DH Mountain Bike Trail

This is a local steep trail. Had to shoot into the sun with a 580 FLASH!

Some more

These are some nice shots

As for critique, compositionally I'd change a couple of them. Number 8, for example, could have a fair bit cropped off from the top/left. This would bring the rider to the top left of the frame so he'd now be riding into the frame rather than out of it, and would also serve to remove some of that ugly blown out sun flare at the top.

Also, you say you are shooting with the 580ex - it looks like you're using it on the camera. If I was you, I'd try to get it off the camera, and use both your 580ex and 580exII. With the sun behind the rider, you really want to get the flash up under his helmet visor to bring out his face and eyes.

Save for those things (composition and flash use), I really like these. Focus is good, you've stopped the action well, nice separation from the BG and those two Sinisters (the first is an R9, right?) are sweet bikes

They don't really look like serious downhill MTB, as per "leitch" it would be nice to see the riders face and looking at the pictures I would say you had plenty of time to get better pictures. Focus is OK and what movement there was has been stopped.

khall wrote in post #5276652
They don't really look like serious downhill MTB, as per "leitch" it would be nice to see the riders face and looking at the pictures I would say you had plenty of time to get better pictures. Focus is OK and what movement there was has been stopped.

Yeah will have to try and run 2 flashes. The spokes had some blur so that was good. That trail drops like 2000 feet in about 1.5 miles. The WC from last year what people called steep had a similiar grade to it from what I've been told.
More Flash Power!
THANKS

Another with a little more editing...

I like them good shots

I love 3.

Nice set.

dsul413 wrote in post #5317413
I love 3.

Nice set.

Thanks, still working on the flash useage. And also this new Fisheye is making more shots possible than I had before.

Nice shots, you get a good feel for how steep that trail is. Question for you...how do you carry your camera on a ride? Or do you only do one or the other (ride or shoot)? Mountain biking is my passion, yet it's the only sport I never shoot simply because it's not convenient to carry an slr and get it out of a camelback quickly to take some shots without bogging down the ride. I've been trying to think of a way to have it in a pack in front of me so I can get at it quickly and still keep it safe.

Ocron wrote in post #5318297
Nice shots, you get a good feel for how steep that trail is. Question for you...how do you carry your camera on a ride? Or do you only do one or the other (ride or shoot)? Mountain biking is my passion, yet it's the only sport I never shoot simply because it's not convenient to carry an slr and get it out of a camelback quickly to take some shots without bogging down the ride. I've been trying to think of a way to have it in a pack in front of me so I can get at it quickly and still keep it safe.

I walk all these trails. That one was rough going up with like a huge loaded camera bag on the back. Photojohn has said that he rolls a 20D no grip and 1 lens in a big camelback and wrapped in a handtowel. Just have room for 1 lens though! I sold the bike to but a body so no bike again yet.

Really like 3. Only thing i would say is that some need more DOF, sometimes the background is too distracting!