Gym Lighting for basketball

Section 9, Class D Boys Basketball • 7 Mar 2011 a photo by John Meore on Flickr.

Section 9, Class D Boys Basketball • 7 Mar 2011
The Statesman of John A. Coleman Catholic v the Wildcats of Livingston Manor • SUNY New Paltz

You can't say enough about proper lighting in a gymnasium. I shot a double header last night for the Class D (Small School) Section 9 championship at the State University of New York' s New Paltz campus.

I have to give lighting credit and thanks to Chet Gordon, Staff Photographer at the Times Herald-Record for setting up, and leaving the strobes set-up all week end. I just showed up, plugged in the lights, fired a few test shots and was ready to go! I believe 4 photographers took part in covering the games this weekend and all the images looked great, why... the lighting.

Being able to shoot at 400 ISO and get peak action shots that are crisp and sharp is a great feeling as a sports photographer. This 'task' of setting up the lights for HS basketball might seem like overkill, but it makes a world of difference. Even if they only use one shot in the paper. I know that shot is going to be sharp as a tack and perfectly exposed.

The gym was lit with 4 Dyna-Lite strobes, one in each corner of the gym, mounted high pointing at the baskets, set at about 3/4 power fired with PocketWizards. For this to work, the strobes have to be 3, or more, stops above ambient, but the strobes should not be at full power.

Tonight, one more game in the Section 1 - 9 Boys Regional Semi-Final match-up at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. John S. Burke Catholic v. Albertus Magnus, should be a good one!

John