Using the ExpoDisc under Friday Night Lights Football

Roswell's (1) Sheldon Evans rushes against Woodstock during the first quarter of play of Roswell vs Woodstock high school football game at Ray Manus Stadium on Friday, October 28, 2016 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 64000, ƒ/5.6, 1/1000]

Another Friday Night Lights game at Roswell High School's Ray Manus Stadium. By half time Roswell was up 49 - 0, so I left early.

Woodstock's (7) Corey Smith misses tackling Roswell's (7) Malik Willis during the second quarter of play of Roswell vs Woodstock high school football game at Ray Manus Stadium on Friday, October 28, 2016 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 64000, ƒ/7.1, 1/800]

I am really pleased with the dynamic range of the Nikon D5 for shooting at such a high ISO of 64000.

Roswell's (1) Sheldon Evans shakes off tackle by Woodstock's (13) Austin Bennett during the second quarter of play of Roswell vs Woodstock high school football game at Ray Manus Stadium on Friday, October 28, 2016 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 64000, ƒ/5.6, 1/1250]

The files are good from the highlights to the shadows with detail. the only place is in the shadows inside the helmets where no light was really shining.

Woodstock's quarterback (6) Garrett Bass during the second quarter of play of Roswell vs Woodstock high school football game at Ray Manus Stadium on Friday, October 28, 2016 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 64000, ƒ/5.6, 1/800]

Now even in the end zone when the quarterback looked up for his receiver I was able to get some great light inside the helmet.

Roswell's (1) Sheldon Evans carries for 98 yard touchdown run while (3) Christian Ford protects him from Woodstock's (12) Grant Jacobs during the first quarter of play of Roswell vs Woodstock high school football game at Ray Manus Stadium on Friday, October 28, 2016 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma TC-2001 2x, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 64000, ƒ/5.6, 1/1250]

For all these photos I shot from the end zone sitting on a small folding stool. I was at kneeling height putting me about at the belt-line of the players.

Once the sun went down I took a custom white balance with the ExpoDisc.

The latest version of the ExpoDisc 2.0 comes with warming filters. They are slightly a cyan color of different densities to let you pick how much you want to warm up your image. So without them you get a pure 18% grey and by adding these you warm up the photo just a bit.

You just put the warming gel in the front of the ExpoDisc and then take your reading. This way you can keep a consistent warming to all your photos.

So what should you do?  I would advise always doing custom. You can always change it later using Adobe Lightroom if you shot it RAW. 

To the left here is the pull down menu that is available to you in Adobe Lightroom if you shot it RAW. These are very similar to the presets on your camera.

Sometimes the perfect custom white balance maybe not your preference in the end.

Presets in Nikon D5

Check your manual for your camera because this is for the Nikon D5. Somewhere in your menu you can go and adjust using presets for white balance.

On my Nikon D5 in the menu for White Balance you can choose up to five different presets for fluorescent.  Also there is a selection for Sodium-vapor and High temp. mercury-vapor. There is a major problem I have found trying this method, it isn't easy to pick the right color, because the monitor on the back of the camera isn't that easy to see color in all situations.

Fluorescent lamps are manufactured to a chosen color by altering the mixture of phosphors inside the tube. Warm-white fluorescents have color spectrum of 3000 K and are popular for residential lighting. Neutral-white fluorescents have a color spectrum of 3700 K. Cool-white fluorescents have a color spectrum of 4200 K and are popular for office lighting. Daylight fluorescents have a color spectrum of 5000 K to 6500 K, which is bluish-white.

Note that on the Nikon D5 you also have a pre-set for those awful Mercury-Vapor lights or the Sodium-vapor on the other end of the spectrum. Sometimes I have found that I prefer one of the fluorescent settings under some of the newer mercury-vapor lights when using this system instead of the custom white balance.