Hot to Get Classic Black and White Baseball Photos with an X-Pro2 and Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC
Vancouver Canadians vs. Hillsboro minor league baseball at Net Bailey Stadium
Black and White Photography at the Old Ball Game
Vancouver Canadians vs. Hillsboro Hops Minor League Base Ball at Nat Bailey Stadium
Last week we attended our first-ever baseball game while living in Vancouver. I would not count myself as a big baseball fan but still have and occasionally use the baseball glove that I received as a gift from my inlaws when I visited Canada for the first time in the summer of 1984 :)
In Toronto at the Skydome, we’ve seen the Blue Jays and was at Safeco Field a few years ago to see the Mariners play and while not being devout, watching any sport live will often change your opinion and perspective on the given sport.
I wondered if I was allowed to bring a camera and took a chance with a very minimalistic kit for this game. I took just one camera and one lens, my Fujifilm X-Pro2 with the compact and lightweight Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC.
Black and White Photography Baseball
Baseball has a long history in North America and for me, it is largely associated with Yankees games in New York, and by nature, it is therefore linked to black and white photography.
I decided to shoot this doubleheader entirely in black and white. That being said, I captured the images in RAW and could therefore change my mind if the colors proved to win me over. They didn’t. The final output from the Vancouver Canadians vs. Hillsboro Hops game was all in black and white.
Wonderful Atmosphere
The first game started at 5:00 PM and was played during the golden hour much to my delight. The atmosphere was very relaxed and at no point did the stadium staff stop me from moving around freely, meaning I could capture the game from multiple angles.
The Nat Bailey Stadium seats 6,500 and I estimate that attendance was less than half of that.
The Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC gives me a full-frame equivalent field of view of approximately 115mm on my X-Pro2 and I was pleased to learn how well this worked for baseball.
Ideally having a bit more reach and autofocus would have been better had this been a paid gig.
A Hillsboro Hops player makes a hit at Nat Bailey Stadium
Static Shots
The above-mentioned lack of autofocus and having only a set focal length lens made action shots difficult to obtain but I didn’t mind. I was mostly at the game to capture the atmosphere, player portraits, and crowds in the stands.
How To Get the Classic Black and White Look
There are three important elements going into getting this particular look in your black-and-white baseball photos.
I shoot RAW but with my film simulation setting at Acros for Fujifilm’s Acros film simulation. This simulation is based on a black and white negative film stock from Fujifilm.
When editing in Capture One I often reduce contrast slightly, between -5 and -10. In the tone curve, I may lift the blacks or shadows slightly.
The final element is the Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC which has a wonderful classic rendering style, especially when looking at the bokeh. Most of the images in this post are captured at f/2.2.
Manual Focus Only
With practice, manual focusing can become second nature. You get the best result by punching in on the topic to verify that you have accurate focusing, Then simply hit the shutter. The more you practice the faster you will be able to do this.
After experimenting with focus peaking for some time I have decided that working without it works better for me. Depending on the level of focus peaking, I find that it can be distracting and take away from the overall experience.
Bottom of the Ninth
It is wonderfully relaxing to be a sports photographer when you don’t have to worry about capturing the winning play (which I did miss along with other home runs and action). This was an event for me to merely take in the sights, sounds, and baseball vibe.
If you have never shot sports or it has been a while since you did so, this is a wonderful way to hone your skills and perhaps try something new and challenging.
Vancouver Canadians grand stands at Nat Bailey Stadium
The photos in this post are made using the following photography gear and editing tools.
Links to my reviews and sources:
Fujifilm X-Pro2
Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC
Fujifilm Film Simulation Samples
