First ever skate shoot.

[barosborough]

Meet up at the Department of Skateboarding in Portland Oregon tonight. It was a PDX strobist meet and thought I'd see what people thought.

1.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3272/2611998817_cd53edc627_b.jpg

2.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2612828104_6f5dd69769_b.jpg

3.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/2611991853_292ab2a730_b.jpg

4
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/2611994755_03f01b597a_b.jpg

5.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2612824598_a4ee09007e_b.jpg

[vvilko]

i love number 3, its like its almost comic stip style, try wacking it into photoshop and scruff it up abit to make it seem abit more underground.

i think it was a nice successful shoot.

[manutd101]

Number 3 is sick, as for the others I'd say they're too tight, try to go wider.

[big_apple_ken]

Agreed. #3 is the best out of the lot. #1 & 2 suffer from poor lighting. Shadows are distracting. Cropped too tight and also the whole sticking the tongue out I don't see it as a positive. #4 has the same problems. #5 is actually a pretty nice photo. Only thing is the photo doesn't really tell much of a story.

[barosborough]

i love number 3, its like its almost comic stip style, try wacking it into photoshop and scruff it up abit to make it seem abit more underground.

i think it was a nice successful shoot.

Thanks, I see where you are going with that and will see if I can make it work.

Number 3 is sick, as for the others I'd say they're too tight, try to go wider.

I guess that's my inexperience in skate photography. I have cropped most of these down in post. I guess I was trying to focus to much on the person rather then the subject "skating". I'll post some wider later.

Agreed. #3 is the best out of the lot. #1 & 2 suffer from poor lighting. Shadows are distracting. Cropped too tight and also the whole sticking the tongue out I don't see it as a positive. #4 has the same problems. #5 is actually a pretty nice photo. Only thing is the photo doesn't really tell much of a story.

Thanks for the C&C and agree. The tongue was not a "show" or a request. It's just the way the kid skates. I don't have one image with it not out....

[jbergdoll]

Not bad at all, I like the little portraits too. One thing that you should focus on is trying to include the entire obstacle--landing and all-- in the photo. This is one of the biggest rules in the skate aspect of photography. Reason being--if it's a trick in the sky photo, we can't tell what he's doing the trick off of!

[chadlabelle]

every single one of those shots need to be wider
when you shoot skateboarding you have to show what hes coming off of and where
he is landing.

[paiintballa182]

every single one of those shots need to be wider
when you shoot skateboarding you have to show what hes coming off of and where
he is landing.

says who? There is no photographic law.

[manutd101]

says who? There is no photographic law.
While there is no law per se, 95% of skateboarding shots look massively better shot wide rather than tight. Look up some of the magazines and you'll see.

[paiintballa182]

yeah i know what he meant, but its somewhat refreshing to see some not so generic shots sometimes

[HauntFreaks]

I'm on the fence with this to tight silliness... somewhere some how these "kids" have came up with these crazy "rules" on how to shoot skateboarding... is #1 to tight ...uumm.... not really would a hair looser be better?.. maybe.... #2 yeah I agree a bit to tight .... #3 nope I feel it works fine this tight.... #4 yeah if you seen the coping it would be better.... now all that being said.... this whole needing to see the leed up, and ending has to be some street skating thing... I been involved with skating for over 30 year including being part of 2 skatepark builds and countless ramps.... I have seen almost every skate mag.... and only now in my life (43yrs old) do these "rules" for skateboard photography start... I've see many great skate photogs work and have never seen that every single time do these rules have to apply.... where did they come from?.. who is this person that implemented them?... and why??... I have an answer for this but I will stop before I get in a pissing match with the people that might take offense to my answers... but I would LOVE to hear what other peoples answers are tho... rant over....lol

[jbergdoll]

#1 is really sick. So is #3

[barosborough]

Not bad at all, I like the little portraits too. One thing that you should focus on is trying to include the entire obstacle--landing and all-- in the photo. This is one of the biggest rules in the skate aspect of photography. Reason being--if it's a trick in the sky photo, we can't tell what he's doing the trick off of!

Thanks a lot. I totally understand what you me and it makes perfect sense. I took a look at your images and know you know what your talking about! Nice work...

For the record I know nothing about skateboarding but totally respect it. I feel Skate/Snowboarding photography are the most interesting of all sports. Some of the photographers who cover theses sports are amazing.

Here is a better example of #4. I guess when I cropped them I was thinking more like a portrait photographer then a sports photographer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2611996745_e92b75e486_b.jpg

[jbergdoll]

Thanks a lot. I totally understand what you me and it makes perfect sense. I took a look at your images and know you know what your talking about! Nice work...

For the record I know nothing about skateboarding but totally respect it. I feel Skate/Snowboarding photography are the most interesting of all sports. Some of the photographers who cover theses sports are amazing.

Here is a better example of #4. I guess when I cropped them I was thinking more like a portrait photographer then a sports photographer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2611996745_e92b75e486_b.jpg
perfect timing!

[namasste]

much better with the looser crop. I think the only skate photo law broken on this one is that you didn't use a fisheye, I mean, c'mon!!!!:lol::lol: Seriously, this is a great shot. If you could kill the shadowing with a second or even third light, I'd say damn near perfect.

[kenyc]

Wonder if anyone's ever bitten their tongue off skateboarding?

:)

Great shots.

[Justin_Thyme]

I'm on the fence with this to tight silliness... somewhere some how these "kids" have came up with these crazy "rules" on how to shoot skateboarding... is #1 to tight ...uumm.... not really would a hair looser be better?.. maybe.... #2 yeah I agree a bit to tight .... #3 nope I feel it works fine this tight.... #4 yeah if you seen the coping it would be better.... now all that being said.... this whole needing to see the leed up, and ending has to be some street skating thing... I been involved with skating for over 30 year including being part of 2 skatepark builds and countless ramps.... I have seen almost every skate mag.... and only now in my life (43yrs old) do these "rules" for skateboard photography start... I've see many great skate photogs work and have never seen that every single time do these rules have to apply.... where did they come from?.. who is this person that implemented them?... and why??... I have an answer for this but I will stop before I get in a pissing match with the people that might take offense to my answers... but I would LOVE to hear what other peoples answers are tho... rant over....lol
Im with you on that. I am 46 and have seen a lot in my lifetime from many aspects of photogs. Last time I checked it was about seeing the moment and capturing it as an art, not a science that says you have to do it this way. If that were so it would get pretty boring as all shots would be the same with no individual expression associated. ;)

[letsmakeart]

imo the flash is way too direct and obvious on these, I'd try putting up power, raising your ISO if you have to, and shooting bounced light off the ceilings and walls. Your shadows are looking way too harsh.