close iframe icon
rebeccajschroeter avatar
rebeccajschroeter
Game Face
Banner

Game Face



behind the lens badge
cameraCanon EOS 7D

settings Aperture f/6.3 ISO 100 Shutter 1/800 Focal Length 200/1 

upload_dateSep, 2015

Views

567

Likes

Awards

Member Selection Award
Featured
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
PhotosByJEM davidjprosser Tudorof diegoscaglione ileanaandreagmezgavinoser Photosbybillm NancyFlemingPhotography +61
Superb Composition
cynditovarhanson photosdude dumbdrum Charlene-Shelby chipergeorgemihai Aarifah coleenwolfepavlick +22
Absolute Masterpiece
vbdebbieblue59385641 rozbatten gajjushahi jimdavis_2058 eradillo Billijean Realmshift +4
Top Choice
eduardobarroso SMM1 kjartan Jackiebelcherbenstead sudipdutta darrenwestwood Louise_53 +3
Outstanding Creativity
sunshine0 matthewpayne suegunner waltjurek mariocirinaph rsil CheriCole
Magnificent Capture
kenderby clementinacabral SvenProe Cindy71 michaelstephens
Superior Skill
AlphaEyePhoto juanpereira BQMolina1513

Top Ranks

Anything People Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Anything People Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
The Emerging Talent AwardsTop 30 rank
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
View more
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank week 1
The Battle Of Advanced Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Battle Of Advanced Photo ContestTop 10 rank month 1
The Battle Of Advanced Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 3
The Battle Of Advanced Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Battle Of Advanced Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Freshmen 2016 Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Freshmen 2016 Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 2
Freshmen 2016 Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Just For Sport Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Just For Sport Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Image of the Year Photo Contest by SnapfishTop 10 rank
Image of the Year Photo Contest by SnapfishTop 10 rank week 3
Image of the Year Photo Contest by SnapfishTop 10 rank week 2
Image of the Year Photo Contest by SnapfishTop 10 rank week 1

Categories

2 Comments |
clementinacabral
 
clementinacabral June 23, 2016
Great!
VitaVera PRO+
 
VitaVera April 02, 2021
Great capture!!! 👏🏻

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#swimming
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

My photo, Game Face, was taken at my daughter's swim meet in May 2015. We live in the St. Louis suburbs and our team is part of year-round USA Swimming. I had volunteered to be the Meet Photographer before, but was looking forward to the Long Course season where the kids swim outdoors. I parked myself at the end of her lane opposite the blocks and just out of range of any splash from turns she might generate. The whole time, I was torn between cheering or shooting away!

Time

This was taken midday about halfway through the meet. I don't get the opportunity to be this close to the action outdoors, often. It might have been my only chance in a year. So the pressure was on to get the perfect shot. There is only around a 15 second window when she is in range, and maybe half that time above water. My camera has a fast frame rate, but timing is still crucial. I'm lucky her face has a relatively placid demeanor during exertion. Grimacing is never flattering.

Lighting

This is a natural light photo on a bright day. The bottom of the pool and water reflect enough light to soften shadows on her face. The bright light creates a thicker looking effect on the water around her face than indoor lighting.

Equipment

I used my Canon 7D with a 70-200 mm f2.8 L IS lens. No tripod was necessary, even at 200 mm, since I was using 1/800 sec for the shutter to stop the motion of the water. A great lens for this application, but with the 2.8 it is even better in darker conditions indoors.

Inspiration

The effort that Anna and her teammates put in to their sport week in, and week out is my inspiration. Swimming develops some of the most accomplished athletes. It is a sport that dominates their lives. My daughter is 13, and at that level, she is swimming 5-6 days a week for an hour and a half, plus strength training. I also think that swimming and swimming photography are heavily underrepresented in the community and media. Unless you are a Swim Parent or USA Swimming Photographer, you generally aren't taking pictures of swimmers, and swimmers don't get much media coverage unless they are Olympic hopefuls. It would be great if we could change that.

Editing

I did some basic editing in Lightroom 5. The biggest adjustment was to lighten the shadows on her face. The bright light was buffered by the reflecting water and pool floor, but there was still a shadow on her face. Pushing up the contrast gave her face more depth and increasing clarity a bit helped define the water better.

In my camera bag

My main, go-to lens for my Canon 7D is my 17-55 mm f2.8 IS. I use it for travel, landscapes, nature, and portraits. I put it in my backpack when we hike. I almost never use my 28-135 mm kit lens. My 70-200 f2.8 L IS is heavy, so I only take it along if I know I will use it. I have a 580EX Speedlite that I usually carry wherever. Lastly, I purchased a 100 mm f2.8 L IS macro, and a 50 mm f1.4 for dark indoors applications.....all Canon. I have a MeFoto Roadtripper tripod.

Feedback

Photos like this just will not happen if you are in the bleachers. You have to be on deck as close to water level as possible. You are going to get wet, so be prepared for that. A camera with a fast frame rate is helpful. I believe my Canon 7D is capable of 8 fps.Having at least a 200 mm zoom is necessary. Be prepared to start zoomed in and zoom out in stages as the swimmer gets closer to you. Have fun, and don't forget to stop to cheer if you kid is swimming!

See more amazing photos, follow rebeccajschroeter

User photo
It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.