# Newbie - some feedback please!



## PoloMint0 (Aug 22, 2012)

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and have plucked up the courage to post my first sports pic here. I would be grateful if you would give some feedback (positive and constructive negative too) on it?

I have some more on my website and one which I'm keeping for a competition which I may post if it is accepted!

Thanks very much.

Dan

Image: Canon 500D, 70-210 f2.8L NON IS



www.the-mintos.co.uk


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## Kernuak (Aug 22, 2012)

I don't really shoot sports, but for me, the usual rules of composition don't really apply to this sort of shot. It's more about storytelling and getting across the thrill of the action. For me it does that, I feel I could almost be there. In smaller resolutions, it's always difficult to judge adequate sharpness and other technical considerations, but again, to some extent that too is secondary, as long as it is sharp enough (which means whatever the person viewing wants it to mean). The one thing I would consider doing though, is a bit more processing, to give it a lift, it will probably just need a basic curves and/or levels adjustment, but look at your histogram and work on a calibrated monitor to judge how it looks.


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## RAKAMRAK (Aug 22, 2012)

I neither do sports photography nor have I ever done white water canoeing (hopefully that is what the photograph is of). But what is that white and red pole sticking out from the top of the frame?


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## Kernuak (Aug 22, 2012)

RAKAMRAK said:


> I neither do sports photography nor have I ever done white water canoeing (hopefully that is what the photograph is of). But what is that white and red pole sticking out from the top of the frame?


It's one side of one of the slalom gates they have to go through, so it is integral to the storytelling.
This gives you an idea of the slalom courses they have to traverse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kanuslalom.jpg


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## tbadowski (Aug 22, 2012)

Isn't that a gate, like a skiing slaloom? touch it and you lose points...


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## Richard Lane (Aug 23, 2012)

Hi Dan,

I good goal for a compelling Sports Photo would be peak action! This is nice action, but not peak action.

1) I think you may have just missed the peak action in this shot, as the Canoer looks to be in a neutral position as if he has just completed the action that he was trying to accomplish, mainly trying to paddle around the gate.

2) I would consider a different crop if possible. It's usually preferable to not have the subject in the middle of the frame and I think with the combination of the horizontal Canoe and the centered, vertical gate and subject, it makes the image appear a bit static or stationary. It's also more desirable to have the subject enter the frame and allow them room to exit the frame (not that easy with theses long canoes), in this case that would mean more negative space on the right.

3) It's also preferable if you could capture a full face shot (both eyes) in the photo as the subject is looking towards the camera or engaging the viewer. 

4) Since the subject is not in the best lighting position (a bit of shade), try raising the exposure a little bit.

I looked at your website and I see that you do have some of the things that I have suggested in your other photos, so keep practicing and keep posting!

I hope you find this constructive as it was intended to be! 

Rich


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## PoloMint0 (Sep 10, 2012)

Thank you all for your constructive feedback. It's good to have such positive opinions from experience. I'll take the points on board.

It's Judo this week, I hope. I'll post some results next week.

Thanks very much,

Dan


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## RLPhoto (Sep 10, 2012)

You get my digital thumbs up.
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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 11, 2012)

PoloMint0 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I would be grateful if you would give some feedback (positive and constructive negative too) on it?
> 
> ...


The only negative is that you did not post more of them. Its a great image.


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## PoloMint0 (Sep 11, 2012)

I have some more images of the day, I'll post them over the weekend.

Thank you all again very much.

Dan


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## madmailman (Sep 11, 2012)

As an (ex)slalom kayaker I love this shot. Slalom kayaking is extremely difficult to photograph because it is really fast, the water make's the action very unpredictable and quite often the best place to be to get some pictures happens to be right in the middle of the water. I think you did great with this shot. Half a second later or so would probably have had the paddler with his right arm at full extension putting his paddle blade into the moving water. Problem then is you would probably lose his facial expression behind his right arm. Like I said, not easy.

Next time maybe try get closer down to the water. What I've also found works is getting directly upstream of the upstream (red) gate and get the paddler when he has just finished his sweap-stroke and started his bow rudder stroke to pull the nose of the boat around into the gate. The paddler is moving slower, normally a strained expression or at least an expression of concentration and the paddler will be looking pretty much straight at you (line of trabel of the boat).

Good luck and good job.


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## PoloMint0 (Sep 11, 2012)

Thanks madmailman,

It was my first outing at our local White water Centre and only the pro's got to go at eye level (which I don't have a problem with). Still, not bad I think. When their arms were allowing the face to be seen was a trick I learnt later!

Regards,


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## PoloMint0 (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello,

I've put some more on my website as well as some other sports. Any feedback would be most welcome!

http://danm.in/UHBBdi

Regards and best wishes to you all for Christmas,

Dan


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## crasher8 (Dec 18, 2012)

RLPhoto said:


> You get my digital thumbs up.
> _
> ( ((
> \ =\
> ...



omg you DIDN'T just make one of those goofy drawings? lmao.

Hey btw, when are you going to do another review/comparison of primes on your blog? good reads.


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## RLPhoto (Dec 18, 2012)

crasher8 said:


> RLPhoto said:
> 
> 
> > You get my digital thumbs up.
> ...



The 135L is next but I've been side tracked lately.


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