[LRflex] Re: Speed Skating Photos...
- From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@xxxxxxx>
- To: <leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:55:51 -0800
David Young showed:
Subject: [LRflex] Speed Skating Photos...
A couple of weeks ago, I showed a few shots of the outdoor,
long-track, speed skating competition, held here a couple of weekends ago.
I've finally got a web page running, with about 20 pix.
If you'd like to peek, got to:
http://www.main.furnfeather.net/
<http://www.main.furnfeather.net/%3c%3c%3c%3c> <<<<
Good morning David,
Well done mon ami! Particularly with the head-on photos of the skaters
coming right at you. Certainly if these are manual focus? Which I believe
them to be?
One thing I don't see is any indication of speed? Yep I know they're
probably going like a ding-bat outta hell and they speak well of your
ability to hand focus and shoot and keep them sharp. However... "It's Speed
Skating!"
May I ask why you wouldn't shoot some on the straightaway doing a "swishy
pan" as they blew by you?
Just stop down to 16 or 22 focus on the centre line of the track, pick the
skater up in the viewfinder as he comes off the corner. usually completely
out of focus.. DO NOT TOUCH THE FOCUSING RING AT ALL!! Or if using
auto-focus turn it off! Then follow him at his speed and he'll skate into
focus. And as he's passing your point you continue panning the camera as
fast as he's going and camera is in motion same speed, you go "click!!!"
But most importantly swing right with him at same speed and follow through.
Quite frankly it isn't any different than photographing birds in flight when
you follow them and shoot while panning with them.
Background becomes a flashing blur of colours, skaters feet and legs usually
a blur of colour and motion and he looks like he's doing a hundred miles an
hour.! :-) You do not want this blur to go beyond recognizing what the
subject is and somewhere in the body there should be a point of sharp focus.
That means you've panned camera at exactly the right speed.
Obviously you don't shoot them all in that fashion, but the faster skaters
create the best effect.. As does using the right shutter speed, don't shoot
too slow because it becomes an unrecognizable mush of "what?" Depending on
how fast the skater is going, some feel like a missile going by. But it's
essential to swing through with them at the same speed they're going.
But then you know all this. :-) And you did shoot a few like it but they
didn't quite work. Right? :-) Or you're saving them to blow everyone away!
:-)
Apart from that, they're a fine collection of good photographs which I'd
imagine would be a few local sales by the competitors.
But dang that's outside in the dead of winter and colder than a hooker's
heart on a Saturday night standing in the snow and wind! :-) It's all yours
mon ami, all yours! :-) No matter how good the photos look it's still all
yours! :-)
Naw I've done my time on winter sports, now if they had speed skating in
Hawaii? Please, do call. :-) I'll be your assistant! :-)
ted
Other related posts:
