ESA Mid-Atlantic Surfing Competition

[l bo]

So they had this event this weekend, and still learning how to take good shots. These pics I thought would come out better than they did, they wern't sharp at all.

Using a Rebel 300D, with a USM 75-300mm lens at 300. These are all about 100% crop, too much noise and some don't seem well focused. (these are a few out of a couple hundered)

I wanted a quick shutter so I set the ISO to 400 (mistake #1??, only mistake???) and for what ever reason the Av value seems high as it hovered between 6.3 and 7.1. White balance was auto and shutter speeds were 1/2000-1/2500

Please critique and offer comments as to how I could have taken better pics. The lighting was difficult, sun overhead and partly overcast. For some I used a CR polorized filter, others a UV filter. I had to constantly wipe the sea spray (super fine mist) off the lens too.

Thanks for any and all feedback.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp133a.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp110a.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp033a.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp115aa.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp078a.jpg



http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp103a.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/Donny1994/ESASurfingComp053a.jpg

[l bo]

Mods please feel free to delete/edit my post as I posted THEN read the guidlines. I broke multiple rules, especially the one about posting more than 2 pics.

Sorry, new too forum as well photography :(

[PaCiFiSt]

I would say its okay. Alot of people post more than 2 just put a 56k warning in the title thread. Thats my say in it.
On the other hand some of those pictures are pretty cool. Where was this competition?

[l bo]

I meant to put a 56K warning in the thread title and the competition was in Ocean City MD.

Really bummed they didn't turn out better. Oh well, next weekend Ocean City will have about 6,000 hot rods in town. Great opportunity to test my new Tamron 28-75mm lens I just picked up :D I love this town, Ocean to the east, bay to the west offers plenty of landscape water views and the various events hosted in town can make for a photographers paradise. Happy to be learning and looking to get good once I understand the basics.

[oursds]

What area of the OC beach did they have the competition? Is this an annual event? I try to go to OC at least once a year. Maybe I'll make it next year.

[SurfKahakai]

You need a tripod badly!

Any post processing?

[Juan23]

I shot surfers with the same lens and posted ... the thread brought up some post processing ideas to help with the difficulties of shooting surfers.

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=87291

as for my own advice from my own experiences... like surf K said, tripod will help you especially at the 300mm end, but remember its not absolutely necessary. in post, try playing with the saturation a little bit to bring out the color. ... then again, the best advice i ever got was to just practice.