This weekend I shot Backflips and Beatdowns 4. It is an mixed-martial arts event that incorporates motorcycle jumping to entertain the crowd between fights, and they even jump over the ring during one of the fights. This is my second time shooting the event. The first time I shot it, it was for the Billings Gazette (See the shots here). This time I shot it for the promoter. The benefit of shooting it for the Gazette was that I was able to use the strobes at MetraPark. While I could have set up some of my strobes for this event, it was a last second job, so I just shot it with available light. While the photos had more noise in this event from having to shoot at higher ISO settings, especially on the motorcycles which were dimly lit, I think the photos have a grittier feel to them which I think is fitting for an event like this. In the strobe shots, everything is evenly lit including the crowd which can be distracting. I think these shots create a more emotional impact.
Here are some things I learned about shooting MMA that I would have never thought of before hand.
1) Don’t wear a white shirt, there is a good chance you will get blood on you when you are right up on the cage.
2) You should probably have UV filters on your lenses, I got blood on my lens too.
Despite being sprayed with blood, it was a fun shoot. I’d be curious as to what style of shots other people prefer. The natural lighting or the strobes. Personally I am a bit torn between the two.