p.1 #1 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
OK.......I recently tried my hand a a new sport. Shooting it that is. I loved every second of it and think I did OK for a first attempt. Speed of the subject is CRAZY. Formula 1 does not even come close and I could get within feet of my subject. I was shooting for a sports publication and dong a write up. I think it worked out?
I sent this image to a local photographer who has been giving guidance to me for some time now. I take from his ramblings what I need and keep practicing.
Anyway i chatted with him this evening about web sites for my images and how to move along to the next stage of my photography career. He as usual gave me the benefit of his 15 yeas as a pro but did add in one sentence that the Bobsleigh shot was just another snap shot of mine! Not really what a Pro would have come up with.
So what do Y'All think? I used my 50mm 1.4, ISO 3200, at 1.8 to 2.0 or there about's.
The subject was traveling at at least 150 KM/h (90 MPH +). In my peripheral for maybe 0.25 of a second before I had to press the shutter!
Do you all thinks this is a "SnapShot"? What would any of you have done differently? Lens choice, settings etc.
p.1 #2 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
This is just a reaction from someone who loves sports pictures. Technically, I am not qualified to offer any advice. For me, knowing how fast these things move, I kind of expect some motion in the shot. Perhaps panning so the driver's head is in focus by the word Whistler in the back is blurred and maybe part of the sled. Whenever I see a great shot of a fast moving car, plane, sled etc., I always get that feeling like a can literally see the speed. I don't feel that here.
p.1 #4 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
Record the second image to remove the arm. I agree with the other comment about motion from panning. At sugha close vantage and at these speeds, you probably couldn't. Maybe your friend meant that a pro would have known it move back so that he Could pan with the sled.?
p.1 #5 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
jakita33........A friend suggested a panning shot before I left for the event. I had intended to do some but after the first round at the start and having to walk down from the top of the track I had not much time to make up my mind what to shoot and with what lens. There were only 14 runners and the best came at the end.
Maybe my hockey shooting has me going for eyes? That was what I was trying to get I think? Freeze the action and get some eyes.
Panning shots must be an art? Difference between blurr and action. I must try it.
Thanks for the comment. I get it and what your would expect to see. If I had climbed the snow bank behind me, changed lens and tried the sweep around the horseshoe bend i may have captured the speed. However the sled's journey around the horseshoe, even 100 feet back would be about a second in view.
p.1 #7 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
looks fine to me, plenty of published bobsled shots look like the first one, although you can try pan blurred shots to to mix it up and some tighter shots from a bit more head on and with longer focal length and also some like yours but tighter shots with longer focal length
(although i haven't yet shot this sports myself, I must say. Maybe I can make it up to Lake Placid in a couple weeks.)
p.1 #9 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
You suck. Period.
No, no just joking. Okay, I like the Whistler writing below the bobsled and that would be virtually lost in the pan, so you have to shoot this at a shutter speed that will document the venue. I get that. I do agree that I'd like to see a little more with some more variety. You have had a couple of posts now with this and I'm seeing sort of the same things so I'd encourage you to try some new things and step out of your box.
That being said, I don't know if you'd find much success at this angle shooting slow shutter pans. There is too much movement in and out of the focal plane. You'd have more success I think finding a location on the track where the sled is parallel to the focal plane. If you can't get elsewhere, I'd still drag the shutter a bit and see what you come up with. Again, nothing wrong with this shot, but I'd like to see a few more shots with some variety.
p.1 #10 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
The people look a little soft but the nose of the sled is in focus... I've never shot that sport but in the interest of throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks, I'd go with a smaller aperture to give you better DOF and drop the shutter speed accordingly - I don't think you need to go 1/10 or anything crazy but some blurring of the track would be appropriate I think.
Sounds like you have some opportunities to try some fun new stuff - I'm a little jealous!
p.1 #11 · Severe Critique VERY Welcome.......Do your worst!
Thanks.
November will be better. More runners. This was only 14 that go at 2 min intervals. Hour break and do it again in reverse order. So you would not have time to walk the 1500M from the top to the bottom and catch all sorts. Plus the track sides are quite deep.....for saefty's sake of course. So catching sleds in the bottom of the track is almost impossible except at the start and the finish.
I have an incident on the Skeleton I'll post separately.
