Another crack at weightlifting

Last fall was my first attempt at photographing some weightlifting, didn't do so well with the crappy lighting and slow lens (100-400). This past weekend I had another opportunity, in a better venue and I used the 70-200/2.8 this time. My main challenge was finding a good vantage point where I wasn't in the way of others, and there weren't obstructions or distracting things in my way.

Also since weightlifting is basically the same thing over and over (just the two lifts), and each lift is over with in a matter of seconds, it's a challenge to get interesting shots that really communicate the sport. And some lifters have more aesthetically pleasing lifts (they hit their positions really well) than others. So my approach was to limit my shots to certain points in the lift, and I also learned to be ready for whatever spontaneous celebration may happen after the last attempt of a lift, in case it was a personal record or something special.

Any comments and critiques are welcome! I have my own thoughts about what could be improved, but I don't want to bias anyone towards those things ...

Here's a master lifter who set a couple of state records in the meet for her age and weight class. I believe she's snatching 56kg here.

I've shot weight lifting a couple of times and the rooms were too small and too cluttered for me to get anything I liked. It's a real challenge if not in an auditorium or arena. I would say crop tight and shoot wide open to eliminate background.

Yes, this was a small venue, actually I had a hard time keeping everything in the frame even at 70mm. I was shooting wide open the entire time (EXIF is on the photos), but the stuff in the background isn't far enough away to really blur out. Definitely a challenge! I wasn't sure if I should have cropped tighter on some of the shots, because in that case I would get part of someone in the background, like an arm or a leg, and I thought maybe it would be better to get the whole person. If I had moved over to the left to get a more straight on view, where you couldn't see the coach or next lifter on the bench, then I would have had people's heads in my way! Frustrating but it is what it is.

On the bright side though, I know several of the lifters and they were all very appreciative of having some decent photos, because a point and shoot really can't capture this type of action very well. So even though I wasn't lifting with my team in this meet, I felt good being able to contribute in a small way.

Nice shots in a challenging venue (more than likely).

In the ones posted here, looks like you got multiple points of interest. Like the expressions especially.

Maybe just rotate to fix verticals? 5 looks vertical or close. The others seem like they are leaning to the right.

I love the moments you captured. They are outstanding.

Backgrounds and access can be tough for these events. I only wish the organizers of the event would have created a background appropriate to still photography.

Great set Liz! Not a sign of strain or effort in #2 and #3, wow! (Not mid-lift i know, but still...)

Don't know if it was possible but I would have liked to see shots from a lower angle.

OMG 94 kilos C+J and just a cute smile

Athlete's joy well captured!

Liz
i shoot point karate tourneys and can comiserate w/ you re: backgrounds and crowds. as mentioned before, the horizons are the only (little) nit pick. wonderful captures of a sport few of us see, even at the Olympics.
thanks for sharing
B