Cycling Criterium

Haven't been doing much of late but got the chance to do some more cycling recently.
appreciate any C&C.
Thanks

Okay, I'm game.

Interesting composition, although a little cramped on the left.

Not much going on, action wise. Extra points earned if the leader was getting out of the saddle to accelerate out of the turn, or if they were leaning more.

I'll give it a 7/10.

Thanks for the feedback ! Ill take the 7/10 ! Would a tighter crop around the lead group improve the composition ? My original thought was was to keep the last rider there to illustrate that he was being dropped.
Regards,

Hmmm ... maybe. Play around with it. I've done similar shots and it is what it is. Not every shot is going to be a 10.

Here's me working a corner last spring.

Similar to yours: http://peloton-pix.smugmug.com …xcTQmb/0/L/_EKM​1632-L.jpg

Then I walked down a bit from the corner and I think it turned out better: http://peloton-pix.smugmug.com …C8prnf/0/L/_EKM​1611-L.jpg

Mine is a little different since I tend to shoot from the inside of turns, but then you've got a better chance of catching crashes if you shoot from your perspective.

FWIW.

Looks a little overexposed to me.

Yes, cycling is here!...well almost, a couple more weeks before some early season crits start over here.

Shanky, I think the image looks a little dull and grainy. I shot with a 40D a long time ago and while I cant really remember, it surely cant be that noisy at ISO 200? I'd try bumping the contrast up and either saturation and/or vibrance a bit to help give it a little punch.

I'd experiment with positioning on the course and see if there may be a better spot to work to catch better action/emotion. As Biff demonstrated, sometimes small adjustments here or there can make a huge difference. You can also try shooting at 200mm and at f/2.8. That will help isolate the key rider while making that uninteresting background blend away a little better.

Keep at it. The season is long and its just getting started. Plenty of time to hone your skills and find your spots on the course.

IMO, I like the idea of cropping the last rider out.

Thanks, appreciate the critique, I do enjoy the crits. Will keep at it though,
Cheers

Thanks for the advice lads , I took that on board an have applied your suggestions. Will work on positioning also.
keep well

I like the crop. It seems more balanced and has more impact.

On my monitor, the second rider appears more in focus than the first, which I find distracting. Definitely the second crop, though.