Whip me into shape

[Mike49]

I am a total n00b at photography, I've only had my D40 for a couple months. For my first real shooting opportunity, I had a chance to shoot a company softball game/picnic yesterday, took 210 shots and had 121 keepers to share with the participants in a PS Web Gallery.

It was an overcast day, I shot the D40 in shutter priority mode at 1/400 using the basic Nikkor 55-200/5.6

Here are five of what I thought were the best ones; two action shots and 3 portraits. The only PP adjustment I had to make was to increase the exposure a tad on each one, which I accomplished with an action I recorded.

Whup me, please!



http://thissiteismine.com/images/sample5.JPG

[DavidTO]

Hey, Mike, welcome! :wave


The Whipping Post only allows one image per user per week. This is intended to keep the critiques focused. Please remove all but one of your images. You can post them all elsewhere, you can come back in a week and post more here, but the Whipping Post is one per week. Thanks!

[Mike49]

My apologies, David. I suppose I should read the rules, eh?

[BRATCH]

You might crop the image a bit. For me I usually like to have a little more open space in front of a runner than behind. I'm not sure why, but it always makes me think there is a brick wall just off the edge of the photo and I want to give them a chance to stop. Unless there is something chasing the runner or more action that is obviously happening.

For my sports photo taste less is more. I would probably crop off the two outfielders and maybe a little off the top. It's kind of obvious that the third baseman, I'm assuming you weren't taking photos in the middle of the diamond, is waiting for a cutoff throw from left field so he can stay.

For my taste that pulls the viewer more to the runner who has good emotion on his face and is running as hard as he can.

[Mike49]

Gotcha, BRATCH. Excellent point, I'll remember that. Thank you!

[Gary Glass]

Crop. A lot. Isolate the runner. However, he's so close to the man in blue shirt that you're going to run out of space for the runner to run into. You might also crop at or below the knees.

[BRATCH]

Crop. A lot. Isolate the runner. However, he's so close to the man in blue shirt that you're going to run out of space for the runner to run into. You might also crop at or below the knees.

Gary is dead on about cropping at or above the knees. Just that little bit of cutting off his foot is distracting. Don't feel bad though because when shooting sports, especially baseball/softball, sometimes you'll try to get the hit, the defensive play and the runners all in the same 3 seconds of action.

You were lucky that this dude only lost a couple of toes,images/icons/Laughing.gif but it was enough to warrant probably cropping at the knees.

[Mike49]

Gary Glass & BRATCH -- Thanx for your input. I'm learning that there's much to consider to produce quality shots!

Thanx again for helping me to learn. :thumb