Let me know what you think of my sports portfolio so far....

Chase · June 20, 2005

You can either leave comments here on on the pictures themselves, negative comments are alright too. :dunno

I want to submit these photographs to sportshooters eventually and try and join up there.

I am a 17yo HS student with limited funds, so maybe they will have some mercy on me.

http://chase.smugmug.com/gallery/606677

Steve Cavigliano · June 21, 2005

Chase,

All in all, these look good

I really like the hurdler and the discus thrower shots. Sharp, good color and for the most part, non-distracting backgrounds. Many of the other shots are nice, but have parts of the player/equipment cut off. Like the B-ball player shooting from the corner. I like the idea and it's almost there, but his left side is cut off

Same thing with the Lacross shot (part of the equipment is cut off).

Most of the shots have some nice action in them and you did a very nice job of trying to capture faces

Have you read Winger's thread with the excerpt from Sports Shooter? It's a great read and really hit home with me.

Hopefully, she will chime in and give you some addition feedback

Worse case, we'll bump back to the top of the forum....lol

Steve

Chase · June 21, 2005

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

Chase,

All in all, these look good I really like the hurdler and the discus thrower shots. Sharp, good color and for the most part, non-distracting backgrounds. Many of the other shots are nice, but have parts of the player/equipment cut off. Like the B-ball player shooting from the corner. I like the idea and it's almost there, but his left side is cut off Same thing with the Lacross shot (part of the equipment is cut off).

Most of the shots have some nice action in them and you did a very nice job of trying to capture faces Have you read Winger's thread with the excerpt from Sports Shooter? It's a great read and really hit home with me.

Hopefully, she will chime in and give you some addition feedback Worse case, we'll bump back to the top of the forum....lol

Steve

I find it so funny that those two track shots were both taken with the rented 70-200 f2.8 IS, and all the others with a 28-300 tamron POS, and everyone always says the L ones are best.

morrisphotography2003 · June 21, 2005

Like steve I have also taken the time to look over your work and feel that you are on the right track as far as your photography. And I would like to second the note that you should take the time to check out Karen's thread, I have gotten a lot of pointers from Karen, Steve and Fish.

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

Chase,

All in all, these look good I really like the hurdler and the discus thrower shots. Sharp, good color and for the most part, non-distracting backgrounds. Many of the other shots are nice, but have parts of the player/equipment cut off. Like the B-ball player shooting from the corner. I like the idea and it's almost there, but his left side is cut off Same thing with the Lacross shot (part of the equipment is cut off).

Most of the shots have some nice action in them and you did a very nice job of trying to capture faces Have you read Winger's thread with the excerpt from Sports Shooter? It's a great read and really hit home with me.

Hopefully, she will chime in and give you some addition feedback Worse case, we'll bump back to the top of the forum....lol

Steve

winger · June 22, 2005

1) Fanastic track photos, track and field is a sport you dont see alot of great photos of because people are often not interested in shooting it. This photo has peak actiong, great colors, the athletes face (my obsession with faces, they tell the story 9 times out of 10) nice use of DOF, the only thing i would change is a tighter crop. there is alot of empty space in that photo that really doesnt add to it.
2) Nice idea, gym lighting is tough to deal with so considering that the colors arent so bad. The composition of the shot is not really that interesting, what are you trying to show the views with that shot, I like the idea, cant think off the top of my head how to make that fad away jumper more exciting. But if you are not going to show and athletes face, you better have a reason for it.
3) see above about lighting. The basketball coach during the time out is a great shot that will always get alot of milage, basketball coaches in general can produce great shots because they are colorful characters. but here his head is cut off and one of his hand is and the heads are OOF. Things to think of, leave the coaches head on, if you want players head in there make it interest, hell get in the hudle yourself and take the picture from the players perspective. Or as the coah write his notes slow down the shutter to show motion in his hands.
Here are two examples of what I think are well composed coach time out shots (thought looking at the color I can see how far I have progressed in even a couple of months)

4+5 im not really intersted in cars, but try to make me interested with your photos, the colors are a little flat, and im trying to figure out why these photos are exciting....(like I think the back side of a car and the long trail of rubber would be pretty cool)

Only examples I have are motorcross, and dirt makes it easy to show motion....
6) This photos is GREAT, great colors, peak of action, athletes face, clean backgrounds, tightly cropped, the best photo of the whole lot, crop the other track one and the two track photos I think are you strongest.
7) The colors are good, but why is the photo interesting to me? should I be intersted in teh catcher, or the batter, I cant see the batters face, so what can her backside tell me about the story of the game.

8) This might be your worst shot in the lot, its out of focus, dark, I cant even see the defenders face, never mind the guy with the ball where the action is.
9) This shot is pretty good, it seems like the runner is in focus and the basemen is a little out otherwise good action, if the base was close by I proably would losen the crop alittle, to give the viewer a sense of ergency in the play.
10) Nice Celebration shot, try some tighter crops, with the coach, the kid in his arms and the guy with his arms in air in the back....since everyone else is partially cut out, maybe try to cut them all the way out. But of the two faces you can see, they are making great expersions, try to make that the focus of the photos, other wise all the backsides I think kind of take away of the celabatory impact that it should have.
11) Unfortunatly no one cares about the ump, ref, whatever, and most of the time they just get in the way. Crop the catcher tighter and you have a nice shot of the catcher, the kind of shot that would go in a media guide, or as part of a feature in a newspaper. Sometimes knowing who your audience is for the photo can help you decided how to take it.
12) Kind of like the earlier hoopsy bounce coaches shot, Imagine with the kid from the back, but more in the right corner, taking a step to the left, leaving the coach out of focus but giving direction......would give the viewer the sense of the coach giving instruction and the kid intently looking on more quickly rather than, why is the kids backside in the middle of the photo oooohhh he is looking at the coach kind of deal.
13) Great experssion by the runner coming in, sometimes there are times to cut peoples limbs off and sometimes there is not....I feel like this 3rd baseman should of been able to keep his legs. It also seems like he is alittle out of focus.
14)This photo could be soooo good, the kid has an interesting delivery which that in and of itself makes the photo interesting, great facial expressions on the kid, but let him keep his shoes.

15) Yeah cars just dont do it for me....at least give me some smokey tires or a half naked girl on the hood to dress it up.

These are of course just my opnions, I am no way an expert but I have been told I seem to picking these things up quickly.

If you particpate in sport, think of what it makes you feel, the good the bad and the ugly, the wins the losses, the pain and the joy.....now try to make the viewer feel that in your photos.

Steve Cavigliano · June 22, 2005

Great feedback Karen

Not only will your comments help Chase, they will help many others

I have to agree about the car shots. Smoking tires and half-naked women (or smokin' women and half neekid tires....lol) do help but, IMO, I see very few "knock your socks off" car photos

I guess they are like flower shots. You really have to do/show something unique to get an out of the ordinary shot

Steve

Seamus · June 22, 2005

Chase, I asked for help a while ago on taking pics of motorsport and these links were provided:

http://iphotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5322

and

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic2/187456

Your gallery is very good and you got a great critique from Karen.

shay.

Chase · June 22, 2005

Part of my problem and difference with some of you guys is that I am not necessarily trying to cover the game, I am trying to sell it to parents. Like take for example the kid running into third base with the funny expression. His parents love that picture, and dont give one hoot about the kid with part of his leg cropped out. I am trying to sell pictures to parents, so that infleunces my shooting style A LOT. If i were covering the games for a magazine or newspaper or media guide or whatever, I certainly would take a different approach to the game.

Steve Cavigliano · June 23, 2005

Chase wrote:

Part of my problem and difference with some of you guys is that I am not necessarily trying to cover the game, I am trying to sell it to parents. Like take for example the kid running into third base with the funny expression. His parents love that picture, and dont give one hoot about the kid with part of his leg cropped out. I am trying to sell pictures to parents, so that infleunces my shooting style A LOT. If i were covering the games for a magazine or newspaper or media guide or whatever, I certainly would take a different approach to the game.

Hey, no excuses Chase and no copping out

You're right, parents will love and buy anything with their child in the frame. They are buying the pics because they love their child, not necessarily because they like the picture. If that's good enough for you, fine.

You mentioned sending your portfolio to Sportshooter. If selling shots where "parents love that picture, and dont give one hoot about the kid with part of his leg cropped out" is all you aspire too, why waste your time and their time? They will, most likely, give you similar feedback as you've gotten in this thread. Since Karen is a member of Sportshooters, I'd think you'd be overjoyed to have the detailed feedback she has given you.

Not on one, or two, pics but on your entire gallery.

I'm not trying to rag you or preach to you (I can't help it, I'm a dad

). Your pics show some real talent and lots of potential. Whether you ever realize that potential is totally up to you. If you're satisfied with the type of results quoted in the paragraph above, that's fine too.

Steve

winger · June 23, 2005

Chase wrote:

Part of my problem and difference with some of you guys is that I am not necessarily trying to cover the game, I am trying to sell it to parents. Like take for example the kid running into third base with the funny expression. His parents love that picture, and dont give one hoot about the kid with part of his leg cropped out. I am trying to sell pictures to parents, so that infleunces my shooting style A LOT. If i were covering the games for a magazine or newspaper or media guide or whatever, I certainly would take a different approach to the game.

I think I said somewhere in all what I wrote (and I did take some time to look at each pictures and comment on it) Knowing your audience is key, its ABSOLUTLY key, and if that is what you are selling for, then that is what you should focus on. But any parent would love a photo of their kid making a play that should look like they are on the cover of SI.

Sportsshooter is a community of professionals, heck sometimes I consider myself lucky to be amungst them, they are professionals who shoot for SI all the way to youth sports. And all of them are trying to capture a different type of photo but that doesnt mean they shouldnt be trying to give their client the best.

Here are some SS memeber who do youth sports.
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2670
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2342
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2955
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=3877 (great MX Shots)
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2855

motorsport pages
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2046 (awesome leadoff photo)

track and field
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=1558
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=529 (some great track shots)

Lacrosse
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=159 ( I TOTALLY need a goal cam for next year, his first couple are incredible)
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=3992

Sometimes we get attached to pictures, I do it all the time. But just because parents buy a photo doesnt make it a good candidate for your portfolio. I have some fun quicky photos that people have bought, but they are not stuff I would use in a portfolio.

That why these forums are great, because some people will tell you so, what is good and what is bad and I make it a point to tell people both. I know seems like alot of people are afraid of giving bad news, or even ok news in fear of hurting someones feelings and well that is kind of how I feel right now. But I didnt say it was all bad, Your Track photos are FANTASTIC....there are two photos right there for an SS application.

I really hope I didnt offend you, I know you are young but in that sense you are so ahead of the game, you have the time to go out shoot and learn. I am lucky that I just picked this up recently (you know before I turn 30 and it all goes down hill) and trying to balance photography with school and 2 other jobs is not easy. And just so you know there are memebers of sportsshooter your age as well.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2923 this gallery I just stumbled across, thought it was a great gallery for a couple of reasons, the lead off photo is strong (and interesting) nice football shots, and he is someone from Oklahoma that took some pretty good hockey shots

Then again sportsshooter is not the end all be all, you only really get your photos looked at once when you join, then I think some people dont worry as much when they update. Me durning the season I try to update once a week and I try to everytime to have a gallery just as strong as the one before if not stronger...continuous improvement.

So in closing, I am not the end all be all, I am one girl with an opnion that when she first got her digital SLR was taking photos like this:

( I picked up the camera digital rebel and the simple canon lens on the way to maine, these are my first shots in January 04)
to this:

(march 04 same camera and lens)

+

feb 05 (these two are with the 20d and l's)

(last 3 with the 1dmII and l's taken in march o5, the last one his dad bought)
I dont just add my pictures in cause I want to show them off (althought that is part of it, I do like showing them) but I am a visual learner, I picked up alot of what I know from reading and looking at other peoples photos and I know others are as well And I also feel like I am a good example. I feel like I take pretty good photos now, with still a long way to go, but I only started this whole SLR deal a year and half ago (took the training wheels off last fall and dont even know how to set the program modes on my mark II)

I think this one sums it up really, read the caption to 6 and keep on shooting kid.
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=2611

Im working on my portfolio if you want to look at it and tell me what you think. http://winger.smugmug.com/gallery/610978

maczippy · June 23, 2005

Chase wrote:

You can either leave comments here on on the pictures themselves, negative comments are alright too.

I want to submit these photographs to sportshooters eventually and try and join up there.

I am a 17yo HS student with limited funds, so maybe they will have some mercy on me.

http://chase.smugmug.com/gallery/606677

Not having money will not make any difference. In fact, if you want to do this full time as a pro you'll never be rich (just ask my wife...).

Rather than go through them one by one I'll just give them my own "fromt he quirky" view of things.

The car stuff needs some work. It's not easy to make car imagery interesting, and access sin't always easy, but there isn't the spark in you car shots vs the spark that seems to exist in your track and field and "team sports" shots.

As someone else mentioned the hurdler shot, I feel it is excellent and captures the momentum of the event, as are some of the softball/baseball/rounders (whatever it's called here) shots, so it looks to me as an overall view that your talents work with people so mabye you need to work on distilling that skill.

Then maybe as an aside, go to some races (with cars or bikes) and without trying to think to hard about it, have fun and try and take images using your knack with group sports and apply some facet of your skill there.

Just a few thoughts!

Andrew

Chase · June 23, 2005

maczippy wrote:

Not having money will not make any difference. In fact, if you want to do this full time as a pro you'll never be rich (just ask my wife...).

Rather than go through them one by one I'll just give them my own "fromt he quirky" view of things.

The car stuff needs some work. It's not easy to make car imagery interesting, and access sin't always easy, but there isn't the spark in you car shots vs the spark that seems to exist in your track and field and "team sports" shots.

As someone else mentioned the hurdler shot, I feel it is excellent and captures the momentum of the event, as are some of the softball/baseball/rounders (whatever it's called here) shots, so it looks to me as an overall view that your talents work with people so mabye you need to work on distilling that skill.

Then maybe as an aside, go to some races (with cars or bikes) and without trying to think to hard about it, have fun and try and take images using your knack with group sports and apply some facet of your skill there.

Just a few thoughts!

Andrew

I didnt work very hard on the car shots. I included them for the variety, but thye arent so strong. I was at the race track for racing, not picture taking. I just took a couple shots of my dad (in the yellow lambo) and my neighbor in his silver ferrari for us to share and show off.

morrisphotography2003 · June 23, 2005

chase, the next time that you go to a game, a car show, parade or anything that involves your camera just remember, use your imagination and be creative with your work. Here are three ex. I hope that these will give you a few ideas, and yes these are all shot with the same type of camera that you are using, dig. reb. the only diff is probly the lenses that I use, nothing real fancy but I have my favorites for each situation.

Let me know what you think of my sports portfolio so far....

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