Rugby is a fun sport to shoot. The Jacksonville Axemen took on the Rhode Island Rebellion for a spot in the finals competition. I set out to shoot tight shots of the action to see the dirt, grimaces, and pain on the faces of the players.
I shot the game with a Canon Mark 5D Mark 3 body and a Canon 400mm, f2.8 IS lens. The sun was setting on the home side so I positioned myself facing the sinking sun. This gave a nice rim light on the players for separation.
The trick here is to expose for the player and let the background exposure fall where it may. That’s why you will see most of the backgrounds a lighter exposure than the exposure on the player.
A tackle “football” game with no pads or helmets is brutal and you can see it in the faces of the players.
Jacksonville completely out maned Rhode Island with superior size and speed. The Axemen were able to break a few long runs in the process.
Notice how large the ball is. Kicking can be erratic as best.
I’m far from understanding all the nuances of this game but it is fun for a sports photographer to shoot. I think I accomplished my goal of shooting tight shots of the up close action. Hope you enjoy. Gray
Gray Quetti Photography 