re: LSU Gymnastics Pics

I'm intervening here.

I've been a sports photographer and videographer for 22 years.

The photographer who posted these photos is only showing photos of what happened.

If what happened was college coeds going spread eagle in an athletic competition, then that's what happened. He's not inventing reality here. He's reflecting it.

If you have a problem with it, contact the NCAA and outlaw the manuevers, or get them to cover up.

The photos may be prurient, but they're not obscene. So back off.

Photographs don't lie. They only show what happened, definitively. So don't blame the mirror if you don't like the picture. Blame the source.

If I found photos of puppies offensive, I wouldn't be looking to ban photos of puppies. I just wouldn't look at or take photos of puppies.

To the OP, low light is always going to be difficult when shooting sports, because the action is fast, and the only way to let more light in without a flash is to slow the shutter speed.

Slow shutter speed = blur.
Fast shutter speed = dark and noisy.

You're screwed either way. That's why LSU is probably the hardest place to shoot sports, with all the night events.

So you have to play with it a bit. Here are my tips for you:

1. Shoot RAW format if possible. It will be friendlier to fixing later with software on your computer.

2. Take noise and low-light over blur any day. Blur ruins a photo. Low light can be boosted with an ISO adjustment. Noise can be filtered somewhat with software.

3. Sometimes you need a faster lens. Look for a 1.8 f stop or lower to deliver more light in tough spots.

4. The darker it is, the harder it will be for you to shoot hand-held. Look into a monopod to help combat blur.

5. Practice with manual focus. When it's dark, autofocus has trouble locating the focal points of a photograph. Your brain works better in low light.

Hope that helps.