Skateboarding

[SurfKahakai]

Just a few that I took this weekend...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/surfkahakai/TJFeeble.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/surfkahakai/32inchollie.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/surfkahakai/bslip.jpg

[PhotosGuy]

Nice shots!

[blinking8s]

get WIDE and close...

[SurfKahakai]

I don't think wide is always the way to go. Take the ollie for example; if I would have went wider there would be a lot of distracting people in the image. But I do like to shoot wide and wish I had a better lens for it.

The backside lip on the 3rd image is as wide as I could have gone without my fisheye. But it's definitely the closest I could get since that was a best trick contest on that rail. The winner did a nollie backside noseblunt.

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

I think what he means is use a wide angle lens to get right up next to the skaters to get interesting and unique angles. Or am I mistaken?

Good shots though surf! Not so shabby.

[SurfKahakai]

Thanks for the compliments. I know they're not great but it's nice of people to give encouragement to a beginner :)

I think my only saving grace is that I skate so I know when the best time is to take the picture...that makes the picture looks 20x better than it really is.

[gmen]

Your timing is obviously excellent as you've certainly caught the action at its peak. However, the backgrounds have my eye wandering all over the image looking at what's going on... is that some kind of bird nesting box hanging off the fence in #1? What's the person in the white helmet looking at in #2? etc...

If the subject filled the frame more, it would have more impact. Shooting with a wide lens seems to be the traditional approach to a skateboarding shot - working from a low angle, close up and using the sky as your backdrop - perhaps popping a spot of fill-in flash at the same time. Obviously this is likely to be quite dangerous - but that's where your exemplary sense of timing comes in handy! I've seen some nice images where the photog is lying on the ground with a fisheye lens and the skater is flying overhead...

Otherwise it's a case of longer glass wide open - that will help to eliminate the backgrounds - however, you may then lose the sense of context - i.e. the height of the trick relative to the ground etc...

Maybe try a bit of both if you can. The timing is often the hardest thing to master - so you're well on the way to some stunning images.

Good luck --- Gavin

[blackviolet]

get down low, get close, and shoot wide as blinking8s has suggested. as gmen has suggested, close can be dangerous, but you'll develop fast 'protect the lens' reflexes as well as learn what the skaters will do. by staying in there, close to the action, the skaters will get used to you and feel more comfortable getting close to you (this is wildlife shooting, afterall ;) ). as gmen has stated, your timing is excellent, and it's obvious you know what aspects of the trick look good.

the first shot below is taken with a 15mm fisheye. it was *very* close. if you are farther than a few feet away, the perspective in a fisheye makes things really small and far away ("objects in mirror are closer than they appear"). but this can be used to create a different feeling - space, atmosphere, etc. like in the second image below. you don't have to fill the screen with the subject - in fact doing so often takes away from the trick performed.

try taking some shots again. for example, in the first shot - try laying down at the bottom of the ramp. on the last ollie shot, even without a fish, you could still go wide. setup in front shooting portrait while laying down or kneeling. try using a use a wide apeture so the spectators are a little OOF and the trees, etc will be nicely bokeh'd - maybe even tilt the camera. just a few thoughts, but ultimately you're the one taking the photos. try experimenting, break normal photography rules, and have fun. as long as you're happy with the shots(and the skaters are, too), then that's all that's important.

keep up the good work!

http://cakonos.image.pbase.com/image/40224406.jpg http://cakonos.image.pbase.com/image/38778048.jpg

edit: oh yeah, by the way - i wear knee pads when i'm shooting. it allows me to drop to my knees quickly, and it doesn't hurt when boards hit your knees - which happens a lot the way i shoot.

[blackviolet]

sorry for hijacking your thread :o
i've posted the other two before, but i love this one... timing is so important when trying to nollie 360 a gap!
hardly any spectators were hurt during the re-entry...

http://cakeru.image.pbase.com/image/38778044.jpg

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

Hahahaha that last one is hilarious blackviolet! Looks like he's some sort of alien using his mind powers to force himself up into the air. :-)