# Golf



## AceCo55 (Jan 26, 2012)

A few shots of local players

#1 Wish the guy in background hadn't walked into the shot!




#2




#3




#4




#5  Long putt has the ball finishing an inch from dropping in!


----------



## polymoog (Jan 26, 2012)

Nice series  I love the expressions and body positions. Slight over exposure in nr 3 maybe, otherwise good job


----------



## AceCo55 (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks for the observations - much appreciated.


----------



## bogeyguy (Jan 26, 2012)

Ha, ha, the only one that  even looks like a golfer is the young man in photo 1.


----------



## brian_f2.8 (Jan 26, 2012)

I agree, if you're going to shoot golf with all respect you need better models. None the less the other guys don't help.


----------



## cnutco (Jan 26, 2012)

Did you use the 200-400?


----------



## AceCo55 (Jan 27, 2012)

cnutco said:


> Did you use the 200-400?



No, I used the 70-200. Small town - everyone knows everyone. Used to be a member so they tolerate me with good humour!!


----------



## CMfromIL (Jan 27, 2012)

#5 either missed the shot or is calling in the cattle for feeding time. 

It made me laugh, thanks for the post!


----------



## cnutco (Jan 27, 2012)

AceCo55 said:


> Nikon D300 (x2)
> Nikon lenses: 14-24mm | 24-70mm | 70-200mm | 105mm macro | 200-400mm
> Speedlights: SB900 | SB600
> Usual accessories



I admire your lenses!  How about a photo of your set-up and how you carry all that?


----------



## AceCo55 (Jan 29, 2012)

cnutco said:


> AceCo55 said:
> 
> 
> > Nikon D300 (x2)
> ...



I am a very lucky man. I used to have Pentax system which was really limiting my Aussie Rules photography. It was my wife who said go and get the lens you need. I told her it would be expensive and I would have to change over all my gear to Nikon. She just said "do it" ... and I didn't need to ask twice. I bought the 14-24mm lens a few months ago after saving up for a year or so.
Pack most of it in a ThinkTank Airport Security V2 bag. Haven't re-arranged it to fit the 14-24mm lens yet ... and of course the 200-400 has its own bag. 
Anyway here are a few photos of my gear - my wife was out so I couldn't use her P&S to take the shots. So had to use one of the D300.

#1 Very embarrassed about the camera shake here!!!! I had packed all the gear away so this is it I'm afraid!




#2 




#3 




#4


----------



## Tony S (Jan 29, 2012)

Good series on the duffers out hacking away...

Just be glad you weren't shooting Tiger before he struck the ball...  any shooting during the swing will get you a good foul mouthed rant. Etiquitte for shooting on the course is to not shoot during the swing until the ball has been struck unless you are a fair distance off with a long telephoto.
Woods: Shutter snap at No. 9 halted momentum - Golf - ESPN  Ohhh and don't even mess with a picture of John Daly swinging, he tends to like tossing cameras.  lol


----------



## AceCo55 (Jan 29, 2012)

To be honest, I think the Pros are a bit precious about the no noise thing. These are supposed to be elite athletes and given the money they earn surely they are able to concentrate/focus and block out external noises. I don't believe any person in the world is physically capable of pulling out of their shot when the clubhead is three quarters through their downswing - and that's when I start hitting the shutter. For these guys, I'd use the long lens ... and stay out of clubs reach! (end of "rant" ... )
Anyway ... all my local duffers are OK with me there and that suits me down to the ground.


----------



## polymoog (Jan 30, 2012)

Nice setup  Interesting about golfers worrying about the shutter noise ... wonder if snooker players have the same problem? Because in there in a silent hall, I'm sure it would be easier to hear, than outdoors on a green or fairway


----------



## BigknockHawk (Feb 2, 2012)

#1 - Decent form, but watch your back.  That reverse "C" will cause you problems in the future.
#2 - Ummmm, CHUNK!!
#3 - That ball was hooking into the woods as soon as he hit it.
#4 - No power.  Weight it on his back foot.
#5 - You miss 100% of the putts you leave short!!

LOL!


----------



## cnutco (Feb 3, 2012)

AceCo55 said:


> cnutco said:
> 
> 
> > AceCo55 said:
> ...


----------



## imagemaker46 (Feb 11, 2012)

It appears that you have the gear, what you haven't quite yet aquired is the skills to use it. The first shot has nothing to do with the guy walking into the frame, but more that it's really late,the second shot, no ball, no shot.  The next two, are motor drives and a hope to get the ball in, and the last one  says nothing about golf.  My only advice is to look at golf photos and take what you see to the course, you have a lens long enough to do the job.


----------



## EIngerson (Feb 12, 2012)

Nice series!


----------



## FilmaTroy (Feb 13, 2012)

Go check out some pro golf mags. Your timing should usually be in the follow through for the best shots. In golf photos you shouldnt need to show actual action shots of the ball being hit.  just my opinion. i would say #2 is your best shot  it shows the action by the grass divot flying, and as you see it was time later the others and still shows the action


----------



## AceCo55 (Feb 14, 2012)

Thankyou all for taking the time to provide feedback - it really is appreciated and definitely helps one question what they are doing.

*imagemaker46: * you may well be right but I'm not sure I agree that a golf shot without the ball is necessarily a "no shot". For me the last shot is all about the passion this guy has for the game. The promise of success for it ... only to have it snatched away at the last moment as the ball hangs on the edge ... and his reaction to it. Perhaps it is more of a photojounalistic style than a pure sport shot ... but isn't that an essential element to why people play and watch sport? (the struggle / the emotion / the successes - the defeats)
_"the second shot, no ball, no shot.  The next two, are motor drives and a hope to get the ball in"_ ... well I did get the ball in both so I'm not sure you can have it both ways? But if you could elaborate I'd be grateful - I'm not trying to be a smart-arse ... I really am interested in the difference. 
(I can tell you golf downswings are so fast my 6fps 'motor-drive' does not guarantee a keeper. Lot more to do with timing than shooting rate). I would also suggest that sports photography generally has a lower keeper rate than many other types of photography ... so I see nothing wrong in using continuous shooting to increase my chances of catching a moment.
As I said I am grateful for everyone's observations and it can only help me.


----------



## imagemaker46 (Feb 14, 2012)

AceCo55 said:


> Thankyou all for taking the time to provide feedback - it really is appreciated and definitely helps one question what they are doing.
> 
> *imagemaker46: *you may well be right but I'm not sure I agree that a golf shot without the ball is necessarily a "no shot". For me the last shot is all about the passion this guy has for the game. The promise of success for it ... only to have it snatched away at the last moment as the ball hangs on the edge ... and his reaction to it. Perhaps it is more of a photojounalistic style than a pure sport shot ... but isn't that an essential element to why people play and watch sport? (the struggle / the emotion / the successes - the defeats)
> _"the second shot, no ball, no shot. The next two, are motor drives and a hope to get the ball in"_ ... well I did get the ball in both so I'm not sure you can have it both ways? But if you could elaborate I'd be grateful - I'm not trying to be a smart-arse ... I really am interested in the difference.
> ...



1. You are early on the follow through, if you had more twist in the body and could see the head of the club it would have really worked, the  guy in the background does kill the image.
2. Without the ball in this shot it look like he could just be hitting a clump of glass, these are hard golf shot s to get, as the timing has to right on, and the angle you have to shoot from is key, same with coming out of the sand trap, the sand exploding, but the ball really does make the difference between a hit and miss shot.
3-4. There is nothing wrong with these as simple golf shots, you have all the elements in the frames.
5. This would have worked really well if you had the golfer head to toe, with the whole club in the frame. It's really too tight, being able to only see a tiny bit of the grip doesn't  say he's playing golf.  As a stand alone photo it doesn't work, as a series of photos where you have other golf shots it would be ok.

Golf is one of those sports where you have to work to get great images, using a long lens and being able to shoot from a little further back allows you to get into the best angles, timing is the real key to shooting golf.  You also have to always be aware of the camera noise, drives golfers nuts, I think even at fun stage of just playing. Again a longer lens keeps you further back and creates less distraction.


----------



## AceCo55 (Feb 15, 2012)

_*imagemaker46: *_  thank you for the extra detail. Makes a lot of sense - I will try the 200-400 lens and try to improve my shots/timing. I agree about the last shot - would have been a lot better to have it in context - would have been a lot better story. Sometimes the shooter (me) can get a little precious about a shot because you know the "story" of the individual and the context of events before and after the shot. Thank you for reminding me that the whole story has to be in the shot for others to appreciate the same set of circumstances.
I really do appreciate the time you have taken to point out things I should look for.
Back to the fairways!!


----------

