Portrait of my son and his fiancee

I seem to be able to capture great action shots with annoying light poles, or better yet I swear those trash cans follow me from soccer field to soccer field and then jump into the frame at the last second. I have made a note of this while going over lots of my shots. My plan is to walk around the field and look throw the viewfinder before the action starts and try to find positions that don't have distractions in the back ground or bright lights, etc. will it work..we shall see!

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Originally Posted by seanhoxx

I seem to be able to capture great action shots with annoying light poles, or better yet I swear those trash cans follow me from soccer field to soccer field and then jump into the frame at the last second. I have made a note of this while going over lots of my shots. My plan is to walk around the field and look throw the viewfinder before the action starts and try to find positions that don't have distractions in the back ground or bright lights, etc. will it work..we shall see!

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Sean, there is also the idea of taking pre/post-background shots, when all the hub-bub has died down ... for masking purposes. You could always do that, before you leave a venue, making mental note of problematic areas you encountered during the event, when you stop and do your MANDATORY quick SHOT REVIEW, before leaving the venue. You know what I mean ... that review you ALWAYS do, prior to departure for home after photographing an event. You know, under the heading of ... "Best Practices for Event Photographers."

"Thoroughness" ... just a little more time on site, before you leave it to ... posterity. ;)

LOL wow I am starting to get this, I do a review after the JV game before the varsity game starts and then I go throught the first half shots during halftime, this is also when I make setting adjustments for the second half as even during the start of the season I get pretty good light changes between 5p.m. and about 7:45 when second half of varsity starts. the second half review ummmmm yea about that.....need to add that in. Good tip on empty shots for masking, just have to learn how to use that elements or lightroom I got loaded but not used yet. time time, oh well winter is on the way, more time infront of the computer and less time outside.

care to share how this masking is done?
i assume it is like taking a shot of the background without the subjects then another with the subjects with the background and merging them?

Nope sorry it's a secret, You need to be sworn in as member of the cult of Sony. You taken the first step in opening your wallet!! But I can tell you this it involves masking and unmasking applications in photoshop.

More like a cloning operation with defined locations. You use one image to edit the other. It is a real 'slick' effect and things just ... disappear ... or worse yet ... appear!

Remember that girl you had always wanted to date or take to the prom, in high school, but she always was with that bozo jock you just loathed? Well, well ... with photoshop, she's hanging on your arm in that picture and that's a memory even ol' Sean can appreciate. It's his story and he's stickin' to it! LOL :D

oooh something that will improve my PS kung-fu.....pls do tell.
some step by step will be appreciated with some basic before and after image!

LOL as you can guess from my grammer spelling and composition I didn't take high school to serious when I was there! The red eyes when I came in weren't from camera flash shall we say, and I skipped my proms because leather jackets and black concert shirts weren't proper dress. I think thats part of why I am so involved now, I don't want to let my daughter out of my sight! man the days of our youth, I shake my head now, but at the time.......

I recommend attend the local college for this kind of training. They will offer a much more cohesive level of study that you can quickly expand upon, with practice, and cultivate. I know I was able to put the nuts and bolts on my images by attending two classes. I feel it is definitely worth what you pay and, besides, you get credit for it, too.

ART 216 Digital Imaging

Course surveys production, manipulation and output of photographic images electronically. Students will use photographs to be digitized and put into a computer for manipulation, to create output of images to paper prints. Content includes aesthetics of photographic image manipulation in context of student work and historical perspective. Implication of photographic electronic imagery to legal, moral and social issues discussed and related to commercial and fine arts applications. Adobe Photoshop used as the main software. Recommended: ART 115.

ART 217 Advanced Digital Imaging

Course uses advanced computer methods to cover highly developed techniques of photographic electronic imagery used by graphic designers and photographers to enhance images, including airbrush and shadow making, contour shading and texture additions, retouching, montaging and coloring. Additional content includes examining traditional tasks of line drawing, pattern and texture creation that the computer can produce in exacting detail. Students will use photographs for digitization and computer manipulation. Photoshop used as the main software. Prerequisite: ART 216 or consent of instructor.

Well folks off to bed for me i have to work in themorning and I am working on a ear infection, yea shoukd be a great weekend lol hope to actually post some photos over the weekend