Skating in SF

[GeneS]

Let me know what you think if this. I think it came out really good. Any Suggestions.

[big_apple_ken]

Just my personal opinion:

1) It should be framed tighter. Really no need to see a lot of that stuff in the background. Just makes it a distraction.

2) I think this shot would look better if it was shot at the same level or below the skater.

3) Lighting...I don't like the fact that the background ambient light is so dark but then again this might be fixed if it was framed tighter. Lighting on the subject looks a tad too strong for my tastes but it's personal preference.

Overall still a pretty decent photo.

[jbergdoll]

lighting is really flat, the background is way too busy to have such strong ambient light and the flash is way too powerful. Had you underexposed one or two stops it would've been perfect. Comp should be tighter.

[loscocco]

the flash makes the pic look almost unnatural. That area has some great lighting both in the day and at night. I go there quite often to shoot.
:)

[manutd101]

Tighter, for sure.

[Skalin]

See, normally with any other sport, a tight crop would be the first response for myself as well. But with rollerblading and skateboarding and bmx there's more of an artistic aspect to the photo than just getting the action. This is why a lot of photos in skateboarding mags are very loose comps and a lot of photos now in rollerblading mags are following the same trend. Wider comp to show the whole environment rather than just the trick being done by the skater.

Personally, I agree with the lighting and the busyness of the background being an issue. I think you could have just left the main light flash in the bag at this point and just used a rim light an a wider aperture to throw off the background and put more focus on the ledge and the rollerblader.

Compwise I think this would have worked better as a landscape photo rather than portrait style photo, at this angle and distance, again this is all my personal opinion.

It feels the way the composition is set up that a lot of possibly interesting stuff could be missing from the photo.

I actually miss seeing in some of the photos in old DB mags of people skating stuff on the side walk and actually getting some of the people walking along street and side walk in the composition as well because you either get one of two things; a candid of the people on the street and it gives a sense of the environment being skated, or they are actually watching the rollerblader or making contact with the camera which is just as effective.

Again, I'm gonna go against everyone else saying to tighten the crop and instead say open up the composition and show more of the surrounding environment. But be careful that your backgrounds are not so busy as to distract from the rollerblader and the trick.

Instead of looking for an angle to get the trick, first look for something interesting around you in the environment and make that a key subject in the photo, then incorporate the rollerblader and trick into the photo.

Again, it's all up to you, if you think it's a good photo then it's all your opinion. But I'm gonna recite what I just read recently, "If you have to question yourself if a photo is interesting or "good" then it probably isn't."

Keep it up, you're have a good start.

[GeneS]

thanks for all the suggestions. whenever i shoot in the city i try to give it that city feel. thats why the background is soo busy and i think it adds something to the photo. as the flash is kinda overkill but i hate seeing photos that are blurry so i use flashes even under harsh sunlight to stop movement. thanks though guys

[KirkHMB]

Taking into consideration the "pro-busy" theme mentioned above, a big improvement might have been to separate the guy from the tree and/or the Jetta, with a later exposure, or moving to the right or left. And the lighting bothers me.

[big_apple_ken]

I guess when I meant tighter crop I was really thinking he should shoot with a wide angle/fisheye and get super close the subject to shoot. Personally I think it should look better if the skater filled the frame a little more.

[manutd101]

I guess when I meant tighter crop I was really thinking he should shoot with a wide angle/fisheye and get super close the subject to shoot. Personally I think it should look better if the skater filled the frame a little more.
Exactly what I was thinking. You can shot the background and get a larger subject, so that they don't blend into surrounding clutter.

[Skalin]

I guess when I meant tighter crop I was really thinking he should shoot with a wide angle/fisheye and get super close the subject to shoot. Personally I think it should look better if the skater filled the frame a little more.

In this shot, perhaps. But that's because we don't know exactly whats going on all around him in the environment. Hah, not saying you're wrong in any sense. There are some shots which look just that much better with a wide open crop which results from using a long telephoto or standard lens. It's really all up to the person behind the camera when it all is said and done.

Here are some examples of rollerblading shots which are shot with a long or standard 50mm lens, rather than ultra wide angle or fisheye, and have a great result.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesdriver/2257087661/in/set-72157601434961310/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesdriver/2094258483/in/set-72157601434961310/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinpaz/2528151423/in/set-72157594232281218/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesdriver/2257891550/in/set-72157601434961310/

[jbergdoll]

I guess when I meant tighter crop I was really thinking he should shoot with a wide angle/fisheye and get super close the subject to shoot. Personally I think it should look better if the skater filled the frame a little more.
I like how he shot it long lens, personally I'd shoot it straight on so you can see people up and down the sidewalk and you won't be faced with as much of a busy background. If you're going to use flashes be sure to underexpose the ambient. By doing that, though, you're going to have to light the spot as well. Honestly there was no need for the vertical shot, all it did was add dead space. I would've shot long lens horizontal and use the subject to fill the frame more.

[big_apple_ken]

In this shot, perhaps. But that's because we don't know exactly whats going on all around him in the environment. Hah, not saying you're wrong in any sense. There are some shots which look just that much better with a wide open crop which results from using a long telephoto or standard lens. It's really all up to the person behind the camera when it all is said and done.

Here are some examples of rollerblading shots which are shot with a long or standard 50mm lens, rather than ultra wide angle or fisheye, and have a great result.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesdriver/2257087661/in/set-72157601434961310/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesdriver/2094258483/in/set-72157601434961310/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinpaz/2528151423/in/set-72157594232281218/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesdriver/2257891550/in/set-72157601434961310/

These shots are great but I don't think they are a good comparison against GeneS' photo. The shots you posted look great at 50mm I think mainly because the background is uncluttered and unique looking. In GeneS' photo it seems like there is a lot going in the background. So outside of panning or shooting with a shallow DOF I would probably choose to crop it tighter so we can eliminate that busy background. Regardless of lens (UWA/fisheye/tele) I think the tighter crop will improve this particular shot.

[manutd101]

These shots are great but I don't think they are a good comparison against GeneS' photo. The shots you posted look great at 50mm I think mainly because the background is uncluttered and unique looking. In GeneS' photo it seems like there is a lot going in the background. So outside of panning or shooting with a shallow DOF I would probably choose to crop it tighter so we can eliminate that busy background. Regardless of lens (UWA/fisheye/tele) I think the tighter crop will improve this particular shot.
I have to agree here too. These shots are as much great choice of background (compositionally in terms of patterns, lighting, etc) as they are skate shots. This requires a great amount of planning to execute right, something I'm just not seeing in GeneS' photo here.

[lennyp06]

I think it is a great shot action-wise, but think technically could use the work of what every body above has offered. If i were in this situation i would have stationed my self head on and used one of my longer lenses on the longer side.

Play around in situations like these, I look at it like a batting average, you have to strike out, ALOT, in order to hit a home run. Unless of course your name is Detwiler and play for Fresno State.

[jbergdoll]

Play around in situations like these, I look at it like a batting average, you have to strike out, ALOT, in order to hit a home run.

Very, very, very... VERY, very true.