Downhill

[JBFIV]

New to photography and I'd like your thoughts about this photo please. It's a shot of a rider in the Race Across America last summer. Panning as the rider is flying downhill.

[rideuntildeath]

looks over exposed; wheels cut off
but what do i know im still under 10 posts

[CombatCamera13]

hmmm.....I will agree with the above statement.

[bps]

I agree -- it's slightly overexposed and the entire bike (the main subject) needs to be in the frame. Otherwise, you did a great job panning! Panning is not the easiest thing to do well, but it looks like you did a pretty good job in this area.

Bryan

[Big Hands]

Panning with low shutter speeds is low-yield photography for me, but I love to do it because when you get a good one, it can be really good.

This one looks a bit out of focus or maybe blurred a bit, but I think you picked a good spot to try it. The rider is sunlit and the background is clean but has some 'character'. I agree about preferring not to cut off the bottom of the wheels to get the best composition, but I don't know your reasons for composing it this way or what other choices you had available. perhaps if a slower shutter speed had been used and there was a LOT more blurring going on, the rider could be a bit blurred and it wouldn't matter so much.

Myself, somtimes I just want (need) to get the effect of speed by getting some spoke blur, but I really like to use a super slow shutter speed. As long as I can get the face in focus (especially the eyes), I want as much chaos (due to the effects of panning, not unattractive BG clutter) in the rest of the composition as I can get. I guess everybody has their own idea of what they want from a photo.

Keep 'em coming. I like to see cycling panning shots!

Regards,
Jeff

[onesickpuppy]

While it appears to be slightly overexposed....you can bring it down in levels.

Better to be slightly over than under...as attempting to fix under creates 'noise"

True....never want not include the whole vehical, but you did state your new to
taking photography. For being new to it...I think your off to a good start.

Would have been better to focus on the face...not the leg also.

As stated, panning isn't the easyest...so stay with it!!

And post some more!!

[Biffbradford]

I agree with the above, but I like it. The colors, especially the little red parts of the rims, his facial expression, the low angle point of view. Maybe some creative cropping and work in photoshop (or whatever) would make this a real winner.

[JBFIV]

Thank you all for the great suggestions and encouragment. This shot was one of over 1800 I took during a trip across the U.S. following the race. I used a brand new, 450D on full auto with a borrowed Promaster 70-300. These were my first shots with the camera since moving up from my point and shoot, and I was lucky enough to have some published in a cycling organization magazine and on the Race Across America website.

I achieved the photo angle by standing low in the side ditch as the rider passed. The crop of the wheels was not intentional, just poorly aimed. I was real happy with the expression of speed with the blurred backdrop.

BTW, I haven't experimented with any of the manual settings yet and I don't have any photo editing software other than what came with the camera. Any suggestions for software that's affordable?

Thanks again,
John

[JBFIV]

Here's another one that I thought turned out fairly good. I've played around cropping it in several ways, but this is the full version. The background doesn't even look real.