Snowboarding and Skiing Picture Taking?

[MDJAK]

I'll be climbing halfway up Okemo Mountain this weekend to take shots of some crazy snowboarding friends going off jumps.

Last time I allowed myself and my camera to be fooled and the pictures came out way underexposed.

What is the correct exposure for a sunny day on the slopes?

Also, will fill flash be helpful if pointing at a flying nut (snowboarder) up in the air above my head?

[robertwgross]

I suppose that some sports shooters will try to aim that way with the boarder up high, but you might want to get some powerful flash on the subject. Get the subject to agree to flash in advance, because it might cause a spill, otherwise.

For skiers, I prefer to get a lateral shot across the sloping contour of the hillside. That shows the steepness better, and if you are on the sunny side of the subject, that works. You may have a background of snow, trees, or sky, take your pick. Also, the subject is moving more laterally across the frame, so autofocus issues tend to be minimal. If you have a boarder literally falling toward the camera, you better have fast autofocus and the ability to run fast.

---Bob Gross---

[MDJAK]

I appreciate that response.

Can you give me an idea where the meter should be reading and why my pictures came out so dark last time?

what should I set the meter for, spot, evaluative, etc?

How about shutter speed and f stop?

thanks
mark

[robertwgross]

Those are awfully broad questions. We could write for a week to try to cover the subject.

Have you read your camera's instruction manual?

---Bob Gross---

[ScottE]

Usually plus one stop of exposure compensation will give a reasonable result. Use your histogram dispay and adjust on test shots until the graph it to the right side of the disply. That will make the white look white. If it goes over the right side the detail in the snow will be lost.

I usually shoot RAW for ski pictures. That gives more room for correction at conversion if exposure is not dead on.

Scott

[robertwgross]

For snow skiing shots with some white snow around, I generally use EC of +0.5. If the scene is almost all white snow, then I go to +1.5.

However, if the scene is a person in mid-air with blue sky all around, then that would be different. To one sunny side would be good light. If the person is directly over you, in the sky, then there may be no sunny side, so it would not be stupid to try a serious flash blast, but it will take a bright one.

---Bob Gross---

[Volatile]

Shoot down sun to minimize glare. Consider a polarizing filter as well. Take test shots ivo your spot, adjust, then set that into the camera in M mode.

Best of luck...

[rammy]

I had exactly the same problem as you Volatile.

Not sure which camera you are using but on my 300D, AI Servo only works in sports mode, which is a bummer cause you cannot override the settings it uses, just compensate for the metering. I would follow what the others have said here and set EC to +1.5 - +2.5

The first of the images was shot using AV mode. The second I switched to Manual and dialled in my guess. Both shots had a polariser attached.

I'll post an action shot done in manual in a bit.....

[rammy]

Here is my sisters boyfriend, Dan, trying to keep stable ;-)

Notice how shooting in MANUAL means I lose focusing capabilities. I managed to capture as best I could but found myself half pressing the shutter button A LOT! Flash compensation would have helped a little as well I guess. You may want to compensate with the flash if the sun is casting a shadow across your friends body. Have a look at this one, I think it would have helped here.

Unfortunately I do not have any shot in sports mode as I didn't think the EC would work :-( Should have tried it really.

I would be much interested in your results and would love to learn how to get good action shots in bright snow, using sports mode.

[bootm]

Shooting in M or Manual Mode should not mean you lose anything concerning focussing. It just allows you to set the F-stop, shutter speed and the ISO. You will want to set your camera to AI Servo. Make sure you set it to this to capture your friends moving. This will allow you to press the shutter button down once and the camera will continue to focus on your subject. If you have your camera set to One Shot mode, you will always have blurred pictures of the movement itself.

Your shutter speed should be at least 250, depending on how fast they are moving. You will then have to adjust your ISO and F-stop accordingly.

[rammy]

You will want to set your camera to AI Servo.

Like I said, the 300D uses AI Servo in sports mode only. You cannot change the focusing system in any of the creative modes, such as Manual. I never use One Shot mode, always manual.

I need a better camera!

[bootm]

Like I said, the 300D uses AI Servo in sports mode only. You cannot change the focusing system in any of the creative modes, such as Manual. I never use One Shot mode, always manual.

I missed that.....

[robertwgross]

Not sure which camera you are using but on my 300D, AI Servo only works in sports mode, which is a bummer cause you cannot override the settings it uses, just compensate for the metering. I would follow what the others have said here and set EC to +1.5 - +2.5

On a 300D, doesn't the EC only go to +2.0 maximum?

---Bob Gross---