John Larson, FPSA, GMPSA
January 2026 - Home of the Volleyball Champions
About the Image(s)
At a recent Penn State volleyball game there was a break in the action and most of the crown took the opportunity to stand. As I was standing, I particularly noticed the preponderance of championship banners hanging from the ceiling. The Penn State ladies volleyball teams are known for their success, and they most recently won the 2024 National NCAA championship.
Camera Settings:
Creation Date: 11/23/2025 Camera: Canon, Camera Model: Canon EOS R5, Mk II, Shutter Speed: 1/1250, Aperture f/3.2, ISO 3200, Canon RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM lens @ 70 mm
Post processing:, Normal LR adjustments and cropping. Sharpening and denoise using Topaz Photo AI
9 comments posted
I'm sure this is of interest to Penn State fans. I don't feel it would do well in a photojournalism competition, as there is almost no action that would make the story compelling to the non-fan viewer. I think the photo also would be stronger if the people in the image were in sharper focus and the colors more vibrant. Posted: 01/10/2026 17:12:28
Even without reading the description, I could make out much of the message being conveyed by your image. Had there been the current team sitting there with a trophy that could make the photo become more meaningful. But we do get unplanned situations which challenge a photo-journalist that to turn that into a story. Any way good shot for its content, but i had expected people to look sharper.
Yes, it may not do well at a competition, but its not a bad idea. In my opinion, what we post here is not always to prepare for a contest. Posted: 01/10/2026 20:58:13
Yes, it may not do well at a competition, but its not a bad idea. In my opinion, what we post here is not always to prepare for a contest. Posted: 01/10/2026 20:58:13
Thanks for your idea. Unfortunately this is not possible since these banners are in the ceiling. Posted: 01/17/2026 09:21:31
I can't comment on this photo because I see nothing of interest to anyone who isn't involved with this school's volleyball team. Posted: 01/11/2026 10:17:49
The purpose of this study group is to determine if the author's image tells a story, has major technical flaws or it there are suggestions for improvement. This image clearly describes years of success of this volleyball program. I am disappointed you chose not to analyze my image, which does have some technical flaws. Posted: 01/17/2026 09:20:17
I would agree that the picture does clearly describe years of success of this volleyball program. Posted: 01/18/2026 16:52:49
(Group 4)
I do like your image this month John, and I can see a good story about a strong, winning club with it's fan base. I also understand the concerns expressed by the others here, as I find the image both over exposed and not sharp (in spite of your shutter speed).
I've corrected the exposure (which is allowed in PSA PJ competition) which I think makes your image pop, but sadly a aperture of f3.5 at this distance away was never going to give you a sharp image of the crowd. Posted: 01/13/2026 00:06:10
I've corrected the exposure (which is allowed in PSA PJ competition) which I think makes your image pop, but sadly a aperture of f3.5 at this distance away was never going to give you a sharp image of the crowd. Posted: 01/13/2026 00:06:10
Thanks so much for understanding my story. Yes, I had the wrong camera settings and should have changed them. I was setup for shooting the action on the volleyball court (short depth of field, high shutter speed) and should have changed to get the people and the banners in better focus. Thanks for your attempt. Posted: 01/17/2026 09:25:23
I'm looking at those beautiful new mirrorless camera and lens. It does not appear to have an improvement over the old dslr. Maybe this is not a legitimate issue, but they do insist on listing the equipment with the description.
Certainly, it is an accomplishment to win 8 National Championships. It has interest.
My main quibble with the photo is what appears to be haze, or muddy color. It is possible to correct haze in software, and to enhance saturation, etc., to improve the color rendition. This appears to be a fault of the equipment, and otherwise not natural.
I like the idea of admiring their trophies. Congratulations to Penn State women's volleyball. Posted: 01/17/2026 23:28:13
Certainly, it is an accomplishment to win 8 National Championships. It has interest.
My main quibble with the photo is what appears to be haze, or muddy color. It is possible to correct haze in software, and to enhance saturation, etc., to improve the color rendition. This appears to be a fault of the equipment, and otherwise not natural.
I like the idea of admiring their trophies. Congratulations to Penn State women's volleyball. Posted: 01/17/2026 23:28:13