Thunder Valley MX National 2011

Just posted a couple of MX pics from the race today. Been a long time since I shot MX, had a good time, but it was hot...

nice shots, all of them are great.

Thanks Rick. I have a question though for anyone who could answer. I shoot with a 7D, and the lens I was using was a Canon 70-200 2.8 IS. When shooting outdoor action like this or horses or something, should I open the aperture wider for less depth of field? For example would the photos above have been better with the lens at f 2.8, instead of the f 10 they were shot with? For example photo #1 above if that had been shot with a wider aperture would the trucks in the background be even less recognizable? I try never to shoot at 2.8 as I feel the lens is not at its sharpest wide open, but in pictures where there is a less than perfect backdrop, maybe that would have been preferrable. A long winded way of asking, but just wondering if I should have went that route.

the trucks in the background would be blurred alot more, I shoot at F3.2 and get pretty good results, F2.8 tends to be to shallow for me at the moment. Lower the ISO all the way down and hopefully drag the shutter slightly.

Great shots! I was there as well! I will post up some photos shortly

Hey Motofan, thanks for the feedback. I will try the lower f stop next time. Oh well live and learn. Had a great time, and I am happy with the results overall.

Thanks Again

Set your camera on shutter priority and start at 500 and let the camera set your aperature until you get the hang of things, and you do know image stabilization does not function on moving objects Some guys think it does LOL

A slower shutter and a bit of panning would make a big difference in the impact of the background as well.

Chris, these are great !!

kelly andersen wrote in post #12685506
Set your camera on shutter priority and start at 500 and let the camera set your aperature until you get the hang of things, and you do know image stabilization does not function on moving objects Some guys think it does LOL

I must be an idiot then. In actuality, at least this is what I have been told by several of the best, and it works for me. Using IS (on a 200mm) Mode 1 is for low light non-moving objects, but on Mode 2, it is extremely useful when panning at slower shutter speeds. It helps to lock on the moving object, or I am one of the guys that just thinks that. Just my 2 cents..

kelly andersen wrote in post #12685506
Set your camera on shutter priority and start at 500 and let the camera set your aperature until you get the hang of things, and you do know image stabilization does not function on moving objects Some guys think it does LOL

Maybe I am not a total idiot. Don't always listen to everything you hear Chris. Sometimes people just aren't current with new technology. This was taken straight from Canon.

My IS was ON for this shot..

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png'

Wow! love that shot of Reedy. I also knew about mode 2 of the IS, but just didn't reply. I have used the mode 2 setting while panning, and it works well, although I did not use it this day.

Just want to say thanks again for all the comments, It is extremely helpful, and I have some ideas now for next time.

rick_reno wrote in post #12659472
nice shots, all of them are great.

I agree with this statement 100% Very nice indeed

the 1st shot by "chrisg19" is awesome and I also love the shot by "BrownDogWilson"... Thumbs Up...