Backboard Cam-Attempt #1

So I decided to try something a little different this basketball season....a backboard cam. For those of you who don't know exactly what this is, it's when a camera is rigged to the backboard of the hoop and triggered from the floor either wirelessly or by hard wire. I decided to go hard wire (mainly because it's cheaper) and made a trip to Home Depot to build my rig. Here's what it looks like to the players:


After pre-focusing before the game, during the game I sit underneath the hoop with a trigger in my hand, and wait for the action to come to the camera. Here's a few shots that I liked.

Here's our power forward Tate Sorenson taking the ball to the hoop for a layup:


Although I think I like the next frame a bit better as a vertical:


Here's a shot of Oralndo Griego during their scrimmage a couple days before, from the other side of the hoop:


So, as you can see, it makes for an interesting angle on an otherwise ordinary game, although there are still some issues I need to work on. For example, there is a nasty reflection from shooting through the glass in the corner of most of the photos:



With some black cardboard and some tape, that should be a quick fix. There are other problems: 1) My 17mm lens just isn't wide enough for this angle. 2) There just isn't enough light in the arena to get the shutter speed I want, which means I would need to add strobes (extra lights) to the arena, but that costs too much (for myself and my paper). 3) I have to use my best camera for the remote, therefore I'm depending on my backup cameras to get the shots I need from the floor....oh the joys of working for a small paper.

This one works great for a feature shot of the team:


All in all I'm happy with my first attempt. After a few tweaks and some luck, I'll come away with a great portfolio image.