A Night at the Ballpark Photography Meetup

Name: A Night at the Ballpark Photography Meetup
Start: 2025-04-25T18:00:00-05:00
Location: 11400 N Rodney Parham Rd, Little Rock, AR 72212

Schedule

Fri, 25 Apr, 2025 at 06:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

11400 N Rodney Parham Rd, Little Rock, AR 72212 | Little Rock, AR

Join us for A Night at the Ballpark on Friday April 25th photographing the Little Rock Trojan’s baseball game. It’s always a fun night at the ballpark capturing the action on the field, or candid shots off the field as well. The game starts at 6PM… we won’t be having a formal class for this event, but if you have never shot a baseball game, we will have Bedford staff as well as Mark Wagner, the official photographer for UALR athletics on hand with tips and tricks. You will need to purchase a ticket to the game for this event.
Here are a few helpful tips:
1. Preparation and Knowledge: Know the Sport
- Understanding the rules, flow, and key moments of the sport is crucial. This allows you to anticipate action and position yourself for the best shots.
- Plan Your Shots: Don't just rely on luck. Visualize the shots you want to capture.
- Consider different angles, perspectives, and compositions.
2. Camera Settings: Fast Shutter Speed
- This is essential for freezing motion. Aim for 1/500s or faster, and adjust as needed depending on the speed of the action.
- Continuous Autofocus (AF-C): This mode allows your camera to continuously track moving subjects.
- Continuous Shooting Mode: Use this mode to capture a burst of images, increasing your chances of getting the perfect shot.
- Aperture: A wider aperture (lower f-number) can help isolate your subject and create a shallow depth of field. The 70-200 2.8 lens is ideal.
- ISO: Adjust your ISO to maintain a proper exposure, especially in varying lighting conditions. Be mindful of noise at higher ISO settings.
3. Techniques and Composition: Panning
- This technique involves moving your camera with the subject, creating a sense of motion and blurring the background.
- Anticipation: Learn to anticipate the action and be ready to capture key moments.
- Vary Your Angles: Don't just shoot from eye level. Experiment with low angles, high angles, and different perspectives.
- Look for Emotion: Capture the emotions of the athletes, such as excitement, determination, and concentration.
- Composition: Consider the rule of thirds, use leading lines, consider the background. Avoid cluttered backgrounds when possible.
4. Equipment Considerations: Telephoto Lens
- A telephoto lens is essential for capturing action from a distance. A zoom lens provides versatility.
- Stable Support: A monopod or tripod can help stabilize your camera, especially when using long lenses.
5. Safety and Respect: Be Aware of Your Surroundings
- Pay attention to the action and avoid getting in the way of athletes or officials.
- Watch out for foul balls
- Respect the Athletes: Be mindful of their space and avoid distracting them.
- Follow Event Rules: Adhere to any rules or restrictions imposed by the event organizers.
By combining these tips with practice and patience, you can capture stunning action sports photographs.