Motocross C&C

Kikoprice

I need some C&C on my MX shots. For Example, Im not sure if I should show ground or clean skies on the jump shots. I've been trying to shoot tight and crop tighter, but does that work for MX? Faster shutter speed? Slower? Tell what you think.

Thanks,
Frank

#1


#2




#3


#4


#5


#6


#7


#8

JSPhotography

i think you are looking really good. I would crop #1 with no ground, now the little guy could be way up there like the big boys. Very nice series.

AceCo55

Very, very nice set. I think so long as you get a variety of shots, some with ground in image and others with just "air" you will have a wonderful collection.
Great captures, great angles, great technique.

mercphoto

6 and 7 are really, really good. I just get a sense the guy is really far up there. Having the background so dang far away I think helps with that feeling. 4 is a great pan. 8 though, watch cropping out parts of the bike!

zoomer

They look good to me.
Only thing I will mention is even with motocross....attention to backgrounds and light will pay off.
Try to find the best backgrounds and shoot from directions where the light is helping you.....not saying there is a problem with these.

Zerodog

#8 is my favorite. I don't think there is anything wrong with chopping off parts of bikes and helmets. Just look at moto mags. This is very typical. Good action in all of these, great light, and they are exposed great.

Moving Pictures

My thoughts:
On #2, the depth of in-focus plane begins after the front edge of the front tire. Or, the area where the bike is includes out-of-focus elements, but the area behind the bike is tack-sharp. An AF issue at speed. This might be one of those situations where you could focus at the ground, turne the AF off, and simply shoot when the bike is in range ... #3 seems to have a wee bit of the same challenge?

#4 is a good pan-motion alternative. Too often, sports shooters think "stop all motion" rather than "convey motion." Good tool in the toolbox, and well used.

#5: You're in the wrong spot to really capture any sense of what's going on. I'd suggest being at least 45 degrees front-on or less, in such situations ... like you did in #6, which is excellent.

#8: is a keeper.

One thing nobody else has picked up on: you've done a very good job of not letting the sky define teh exposure. Did you spot or centre-weight meter, or just shoot manual?

Kikoprice

#2 and #3 Im squatting down on a top of a berm so that I could get an angle on the riders coming over the whoop and then into a down hill turn, while trying not to get run over. My single focus point was in the upper section of the frame, shot in portrait. I'm seeing the focal plane on the riders face, if you follow it down its right near the top of the whoop and extends at the same angle my camera was. There is some motion blur on the tire tread.

#4 was tough. Slow shutter speed for blur, but MX isnt just forward motion. The bikes are bouncing up and down as you pan, so the keeper rate was pretty low. I'll see how that sells.

#5 Totally agree. No face, no ball {oops wrong sport}

I used evaluative meter mode with E/C as needed. Trying to find a safe place to shoot several different areas on a small track is a challenge, and changes with each class of rider in each heat during the races. I didnt want anymore distraction then that lol.

Im going to make a few large prints with riders names on it to get them excited and then take orders on the spot at the next race on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.