot the game of golf.
By Robert Beck, Sports Illustrated
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/1910
A Photographers' Etiquette Course
By Darren Carroll
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/826
Swinging Back: Robert Beck's rules for shooting golf
Don't shoot the backswing!
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/825
Tips From the First Tee: The "secrets" to successful golf photography
By Robert Beck, Sports Illustrated
http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/148
Good luck and have fun! |
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Tom Suarez, Photographer
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Austin | texas | USA | Posted: 12:31 AM on 05.09.09 |
| ->> Thanks Scott, Your photos are great. I was thinking of using a 120-300 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 and carrying a 24-70 2.8 for celebration after. I will be using the 120-300 on a 40d 1.6x crop. How does this compare to the body you were using as for as the 400 2.8? Also did you have any trouble identifying the golfers? |
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Tom Suarez, Photographer
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Austin | texas | USA | Posted: 12:32 AM on 05.09.09 |
| ->> Thanks Brad and Robert, Looks like I will be doing some reading. |
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Darrell Miho, Photographer
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Los Angeles : SFO : HNL | CA | usa | Posted: 2:51 AM on 05.09.09 |
->> you can get a pairings sheet with names/course map in the media center.
the player's caddy will have the player's name on their backs and the player will have his name on his bag. i advise you to write down color of the clothes they are wearing/sponsors on the pairings sheet for reference later.
sunscreen, water and comfy shoes. |
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Scott Foley, Photographer
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Destin | FL | USA | Posted: 7:17 AM on 05.09.09 |
->> Tom,
Diddo on Darrell's comments on the use of the pairing sheets. I taped the sheets to my 400 lens shade for reference each day, and as I shot an image, I would look for the caddy and shoot his back. Process worked, however there was a few instances where I had to do some research on the PGA website comparing player's portaits and my shots, but it worked and I was about 90 percent accurate using the pairing sheets over the couple days of shooting.
On the articles and threads that Robert and Brad mention, spot on, that is exactly how I prepared myself (as I usually do with any sporting event I have not covered before). The articles are great...I apologize, I should have mentioned that in the first thread. Definitely get reading :)
I was using a Mark IIN and Mark II as a primary/secondary body...your set up should be fine...I prefer the 400 and wished for a 600, as I really like the shot at the tee, when then are slugging with a big driver in a full swing...just have to be very careful of the rules if you are up close to the golfers...
I am definitely not the golf expert, I am sure there are more regular shooters that will have better advice...but I really enjoy shooting golf...
One more piece of advice...wear great walking shoes, and travel light...first day I was stringing an additional body with lens plus my waist belt with couple lenses...I was all over the course and it was a long day...
V/r
Scott |
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George Bridges, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 7:58 AM on 05.09.09 |
->> As for ID, each golfer's bag has his name on it and the caddie's bib has the name on the back so you can shoot that to have it on the disk next to the image of the golfer.
Also, some tournaments color-code the caddie bibs so the first name on the pairing sheet the caddie will be wearing white, the second blue and so forth. Again, this is a sometimes thing and can't fully be relied on.
And when you have the camera with the 70-200 hanging on your hip, turn it off so the button isn't accidentally pressed by your belt pack at an unfortunate time. |
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David Hague, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Pittsburgh | Pa | USA | Posted: 1:30 AM on 05.10.09 |
| ->> There will be a kid carring a board with the names of the golfers in the group. For a PGA event maybe as each group comes in take a photo of the board. That way you will atleast know who was in the group and go from there. |
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Darren Carroll, Photographer
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Cedar Creek (Austin) | TX | USA | Posted: 1:50 PM on 05.10.09 |
->> Mind if I ask why just Sunday? You may want to reconsider and ask your client for an additional day. La Cantera is a very difficult course to make a really nice picture on. Okay, okay, I was trying to be nice, but that's my way of saying it's one ugly track. Of course it's been two years since I've been--by choice, mind you--so it may have changed somewhat, but I don't think the tree (yes, singular) on the course has grown fast enough to make that much of a difference...
Oh, I kid. Sort of. What I do remember are stark backgrounds, lots of power lines, a ton of up-hill shots into the blazing white Texas sky, and light that doesn't get somewhat nice until about 4 pm. And a really, really long walk to find a decent, "shootable" tee box.
(And before you ask, everybody makes the picture with the roller coaster in the background. It doesn't get any more cliche than that. You'll know what I mean when you see it.)
Don't get me wrong--there are nice pictures to be made out there, but photographically speaking it's far from an ideal course in terms of scenery, positions, rope placement, etc. It can be done, but the spots are very few and far between, and you need to find them. It's not a course that just sets up for photographers with gorgeous vistas, clean backgrounds, and nice light.
Given that, as well as the added burden of it being your first time shooting golf, I would strongly suggest that you discuss the possibility of your client sending you out for an additional day to go and get a feel for the course and for shooting golf in general before you dive into the meat of the assignment on Sunday. It's in both your and their best interests. |
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Tom Suarez, Photographer
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Austin | texas | USA | Posted: 12:00 AM on 05.11.09 |
| ->> Darren, I am about 2 hours away and was planning on driving so I just did not want to go and stay over night so I was planning on doing the final day. I think my credentials are for all days even though my gate pass is being mailed to me and I have not received it yet. I may go for more than one day but not sure yet. |
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