POD Suggestions *PLEASE READ FIRST PAGE FOR RULES*

PB Forum :: Biking Photos
POD Suggestions *PLEASE READ FIRST PAGE FOR RULES*
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flag mattwragg
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 9, 2015 at 21:54 Quote
@duckcrisps I'm not sure why wanted the race tape in the foreground, most race photographers go to great lengths to remove it from their shots and it definitely detracts from the composition here - for a start it highlights that you are panning at a relatively fast shutter speed, ideally you want to aim to be getting good results at 1/30 and below. It also looks a bit weird that only the knee is in focus - for a pan to work you really want to be getting either the bike or the head sharp. Also, a black-clad rider on a dark background is never going to make for a great photo. The rider isn't helping you here either - their form on the bike is just awkward. Looking through your album, it looks very much you like you are simply standing trackside to shoot - you need to work harder to find your positions - as a rule, very few good photos are taken from eye-level - you need to crawl, climb, step back and generally try and work your ass off to find your spots to shoot from.
flag mattwragg
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 9, 2015 at 22:03 Quote
@rwb97 To start with the positives - I like your use of natural light and how you have processed this shot, the green from the logs really pops nicely, I also like how you have used the log in the berm to frame the action. However, there are some problems here - first and foremost is shutter speed - 1/200 is far too slow to shoot action, as I have said recently - you want to aim for a minimum of 1/1000, dropping to 1/1000 in extreme conditions - if you cannot reach that shutter speed you need to accept that you cannot shoot in the light available. The focus here is way off - the log in the corner is in focus and the riders face is well out. If you can't get your AF to work in these conditions you need to get your buddy to stand in the corner before you shoot and manually pre-focus on him before he rides through. It also looks like you have put some blurring over the shot during processing - this is a real turn-off for me, depth of field needs to be create in-camera, not in Lightroom. With the framing you seem to be mixing two things - there is the nice log delineating the corner, then there is the tree on the left for foreground - either of this would be a useful device for framing and you should definitely look for this kind of framing again. However, having the both makes the framing confused - you have the log on the floor outlining the corner, but it comes to abrupt stop at the tree on the left, which feels awkard.
flag duckcrisps
Posted: Apr 9, 2015 at 23:45 Quote
mattwragg wrote:
@duckcrisps I'm not sure why wanted the race tape in the foreground, most race photographers go to great lengths to remove it from their shots and it definitely detracts from the composition here - for a start it highlights that you are panning at a relatively fast shutter speed, ideally you want to aim to be getting good results at 1/30 and below. It also looks a bit weird that only the knee is in focus - for a pan to work you really want to be getting either the bike or the head sharp. Also, a black-clad rider on a dark background is never going to make for a great photo. The rider isn't helping you here either - their form on the bike is just awkward. Looking through your album, it looks very much you like you are simply standing trackside to shoot - you need to work harder to find your positions - as a rule, very few good photos are taken from eye-level - you need to crawl, climb, step back and generally try and work your ass off to find your spots to shoot from.
Thank you so much for your expertise and tips. I think the shutter speed was fast because the ISO was very high (as you can see by the graininess). I've seen other people's pans where they have had trees or foliage in the foreground to create quite a nice effect so that was why I was experimenting with the tape. I guess it didn't really work though :/ . Once again thank you for your tips and hopefully it will help me next time I find time to go out and shoot. Big Grin
flag bikeman21
Posted: Apr 10, 2015 at 22:02 Quote
Enjoying some night riding

Spent a lot of time making this one look good, any suggestions? wanted to get rid of some shadows but I dislike the overly boosted HDR look that is becoming popular
flag duckcrisps
Posted: Apr 11, 2015 at 9:25 Quote
I'd like to nominate these two beautiful photos for POD.

This one is by @AndyLloydPhoto
29.11.13. Cave trail. PIC Andy Lloyd www.andylloyd.photography

And this one is by @stefcande
See through wall
flag gladiax87
Posted: Apr 15, 2015 at 12:44 Quote
mattwragg wrote:
@gladiax87I accept your apology.

Right, your shot. I like the thought and the idea and it's really nicely exposed, but it's not quite right. I think you probably need to climb the tree to the left of the frame so you can see an uninterrupted line of trail. Also, it looks like you have either altered the colours or the saturation as the green on the forest floor looks very unnatural.

@mattwragg unfortunately I didn't had with me anything to climb that front tree, some time I think it's easier to be the rider than the photographer Big Grin
Actually I was fortunate to get that green grass since there was few minutes before a very strong sunshine wich washed out every single detail , for the rest I have boost the overall colours with Lightroom.
Instead please let me know what do you think about this one :

photo
flag kazyamamura
O+
Posted: Apr 17, 2015 at 0:40 Quote
I'll nominate this one, I like the way the open loop serves to frame the scene.

Matt MacDuff s Project Breathe Easy. Starring Matt MacDuff Aaron Chase Anthony Messere Logan Peat and Sam Reynolds.

https://www.pinkbike.com/photo/11682248/
flag mattwragg
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 1:02 Quote
@duckcrisps I am already following both Andy and Stef, they have some great work in their profiles.

@kazyamamura We already have a shot from that set in the queue!
flag mattwragg
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 1:08 Quote
@gladiax87 I think you have got the processing just right with this one. Without the exif data it's hard to say much about your technique here, but the shutter looks a touch slow - you want to try and get at least 1/1600 for this kind of wide angle, side-on action. With the composition, it feels to me like you are have put together two elements that don't work together - the foreground plants simply obscure the action here, they are more something to use in longer lens shots, in my opinion. In the end, you simply don't see enough of what is going on here - as there is no trail and most of the rider is blocked by the plants so there is no dynamism, no movement to the shot. It doesn't help that your rider is wearing all-black too, you can barely see him against the background.
flag mattwragg
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 1:12 Quote
@bikeman21 There are a few problems here - the exposure is very unbalanced and far too harsh on the rider. The house in the background is nicely exposed, but the rider is very over-exposed. It also looks like the focus is on the ground and the tree stump, not the rider. The biggest problem is your composition though - it is good that you have tried to get under the rider, find an interesting perspective - but at the end of the day it is a guy bunny hopping off a stump in a garden. If you take this approach to composition and get out there and find some rad features to apply it to, I reckon you'll get some good shots, but it needs more excitement.
flag mattwragg
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 1:16 Quote
@ralbisurez Technically this is a good, solid shot, one of your best. The shutter is nice and fast, the aperture is good and gets all of the rider in focus nicely, the rider is well-placed in the frame, there is no distortion on the wheels (which is a common problem with fisheye shots) and the light at that time of day is nice. Is it a POD? Sorry, not this time, it is just lacking the drama a POD needs - it is just a guy cruising round a bowl and we need more than that, but this is a good shot, nice one.
flag ralbisurez
O+
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 1:50 Quote
mattwragg wrote:
@ralbisurez Technically this is a good, solid shot, one of your best. The shutter is nice and fast, the aperture is good and gets all of the rider in focus nicely, the rider is well-placed in the frame, there is no distortion on the wheels (which is a common problem with fisheye shots) and the light at that time of day is nice. Is it a POD? Sorry, not this time, it is just lacking the drama a POD needs - it is just a guy cruising round a bowl and we need more than that, but this is a good shot, nice one.

thanks @mattwragg ! alright alright, more drama. got it! Underworld Cup is this weekend, lets see what I can come up with. Just got back from Sea Otter but no good pics, was mostly stuck in the booth the whole time. I'll have something dramatic for next week. Usually I like to go for a slower shutter speed to show motion/speed and you are pushing me to use faster shutter speeds. Its cool, it's sort of giving me something new to play with as far as the shots go. Cheers man!
flag Yt-shredder
Posted: Apr 21, 2015 at 11:53 Quote
mattwragg wrote:
@gladiax87 I thought POD was all "mafia" so I'm not sure why you're asking for feedback?
No comment on that,someone clearly doesnt understand ironic statementsMadder
flag jimijazz
Posted: Apr 22, 2015 at 10:42 Quote
Some feedback on these would be appreciated Matt
photo
Late night light trails high above the Lake District under a moonlit sky. Published in the February 2015 edition of MBR Magazine
photo
photo

 


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