[whitewash]

in my gallery, critique please, i need more help with lighting and flash use i think


gallery link here > mountainbiking in the rain!


*fixed link to a smaller file size!

all my camera gear is soaking wet and muddy and i definetly need a faster wide zoom (looking at the sigma 18-50mm to replace the kit lens i have which simply is not up to the job) my 430ex speedlite survived one take out by an errant rider, conditions were dreadful but i really enjoyed myself


happy critiqueing

jamie

[Steve]

I have broken your image link as it is outside our limit of 160kb. If you wish to reduce the file size you are welcomed to replace the img tags

I will go and have a look at your other images now

[whitewash]

fixed, i didnt realise that the gallery upload tool i use actually made the image size about 40kb larger than the original web size


apo.... logies

[Steve]

Just ahd a look...

You have caught some great action shots there, big air and expressive angles/poses add to the excitement in the shots. I think that you have over flashed quite a few though and if you had reduced the output from the flash gun by a stop or more you would have had much more natural looking shots. The histogram is your friend For a first attempt they are very good though and no doubt will offer a great foundation for improving the next lot. It is a difficult subject to tackle and do well, I think you will have it sorted with a little more flash control.

[whitewash]

yeh flash seems to be my weakness at the moment, i already had the flash stopped down by 1 stop, anymore and it overcooked it completely!

i need to learn about using 2nd curtain sync on my flash, i should read some books.

the light was constantly changing, one minute it was black and raining, the next it was bright and sunny!



anyway im gonna go clean my gear, i think it needs jet washing!

[CT]

LOL. I can't help thinking of Don Quixote when I look at the shot above.

Great shot spoiled by waaay too much flash.

[trip]

a good first effort. think youve used too much flash though. ive shot races before using only the built in flash on a 300d and got good results. next time try it with only the one flashgun. keep the camera set in shutter priority, 1/125 and the iso set so you get apertures of around f8 if you can. the longer depth of field will improve focus and sharpnesss and you dont have to worry about the background being in focus as it should be blurred from panning.

these two were taken with builtin flash.




where abouts was the race? looks like bringewood

[whitewash]

it wasnt a race, just some trails near where i live (hills around cockermouth), most of the riders ride for keswick mountain bikes

i think my major problem was that stupidly i attempted to use aperture priority, when as you say i should have been on shutter priority (which i should ahve known silly me!) it was very difficult to get consistant shutter speeds because of the lighting

[noah]

a good first go there and some nice shots from it. like the others said, shutter priority and rear curtain flash are you friends. flash is a tricky thing to get the hang of but with these shots its nearly essential even in the summer as the dappled light plays hell with the meter.

[whitewash]

just been talking to the guys in the pictures, they seem chuffed with them, as does KMB who sponsor them, but they all realise and understand i want to shoot them when it isnt throwing it down and when ive got the hang of what im doing
thanks for your advice and comments folks
jamie

[KenCo1964]

I like the first shot, looks cool. Oh and rather you than me!

[whitewash]

Originally Posted by KenCo1964

I like the first shot, looks cool. Oh and rather you than me!

thats where persepective really works, im not actually underneith them, im actually about 3 foot to the side of the landing area, and if they aimed for me, they'd hit a tree, so i was fairly safe (im also happy to put myself in places i syhouldnt! the more pressing concern was the fact that if a rider landed short they landed in a muddy puddle that splashed me right in the face!

[dod]

Originally Posted by whitewash

they landed in a muddy puddle that splashed me right in the face!

no consideration riders, they want the shots and sod the photog

Like the others said, the shots are basically sound, just flash needs to be practiced. I tend to go with aperture priority to be honest, maybe I need to read up more too

[whitewash]

yep, on my shopping list is working with flash and a quicker focusing wide-ish lens to help me. looking forwards to the end of the rainy season to get out shooting again!

[noah]

i often prefocus to get the shot in minimal time that way you dont have to shell out