Golf Photography

[kconway]

What type of Camera Equipment should I buy to take good Golf Course pictures??

[Dan Moore]

Depends on your budget: $500 or less keeps you in the point and shoot category and $650 and up gets you in the entry level dslr category.  For on course photos my brother who is a professional photographer recommended a Canon G9 which does a very good job and offers a lot of manual control.  Its relatively small size (fits in a pocket) is an advantage. 

However, an entry level dslr with a fairly wide angle lens will take better photos than any point and shoot, but because of their size they are not easy to use while playing.  The new Canon Rebel xsi looks like a very good value. 

If you are serious then some post production processing in photoshop will help bring out the best in your photos.   

A good place for info and reviews is www.dpreview.com

G9 photo

[C. Squier]

Good as in professional grade or just for personal use.

I have a little Canon Powershot SD 850 that is small enough to keep in your pocket. Takes pretty decent pics considering its size.

For betterl pics I have a D70 Nikon DSLR, but I've never used it on a golf course because its far too big to carry. I use the stock lens and have no clue how to use the settings.

Hopefully Nick Poz will chime in, he knows his stuff.

[Nick Pozaric]

Thanks Clint
Not only does decent equipment help but the important thing is having good timing and being there at the right time when the light is perfect.  I have a Nikon D300 with a Nikon 18-200

[Tommy Williamsen]

I took these with the canon 850





I did a little editing on the computer, however.

[Dan Chapman]

Tommy, where are those from?

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tommy, where are those from?

Black Rock in Coeur D'Alene Idaho.

[Dan Chapman]

Ok, thank you.  Great looking shots.

[C. Squier]

Does anyone have any experience working w/ Apple Aperture or Adobe Lightroom software?  Or know of a good webpage that teaches how to use them? 

[Wayne_Freedman]

 I use a Nikon D-200 w/18-200 mm lens, which provides a of latitude. It is a lot to carry around, however, and you don't need to be that elaborate.  10.6 megs are more than enough.

For casual work, an 8.1 mpxl  Sony dsc-w150, which has a 35 mm equivalent width of 30mm.  It cost me about $200, and is a hell of a camera because it weighs just a few ounces AND has an optical viewfinder AND can automatically crop to 16x9.

The w170 is even wider.

Unless you're Ansel Adams or somebody is paying you, that's all you need.
That, a good eye, patience, and Photoshop.

[John Kavanaugh]

Why not just remember unless you need to prove you were there.  Only the polite pretends to care where you have played.  Photos are the crutch of the illiterate.

[Mike Nuzzo]

I'll suggest the canon 870 - similar to the 850 but with a wide angle lens - 25mm equiv.

Google Picassa is great for managing and captioning/titleing your files - and its freeer than lightroom.

Or you can do what Barney says...

Cheers

[Tommy Williamsen]

Why not just remember unless you need to prove you were there.  Only the polite pretends to care where you have played.  Photos are the crutch of the illiterate.

John, do you appreciate the pictures that some on this site have shared with us?
I take pictures when my wife and I are on vacation as part of the memory. They are the cheapest
mementos.

[Wayne_Freedman]

An insulting and shallow comment.
I assumed you were smarter than that.
Just plain rude.   

Why not just remember unless you need to prove you were there.  Only the polite pretends to care where you have played.  Photos are the crutch of the illiterate.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I think using a polarizing filter is the key to great golf photography.  If you don't have that, then by all means, get photoshop CS (Maybe the new 6 will have most of what you need) and make the sky (or a sky from some other photo) do exactly what you want it to do.

I know a photographer who has taken summer pictures, added snow through photoshop and sold them as Xmas cards through the clubs.

[Michael Dugger]

Why not just remember unless you need to prove you were there.  Only the polite pretends to care where you have played.  Photos are the crutch of the illiterate.

In all honesty, shove it up your ass, John Kavanaugh. 

Seriously, you are such a tool sometimes.  Only you have taken it to the "proving you were there" level. 

I take images because I like to look at them and because I know many people on this website do too.  Some of us may never have a chance to play Cypress Point, for example.  Does that mean we should never get to enjoy its' splendor?

Should I close my eyes when I see an image of the Mona Lisa?  How about Rome?  Since I'm not actually in Italy am I somehow a lesser human because I enjoy looking at pictures of the Coliseum.

[Brett Hochstein]

I'll second what Jeff B said.  I invested in a polarizer last year, and it has improved quality maybe even more than a camera upgrade itself.  You can highlight blues, greens, gold tones as well as reduce or highlight water glare.  It's a great tool and not too expensive.

[Wayne_Freedman]

Agree re: the polarizer. It seemed to go unsaid. There are different kinds. Choose the one where you can polarize portions of the frame.