More showjumping.....

Some more showjumping for you..... this was this weekend, i'm a lot happier with the results this time as the lighting was a whole heap better than the last location.

All shot with an 85mm f/1.8.

HTTP response: 503 | MIME changed to 'text/html'

HTTP response: 503 | MIME changed to 'text/html'

HTTP response: 503 | MIME changed to 'text/html'

HTTP response: 503 | MIME changed to 'text/html'

HTTP response: 503 | MIME changed to 'text/html'

HTTP response: 503 | MIME changed to 'text/html'

What focus mode was the camera in, AI Servo or single shot? Also, which focus points were you using? AI Servo is best for these type shots where the subject is moving around and changing positions. Also, if you had the camera auto-selecting the focus point, it should have selected the background instead of the horse (looks like that happened on the last one). I would try using the center focus point and AI Servo and see if the shots improve. Just remember to keep the center focus point on what you want the camera to focus on...
Reed

I had the 350d and found the af very poor for indoor shoots I now use the 30d and its very much better I shoot a lot of equine in poor light so I use flash ( never yet had a horse stop ) and noise ware have a look on my site at the Lucinda Green MBE page they were taken on friday and have been put through noiseware the lighting was so bad that even at 2.8 & iso1600 I struggled. If you allowed image editing then I would show you what your pic's could look like

Martin.

Martin

Reed Goodwin wrote in post #2615050
What focus mode was the camera in, AI Servo or single shot? Also, which focus points were you using? AI Servo is best for these type shots where the subject is moving around and changing positions. Also, if you had the camera auto-selecting the focus point, it should have selected the background instead of the horse (looks like that happened on the last one). I would try using the center focus point and AI Servo and see if the shots improve. Just remember to keep the center focus point on what you want the camera to focus on...
Reed

Thanks for looking Reed, I was using AI servo and using the center point but still got 2 or 3 shots like the out of focus one i posted. I've only used AI servo a few times now and so i'm still trying to perfect the technique, i usually pre-focus on the jump and press the shutter as they make the jump..... i had a lot more keepers that way than i have had using AIservo so far, but.... when i get it right with Aiservo the resulting picture has been alot more impressive and more appealing to my taste..........

wilky95 wrote in post #2615050
I had the 350d and found the af very poor for indoor shoots I now use the 30d and its very much better I shoot a lot of equine in poor light so I use flash ( never yet had a horse stop ) and noise ware have a look on my site at the Lucinda Green MBE page they were taken on friday and have been put through noiseware the lighting was so bad that even at 2.8 & iso1600 I struggled. If you allowed image editing then I would show you what your pic's could look like

Martin.

Hi Martin, i've looked through your website before [very nice by the way] when you commented on some other pictures i posted about 3weeks or so ago.......

So you feel it could just be the 350d not being quite up to the job? Thats good to know! I am actually planning on upgrading this summer anyway to a 30d and also possibly a 1d mkIIn by the end of the year.

At the moment i'd prefer not to use a flash as i'm not actively selling my pictures, i plan on starting to sell them this summer when I HOPE i will have more confidence in my results..... at the moment i'm only taking about 50 pictures at an event during the classes that my girlfriend jumps in and if i were to use the flash i think people would be a bit uppity about it - not being the event photographer and all..........

Martin or anyone else that has the urge to, feel free to edit my pics! i didn't realise that the edit picture option was switched off in my control panel..... It's on now though so feel free, i'd love to see someone do a decent edit of them! [not my strong point thats for sure!]

Let me know what you did if you decide to do anything..... i could use some tips in this department!

Thank you both for taking the time to look and your comments.

Steve

{Thanks for looking Reed, I was using AI servo and using the center point but still got 2 or 3 shots like the out of focus one i posted. I've only used AI servo a few times now and so i'm still trying to perfect the technique, i usually pre-focus on the jump and press the shutter as they make the jump..... i had a lot more keepers that way than i have had using AIservo so far, but.... when i get it right with Aiservo the resulting picture has been alot more impressive and more appealing to my taste..........}

Steve I use AIservo all the time and some times all af points and other times single, I think that you are not following the horse to the jump, you need to give your 350d time to focus and adjust. I normally focus 3 or 4 strides out on the rider not the horse and hope a wing does not interrupt the af.

hope this helps and when you get outside in the sun you will love your pictures, your 17-55 is should be the bee's bollocks at this if your close to the action.

Martin.

Hello,
From my personal experience i always like to see the hole of the fence, But if your going for the close up veiw then ok. I had a 350D for showjumping, i never tried it indoor but in dark conditiones at dusk it seemed to perform ok i think that using AIservo you will always get the odd one out of focus as everyone has a slip tracking a moving object now and again.

Regards

Sorry forgot to say No 1is good and were where you i seem to recognise the faces?

Gandy Pants wrote in post #2621600
Sorry forgot to say No 1is good and were where you i seem to recognise the faces?

Thanks for looking..... This was at Hand Equestrian in Clevedon [near Bristol]...... so yeah, not too far from you really http://www.handequestr​ian.com/

I too usually go for the whole jump as well using the 50mm 1.4 with just the odd close up here and there, but on this occasion i was using an 85mm 1.8 which was slightly too long on a 1.6x crop body to get the jumps i wanted...... i used the 85 as i was primarily just wanting to practice my AIservo shots and the 85 is documented as having better focusing in AI servo than the 50, i wasn't as fussy as i would normally be about the composition as the shots were only to try and brush up on my panning/AIservo technique. I will try next time with the 50 again and see what happens....

I work as a professional show jumping photographer during the summer. I only use one shot for over the jump pics. I focus on a part of the jump where I know the horse will be equidistant from my lens when I intend to take the picture. I have NEVER had missed focus on an over the jump pic.

Couple examples while using this technique.

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

aCiD99 wrote in post #2621765
I work as a professional show jumping photographer during the summer. I only use one shot for over the jump pics. I focus on a part of the jump where I know the horse will be equidistant from my lens when I intend to take the picture. I have NEVER had missed focus on an over the jump pic.

This is exactly what i normally do and i have to agree, i've never had any missed focussed shots from pre-focussing on the jumps. It was only from reading several posts on POTN that i decided to give AIservo a bit more of a chance, as i already stated, i'm not having as many keepers with this method..... although i have to admit i like the results when they turn out right! i'm still going to plug away and try to perfect it but i guess the best answer would be to know when to use each method for the best result.....

Anyway, thanks for looking and very nice pics by the way!

Oh, I should have commented on when AI Servo IS useful as well

I use it for any in the open trotting/galloping shots. Horses are big and follow a predictable path, so it's easy to keep a center focus point on them while in the open.

Example: (My mother on the white horse )

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO