Clay Shooting!

[Scraff]

Just got into the sport of clay shooting a few weeks ago and I figured I would take my camera and try to get a few shots. I think a few came out pretty good...I like the ones where you can see the shells ejecting and the clay exploding in the background. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks...Scott

http://scraff.smugmug.com/photos/270835410_feT5Q-L.jpg

http://scraff.smugmug.com/photos/270834410_TBFQJ-L.jpg

http://scraff.smugmug.com/photos/270833616_eDHPu-L.jpg

http://scraff.smugmug.com/photos/270836241_GQBgu-L.jpg

http://scraff.smugmug.com/photos/270836418_GsuUa-L.jpg

[HarveyMushman]

The sports shooters will be along shortly to explain how visible faces are essential. :wink

Why are they shooting into the trees? :scratch

[Scraff]

The sports shooters will be along shortly to explain how visible faces are essential. :wink

Why are they shooting into the trees? :scratch

We were shooting sporting clays here....the place we go has 19 stations setup in the woods to shoot from. It really makes it challenging trying to time the clay when it is flying in the trees.

[johng]

i can appreciate the sport and the challenge of shooting in the trees.
But faces or no, it doesn't seem to make for interesting photography - outside of maybe a close up of the clay exploding. But from a viewing standpoint there isn't much interesting going on here.:dunno

[Dbl]

The problem is you are trying to include both the clay and the shooter. You are directly behind the shooter so you see no face, no gun with the shell cycling or ejecting and the clay bird is so small you have to squint to find it.

Seperate the action out. Get up next to the rail with the shooter and get shots more from the side, or wait until a bird is thrown right so the shooter swings more in your direction (for a right handed shooter). You will see the whole gun with shell ejecting and a profile of the face. This adds some interest, you can tell who the shooter is and what type of gun he is shooting as well as the shell ejecting and even the next shell chambering.

Then concentrate on getting the clay busted in air, and better yet a smoke shot if you can. You will need a fairly high shutter speed to freeze everything, at least 1/1000s to get clear results. Here are two examples from this winter that show the action seperated out. It makes it a bit more interesting IMHO. Keep in mind these types of shots will most likely only be interesting to the shooters.


http://fliersguy.smugmug.com/photos/236297105_agL75-L-1.jpg



http://fliersguy.smugmug.com/photos/236297124_YH3x5-L-1.jpg