Maple Shade Skatepark - NJ

ok first off I'm new here... be gentle on me... I'm using a 40D now with a sigma 15mm and 17-40L .... couple might be taken with my old 350D.... tips and comments would be great...

PM SENT!

looking pretty good

Great shots!

Thanks for the kind words guys.... there were shot in manual 100-200iso f9 shutter 320 and hand held flash...
I have a question I'm new to the 40D , I see a lot of guys that are taking action shots, talking about using ISO's upward of 3200iso? I've been shooting my actions shot at a low ISO do to the fear of getting to much noise in the photo... can someone help me out with needing/wanting to use such a high ISO? sorry if i sound like a noob

These are all great looking photos. I'm a total newbie at skate photography and wanted to pick your mind a little.

1) Have you been mainly using your Sigma 15mm or your 17-40L to achieve these shots?

2) What do you mean by 'hand held' flash? Does it mean you are remotely triggering your 430EX? What f-stop have you mainly been using your flash at? How far you putting the flash in relation to the subject? Is the flash pointing directly at the subject? Are you using a diffuser or some sort of bounce card?

3) Is there a reason why most of your shots are in portrait and not landscape orientation?

Sorry for all the questions I'm just really excited about the possibility of achieving shots that are even remotely as good as yours. Thanks!

Ken... I'm kinda a noob myself, learning as I go along... I'll try my best to answer your questions....

1) I mostly use my 15mm , but I just picked up an 8mm sigma so my next trip out I will be using that... cant wait.

2) I'm right handed so I shot with my right hand and hold the flash with my left... I'm using a off camera flash cord. I hold the flash extended to the left with my left hand, I turn the flash about 45deg. toward my subject (no filters). I do this to try to create shadows and also to not blow the subject out..... I hope to move on to using a remote flash setup and flash stands soon.

3)uumm... well there a couple reasons lots of my shots are portrait... first reason being I do not use the view finder on the camera when taking these shots (its so I can track my subject better and also protect my equipment)... and the last reason is I'm a fat mess and dont like laying on the ground like some beached whale....lol!!! so it is easier to just hold the camera low in the portrait orientation...

hope some of that helped

Haha...I am going to pick up a 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 for future skate shots. Just a few more questions:

1) When you mean you were trying to "create" shadows with your flash what do you mean? I hear most people use the flash more for filling purposes.

2) This might seem like a dumb question but having your flash directed at the subject won't that be super annoying to him/her when it goes off?

The lighting on some of the photos is way off (last one in particular)... for lighting skate stuff its honestly best just to go with the cheapy radio slaves so you can put your flashes ANYWHERE, and illuminate multiple things. Comp is too tight on some as well. Third from last would have been excellent had it been shot landscape with the subject in the bottom right third intersection.

Ken, before you get heart set on the 10-22, take a look at the Tokina 10-17

Ken... I hope I can make sense out of this...

1) here is a zoom of the one shot... the shadows I'm trying to create are the ones you see in his t-shirt and the definition in his face... I guess I believe these give the photos more character... it's also being used as the primary source of light... most of those photos are taken at dusk and later....