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Archive 2012 · Run for your Life in Holland (MI)

  
 
Rick VB
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Run for your Life in Holland (MI)


These are from a local 5K run on Friday evening with costumes for Halloween. Tried to shoot from a few different angles since there is not much peak action in this type of event. This was the first time I shot at a running event like this, so I'm interested in hearing how they turned out. Thanks for looking.
Rick





1) The leader after 1 mile







2)







3) Still leading




Oct 27, 2012 at 12:06 PM
Rick VB
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Run for your Life in Holland (MI)


4 more.





4)







5)







6)







7)




Oct 27, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Rick VB
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Run for your Life in Holland (MI)


last one.





8)




Oct 27, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Geo31
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Run for your Life in Holland (MI)


It's a bit hard to C&C these because this isn't a regular 5k. The costumes are a big part of the image. That said, I think the images are good not great, but if I'm honest, I don't have any specific suggestions for making them great.

Most of the photos are backlit and that can make some photos dramatic, but a little goes a long way IMHO. I also am not a fan of the post production. Colors look off and some images are muddy.

Shooting running is tougher than it looks. Yes, it's relatively easy to get a competent image. Getting great images are tougher. In non-costume races I tend to like the images that are cropped tighter. Some people like to see the runner head to toe, but IMHO they tend not to have impact unless there is drama in a pack

So, all that said, I think they are good images, but they just don't excite me to be honest. I think with some color correction and contrast improvement, some of the backlit images could be more interesting.

I shoot several running races and triathlons a year (purely for my enjoyment) and it's hard to be fresh each time. Sometimes I get images I really like, but I find when I try to get the same thing again (and do usually) a lot of times the images don't excite me anymore because I've already done that. Watch your backgrounds and lighting and try to get different perspectives. Unless you're just mass shooting to sell to the participants (which I find are 95% uninteresting), try to ensure your photos don't all look generally the same.

Sorry to be long-winded. Running is a passion of mine as a participant and I usually don't care for the images from the contract photographers. I try to do much better when I shoot my friends. As a parting note, by far the greatest image of me at Ironman was a highly amateur shot of me in the finish chute with a long enough shutter to have some motion blur, but bright enough strobe to freeze part of the image. Usually I don't like images that are shot from behind, but everything put together, the image captured the kaleidoscope that the chute turned into for me. It was an image I'd never attempt to capture (nor would most people), yet it worked incredibly well. I have a 13x19 to go on my wall. I bought the official photos and they will go on my wall as well, but this amateur image is my favorite. Try to be different from the usual "stock" photos.



Oct 27, 2012 at 09:16 PM
Rick VB
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Run for your Life in Holland (MI)


Geo, I appreciate the feedback from a runners perspective. In a little 5k race like this there is not the intensity like in a lot of sporting events, which is why I tried the backlighting to add some impact. I agree that they turned out good but not great. I chose the backgrounds to add a sense of place since the run was routed around a local attraction called Windmill Island. They are a little on the busy side but hopefully would be recognizable to people in my area. As far as the colors are concerned the problem probably occurred in camera since the only processing I did was crop, levels, unsharp mask. None of this is meant as a defense of the images, simply meant to provide more information. Your feedback is helpful and gives me some stuff to think about.

Rick



Oct 28, 2012 at 07:40 AM





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