[Leica] Red football

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Robert Stevens showed & said:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Red football.

>I was shooting a game today between the Dalhousie Tigers (in Black), and 
>the University of New Brunswick Reds. I thought this made a neat 
>composition with the bench in the background. Shot with a 400mm from the 
>diagonal other end of the field.<<<

Hi Robert,
A couple of things. ;-)

First a great sport shot, nothing like using a 400mm to reach out and catch 
the action. I particularly like the separation created by the long lens and 
what appears shooting wide open or close to it, dropping the team slightly 
out of focus. And lifting the razor sharp action of the players off the 
page.

Those who don't shoot sports can learn from this one.

It's as long a lens as possible, the widest aperture and highest shutter 
speed if one wants stop action like this! Not to mention.... "you need a 
great re-action instinct to action! Like before it happens you feel it!"

Obviously apply this to the sport being covered. Or the action effect you 
wish to capture.

Those of you who've seen Robert's sport photography over the years know he's 
a master shooting this subject, film or DMR. Heck capture material is 
irrelevant it's the guy tripping the shutter! ;-)

Robert, your comment about the DMR & R9 below?

> David:
> I don't know what you mean by multi-picts?  I was using the R9 with a DMR 
> and it was in the continuous motor mode, which is only about
> 2fps.<<<<<<<

Do you mean to say, when shooting action with motor drive the motor only 
works at 2 fps? If that's the case the DMR wont win over too many Leica 
shooters who cover sports when even the simple 20D is 5 fps!

However, I shot Leica SLR motor driven for years covering the international 
sport scene, quite often facing "in fun ridicule" from other photogs about 
manual focus and only 4.5 frames per second compared to Nikon and Canon at 
auto-focus and 8 fps.

Nice thing is I still out shot my buddies on more than one occasion. ;-) 
Manual or not! ;-)

But the DMR at 2 fps is slower I believe than the original Leica winder for 
R8-9!

Now I have to clarify this certainly for those who think all you need is a 
super whiz-bang motor drive and you too can be the world's greatest sport's 
photographer.... please think it again, as it's horse hockey!

The best shooters must still have the "instinct of re-action to the action" 
first and foremost, the motor only allows for follow-up shot or two after 
the fact.

But at 2 fps one has to question the DMR as a sport coverage piece of 
equipment. If that is the case I'd be using film and R8-9 motor drive or 
another type of camera.

But as we see here in continuous mode, even at 2 fps, one doesn't require 
any faster . ;-)

Great instinct for action Robert as you've shown so often. Keep 'em coming. 
:-)

ted