Shooting The Chicago Bears vs. The Philadelphia Eagles From the Sidelines
On Sunday I headed up to Chicago to shoot the Eagles/Bears NFL game at Soldier field (a few shots from the game are below). I’m totally beat (and sore, and tired), so I didn’t have time to do anything decent to them—I just ran them through Lightroom and well, here they are.
SPECS: All the shots were taken with a Nikon D700, at (are you ready for this), 4,000 ISO. I had to shoot at that high an ISO because of the stadium lights (it’s not nearly as bright as you’d think) to get my shutter speed up to at least 1/1000 of a second so I could freeze the action (though a number of times it dipped down to 1/800 of a second). But I gotta tell you—-the noise is so minimal that I am just astonished. In most cases, you have to blow it way, way up before you can really see any, and even then, you don’t really need to even run noise reduction software on it. It’s just sick (and I mean that in the good way). I used my new Nikon 200-400m f/4 VR lens for the long shots, and a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 for the wider shots.
You can see from the shot of me on the field below (photo by Bill Smith), I had a Think Tank gear belt on (not it’s official name), and gel knee pads (the greatest invention since Coke Zero. Thanks to Mike Olivella for turning me onto those). More about this gear, and my struggles in getting it there, tomorrow.
Anyway, I had a blast, and to top it all off the Bears won! My thanks to Mike McCaskey, and everyone in the Bears organization (they are a class act), and also to Bears team photographer Bill Smith. What a night! Come on, everybody—sing with me:
“Bear Down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory. Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly. We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation, with your T-formation. Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown. You’re the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down!”
Nice clear shots. Looks like a lot of fun.
I’m SOOoo excited about the high ISO possibilities opening up. Clean shots @ISO 4000 is amazing. I’m a Canon guy and have pre-orderd a 5D MK II. I hope it’s high ISO shooting is as good as Nikon’s.
I think the new war in the pro world in not megapixels buy noise. I’m loving it.
You mentioned you just ran these quickly thru LR. I’m curious what you apply by default, if anything. I spend a lot of time playing with auto presets that look good on just about everything. Even going as far as manually editing the preset XML. I’m wondering if you have any tricks for making things “just look good” in a batch scenario. OK off to bed for me.
Gav… seimeffects.com
Hi Scott,
Nice work with the D700. One quick question. Did you shoot wide open (full aperture)? Just curious. I’m going assume yes as you were trying to push shutter speed as much as possible.
Regards,
MikeV
Hey Scott,
We are all jealous.
BTW…Perfect place to use IJFR. In a few seconds you could have had resized JPEGs, post to the blog and go to sleep. Oops. I forgot I was only a presidential candidate for last week. Now I have to go back to my normal life.
Great shots!
Michael
Hi Scott,
Please update your Gear List.
Thanks.
@ Michael Tapes- IJFR? What is that?
Great shots.
I’m still trying to get in to a college game.
Scott,
Did you pick the best game or what?
Scott,
Great Shots! Are you a Bear fan? I love the Bears, had me really nervous at the end.
I thought I saw you from the sidelines. But couldn’t figure out why you would be shooting a Bears Eagles game so thought nothing of it until I saw the blog this morning. Too funny.
-Bob
(Boston)
McNabb! the SU legend. I remember seeing him play at the dome back in the day.
-Nate B
nbenson.wordpress.com
Hi Scott, Wish I would have known you would be in my town. Let me know when you plan to visit Chi town in the future and maybe we can get together. The photos look great, hope to see more of the BEARS. I will need to send you a few shots that I have from the construction of the new field. All behind the scenes of the locker room and the private boxes. Take care, Glenn
We’re you set up around the 10-15 yeard line? I could have sworn I saw you when I was watching the game. Unfortunately for me, my beloved lost the game.
Mike,
IJFR..I was the guest blogger here last Wed. Check it out..
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2008/archives/2027
Michael Tapes
Great shots!! ISO4000???!!! Holy crap!!
BTW, you’re one lucky S.O.B.!!
Scott,
You are so cool at what you do. You are so lucky to do what you do. At a Bears Game. On grown level, your shots rock. I have learn so much from you, your books, Photoshop tv. Keep up the awesome work you do.
Jason Moon Photography
Scott
you’re becoming the Walter Mitty of photography.
Mike,
Michael Tapes is the MAN when it comes to Raw. When I bought my first DSLR, I bought “Raw with out FUD” (Camera Raw tutorials by Michael Tapes) and it taught me everything I needed to know about shooting Raw. I’ve never looked back.
Hi Scott,
Yeah, you see those night NFL games on TV and it always look so bright. Then you’re pushing your IS0 to 4000. That is a high IS0. Your pics look good at 72 dpi and small on the website, but if you need to crop them a little and make a print at 200 or 300 dpi are they OK?
I’m still using the Canon Mark ll cameras and even using ISO 1600 you can see noise. I am looking forward to using newer cameras which have really improved so much. If you’re going to keep showing up at those night games, you’re going to have to buy a 400mm f/2.8 lens to fit in with the rest of the crowd.
For a real test, you should try out your gear at a few local night high school football games to really test your gear. Most are so dark you need to use the fill-in flash. The upside to those games is a less crowded sideline and no TV cameras getting in your way.
The downside is the lack of lighting, but with new gear it’s less of a challenge. Also, when your using strobe with those long lenses you can get some red-eye. Just part of the fun and excitement.
Keep up all the great work,
Robert
http://www.photographyandthemac.com
Hey Scott:
Don’t let anyone give you a case of “lens” envy. F2.8 and be there.
Wow, great shots! It was an exciting game to watch on TV. I bet it was 100 time more exciting in person. GO BEARS!
Love the knee pads, are they Nikon or Canon?
So I see you know the Bear Down song….about time you started shooting a real team!!!! Whats with the Friday post (video) in a bucs shirt.
Tom
Not enough that he works with Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom day in and day out, no, he gets to shot a NFL football game too!
Jeff
Hi Scott,
Your shots are extremely excellent, but I’m sure you know that.
Yes, I am jealous too just like I am every time you post game photos or race photos or whatever photos. Life has definately blessed you my friend.
My heart, as does yours I’m sure, goes out to the Bryant family of the Bucs. He sure had an emotional game yesterday. Hats off to him. He seems like one classy guy.
By the way. I will root for your Bucs every game except when they travel to Dallas on October 26.
See ya
Mike
Were you using the D700 instead of the D3 because the D3 is still in the shop due to the hiccup problem?
Scott
Awesome pics! GO BEARS!!
Now I have to ask… What is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan doing in Chicago shooting a BEARS game?? Are you REALLY a BEARS fan at heart???
Your Bucs stole one from us last week so I guess this is the least you could do for all us BEARS fans!
Would love to know what aperture setting you used on these pics and how these look blown up or cropped with the high ISO.
I’m at the point where I’ve been considering investing in some of the L series Canon lenses but what I’ve been seeing from Nikon lately is seriously making me reconsider. At the very least, I think I am going to wait a bit longer to see if Canon can develop anything that competes with the D700.
Bill Boehm
Cary, IL
Hey Scott,
First started watching you and the guys on Photoshop User TV. Awesome..
Love all the tips from you and these photos are amazing. As an aspiring photographer you are really someone I look up to.
Cheers
Scott:
You are such a great teacher of digital photography I am confused why you use your blog to show these football pictures that seem to be your personal hobby,and past- time avocation?
The jump from your really great teaching blogs on digital photography to: “Look guys at my football photos”- ain’t they cute, is like someone’s vacation photos of showing you in a canoe on Lake Wannomosa when you were a kid. All this is good for a “show and tell” of what I did on my vacation with Uncle Moe.
But all in all Scott, you are the greatest!
Dude, Photoshop Dude! Your photos rock!
Now if you ever make your way to the sidelines in DC, you know you’ve got two people who would be more than happy to schlep your gear.
As for James’ comments, if there were more dedicated family men such as Scott, this world would be a better place.
Don
To Scotty:
I’ve had literally dozens of questions about how the sports shots were taken, which equipment I used, etc. which is why I include the tech specs behind the shots. Apparently, you don’t consider sports photography “digital photography” so what kind of photography do you think I should cover?
I’m doing a Bridal shoot next week, and I was going to post those photos, and how I took them, but I want to make sure it’s OK to post those, because bridal shoots are also my hobby, and I want to make sure the free content I’m providing on my personal blog meets with your “digital photography teaching” criteria, so please just let me know.
Also, sorry for those food shots I showed for the cookbook I’m doing for my wife. That probably doesn’t quality as digital photography teaching either.
-Scott
Ahhh … sarcasm. I love it. Leave it to somebody to complain about something you do in your free time (whatever that might look like). I think the majority of us like to see what you do because most of us have already read your books and probably already understand how you do it. Although, in this case, many of us would like to know if you shot wide open or not.
Love the shots. That Nikon lens is the bomb. I just wish Canon would come out with a faster 100-400
Love the Devin Hester shot. They all look great, but that one really stands out to me. Well done, as always.
Hi Dennis:
I shoot wide open at f/4 the entire time, so I shoot in Aperture Priority the whole time, set it f/4, and never worry about exposure again (though I did have to do a little exposure compensation (about -3 to -7 ev) because I was getting clipping warnings in a couple of situations (depending on where I set up on the field).
Thanks for your comment, too. You said it better than I could.
-Scott
Scott – I will not be satisfied until you combine your two “hobbies” together in to one “Australian Rules Full Contact Wedding” tutorial. I want to see someone lay the wood on that smarmy best man.
Thanks for all that you do. I personally love the glimpses in to the life of a photography/photoshop guru. I’m sure many of us are living vicariously through you.
Please come through on your promise for more tales of gear and woe at the Bears game.
Also consider this my monthly request for a Sports Photography Tutorial on Kelby Training.
BTW – maybe you could throw Scotty a bone and include a tutorial on how to use the adjustment brush to bump up the exposure on lawn gnomes.
Wow, I would love to have your job just to get the chance to Photograph at so many different amazing locations! Sports photography is my ultimate dream job as a photographer, but not an easy one to get into (though you’d never know it from my work, unless you managed to get a copy of my High School yearbook!).
Did you get any flack from all the Canon users on the sidelines?
Really great photos btw. I bet you had a blast out there 
Great pcitures, fab the way you have captured the action. As a Brit I dont understand the game but the photos speak for themself.
Regards
Adrian
http://www.weddingphotoshot.com