Track is hard. (longish post)

DavidTO · April 22, 2006

Hard to run, hard to shoot.

C&C always welcome.

It was only a half day, since my daughter pulled a muscle.

Here she is jumping before it got pulled:

[EDIT: click on pics for EXIF]

These kids really gave their best.

And it took a lot of concentration

The hand-off

But sometimes it didn't look so good...

I kept losing the feet when I didn't have to...

And backgrounds were a major challenge

But I worked around it...

P.S. This is my first sports post! I need a longer lens, but then the challenges just increase, no?

Skippy · April 23, 2006

Ohhhhhh You Did Good David

DavidTO wrote:

Hard to run, hard to shoot.

C&C always welcome.

It was only a half day, since my daughter pulled a muscle.

Here she is jumping before it got pulled:
These kids really gave their best.
And it took a lot of concentration
The hand-off
But sometimes it didn't look so good...
I kept losing the feet when I didn't have to...
And backgrounds were a major challenge
But I worked around it...
P.S. This is my first sports post! I need a longer lens, but then the challenges just increase, no?

Wow you did pretty darn good there mate

Captured some great expressions on the kids faces, and of your daughters jump as well.

Overall you got some good stuff David good for you

Second Last Picture...Child in the Middle...Look At That Face I Love it

You can almost hear what he might be thinking

Skippy (Australia)

juliejules · April 23, 2006

I'll shooting my first Middle School track meet tomorrow, although it might rain. Your shots look good. I can see what you mean about backgrounds. What lens were you using?

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

juliejules wrote:

I'll shooting my first Middle School track meet tomorrow, although it might rain. Your shots look good. I can see what you mean about backgrounds. What lens were you using?

I used my 70-200 f4L. Love that lens, although sometimes I was wishing I had more reach. Most shots, and I think all the ones posted here were f4. The shutterspeeds were generally over 1600. Maybe I'll go back and post EXIFs.

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

I went back and edited, now you can click on the pics for EXIF.

And I wanted to add this shot:

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

Thanks for commenting, Skippy! It was really fun. My daughter did track a few years ago, but back then all I had was my Oly 3030, and shooting wasn't that much fun. Track meets are all-day events, and my daughter would rather spend time with her friends...so now I've got a great way to keep busy and have fun!

wxwax · April 23, 2006

Excellent stuff for a first time, David!

My favs are:

For isolation of subject in key moment of action (though the processing looks very contrasty to me.)

65752865-Th.jpg%5D

For depth of field use (but I'd crop the heck out of this, lots of empty space.)

For storytelling (and I'd give this one a nice crop, too.)

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

wxwax wrote:

Excellent stuff for a first time, David!
...((snip))...

(though the processing looks very contrasty to me.)

Thanks for the comments!

Funny, my RAW output looked a little flat to me, so I upped the contrast with an S curve. I still kind of like it like that. But maybe I went too far.

That first shot of my daughter high jumping was cropped, so it makes sense that you would groove on the isolation. You're right about the others, my 200mm lens needs help!

Nikolai · April 23, 2006

David,
I like it! Great work! Stunningly sharp action!

I quess the same weather that gave me a lot of fog in the mountains provided you at with a high quality portait soft light.

I'm kinda envy: for some reason none of my kids is involved in any daytime outdoor activities (except for my youngest lately getting her feet wet in the airsoft, but then other issues come - like how to spot a camo-ed person who's trying to stay under cover - AND do not give up his position at the same time). so all I have to shoot is a nocturnal or indoor event, where the lighting is abismal..

Oh well, maybe next time I'll join you.

Cheers!

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

Nikolai wrote:

I like it! Great work! Stunningly sharp action!

I quess the same weather that gave me a lot of fog in the mountains provided you at with a high quality portait soft light.

I'm kinda envy: for some reason none of my kids is involved in any daytime outdoor activities (except for my youngest lately getting her feet wet in the airsoft, but then other issues come - like how to spot a camo-ed person who's trying to stay under cover - AND do not give up his position at the same time). so all I have to shoot is a nocturnal or indoor event, where the lighting is abismal.. Oh well, maybe next time I'll join you.

Cheers!

It's coming up this saturday!

Nikolai · April 23, 2006

Cool!

DavidTO wrote:

It's coming up this saturday!

Let's get in touch Friday night..

photocat · April 23, 2006

I love the shots of the faces David... The faces tell their story. Interesting to look at. I am normally not a big fan of sport pics but those really kept me looking! Well done I would say...

davev · April 23, 2006

You did good. I like the DOF on the last shot. The leader looks like
she a mile ahead of the others. Good job.

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

davev wrote:

You did good. I like the DOF on the last shot. The leader looks like
she a mile ahead of the others. Good job.

She was. It was the 4x100 relay, and that one team had the speed and the hand-offs down.

Thanks for looking and taking the time to comment. I'm really looking forward to going back and shooting more. I may even start shooting sports that I've not got a child in...just show up and start shooting!

Nikolai · April 23, 2006

That might be a problem...

DavidTO wrote:

I'm really looking forward to going back and shooting more. I may even start shooting sports that I've not got a child in...just show up and start shooting!

Why do you think I'm asking your permission to join you there... People are totally suspicious about guys with large lenses nowadays, especially with the kids around :cry

Last summer my youngest was trying for volleyball, and, man, lemme tell ya: there was not a single outing that I was not approached by one or more person and asked if my kid was in there..
High school events are usually a bit better, but still, if you wanna get on the field (shooting from bleachers is ok, but 70-200 may not be enough, especially at night) you simply must have some "connections" - or be a con-artist..

Of course YMMV, but just mark my words: "show up and start shooting" approach may not always work well these days, and may get you in trouble.. One time I had to format my memory card only to get some angry parents off my back..

My 0.000002 of the f/stop

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

Not a single question. Sure, some of the other parents knew me, but there were over 200 kids competing that day. Plenty of strangers to me there.

Nikolai wrote:

Why do you think I'm asking your permission to join you there... People are totally suspicious about guys with large lenses nowadays, especially with the kids around :cry

USAIR · April 23, 2006

They all look excellent to me
Shot with AI servo ? I havent used that yet
Just wondering how that worked

Thanks
Fred

Andy · April 23, 2006

wxwax wrote:

Excellent stuff for a first time, David!

My favs are:

For isolation of subject in key moment of action (though the processing looks very contrasty to me.)

Methinks you might need an eye or monitor adjustment - looks super, too me!

David - well done

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

USAIR wrote:

They all look excellent to me
Shot with AI servo ? I havent used that yet
Just wondering how that worked

Thanks
Fred

Some were. The high jump was prefocused. The hurdles usually were prefocused as well.

The AI Servo worked OK. I imagine that on a better camera it'd work better. I had some fantastic shots...that were hopelessly OOF. If you're careful and work with it, it's pretty good. But track moves quickly, and all of a sudden you might realize the drama is over there, swing the camera, and lose it because the focus isn't fast enough.

DavidTO · April 23, 2006

Andy wrote:

Methinks you might need an eye or monitor adjustment - looks super, too me!

David - well done

Thanks, Andy.

Hey, Sid....that Huey's gotten great reviews!

wxwax · April 23, 2006

Andy wrote:

Methinks you might need an eye or monitor adjustment - looks super, to me!

Cheap shot! :fu

mereimage · April 24, 2006

I think you did a great job
Excellent action and expressive faces does show how hard these kids were competing......Mereimage

Track is hard. (longish post)

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