Another NE SD Track Meet
I got to shoot a track meet at one of my favorite place last week . . . at the Sioux tribal school at the old Indian Agency Village in NE SD
What makes this track unique is that is sits right on the edge of a plateau that makes up the Coteau des Prairies ridge. That is why a lot of my shots taken here make it appear that the athletes are running on a mile high elevated track. If the humidity isn't high the day I shoot you would be able to see 30 miles or so in the background
Hope you enjoy looking and constructive criticism is welcome.
What makes this track unique is that is sits right on the edge of a plateau that makes up the Coteau des Prairies ridge. That is why a lot of my shots taken here make it appear that the athletes are running on a mile high elevated track. If the humidity isn't high the day I shoot you would be able to see 30 miles or so in the background
Hope you enjoy looking and constructive criticism is welcome.
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Comments
#1: I remeber this girl from your previous post. Man has she got a determined set of eyes! It's a pity she doesn't lead with her left leg as that would have resulted in her turning towards the light. As it is a lot of her is in her own shadow ... but you have to play with the conditions you are presented with. She is such an arresting sight, I think you could have cropped left and right a bit more. Good timing on this shot.
#2: Great symmetry here with both girl's legs and pony tails!!! The light here is good and they are nice and sharp. Again good timing. (I see what you mean about the track being on a plateau!)
#3: Really like the crop and the thrower is just oozing effort. Catching him on his tip toes just at the point of release is great. The grassy background really sets him apart - good separation (pity there is a damn pipe/pole coming out of his head)
#3: I think you took a risk with this shot - some will like it and others won't. I like the tension with the runner almost striving to leave the photograph. He is a man on a mission. Having him in mid air adds to this wonderfully. I like your composition here as he runs away from the people in the background. You busted a whole stack of "rules" in this shot ... and for me it works well. (My only distraction is that he doesn't look sharp ... 1/1250 should have stopped all but maybe the extremities)
#4: Good position. Good light - this one "pops". Pity about the fence - but that is totally out of your control. Again nicely timed. I wonder if it would be better to crop out the walkers in the back left?
#5: Very nice - good sense of speed and power in the athlete on right. Dead sharp, good timing. Some wasted space in this image ... for me. I wonder if you cropped heavily left and right so you just kept the main athlete - potentially a super shot?
#6: You can really see the effect of direct light here. First runner (left) is tilted towards the light and she just glows/shines. The other two runners are tilted away and they are much more muted. This works really well here in drawing the eye to the the first runner (plus a bright yellow top helps to exaggerate this). Amazing time to have all three runners in air with similar phase of stride. Again, it has worked perfectly that the first runner has her right leg leading whist both the others have their left legs leading. Reinforces that difference between the winner and the "others". I think you could crate another composition with this image ... crop the "Milbank" runner out completely and only have the two "Raiders" athletes. Might be worth a look?
Nice work - you clearly have a good sense of athletics and timing. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing more.
www.acecootephotography.com
The timing is excellent through. Catching that discus in the hand just before release is NOT easy.
perroneford@ptfphoto.com
THANKS a lot for all the feedback!
I usually do better at track than the other sports. (1) It's shot outdoors in the sunlight (2) Unlike Rugby, Football, or Soccer you pretty much know what's going to happen, where it's going to happen, and when it's going to happen.
I will resond by using images that I got last track season.
<I>#1: I remeber this girl from your previous post. Man has she got a determined set of eyes! It's a pity she doesn't lead with her left leg as that would have resulted in her turning towards the light. As it is a lot of her is in her own shadow ... But you have to play with the conditions you are presented with. She is such an arresting sight, i think you could have cropped left and right a bit more. Good timing on this shot.</I>
Yes, her form is not perfect but she always has tha determined look on her face. For the last 4 years there was a little 5' "something" girl from Rosholt who ran the hurdles who as easy to shoot because I always knew she was going to be 1st and she had "perfect" form . . . I think she won the SD State 100 and 300 meter hurdles 4 years in a row . . . but she graduated last year. She made it easy for me:
<I>#2: Great symmetry here with both girl's legs and pony tails!!! The light here is good and they are nice and sharp. Again good timing. (i see what you mean about the track being on a plateau!)</I>
That's something I particularly like to shoot for, perfect timing on the hand offs. It helps make it look sureal when they both runners are in sync during the hand off. Yes I know in the shot below the runners' legs are staggered but a lot of coaches want their runners in alternating stride so they don't "clip" each others' feet during the hand off.
<I>#3: Really like the crop and the thrower is just oozing effort. Catching him on his tip toes just at the point of release is great. The grassy background really sets him apart - good separation (pity there is a damn pipe/pole coming out of his head)</I>
Out of the 32 shots of this event (8 throwers in a flight - 4 throws each) this is the closest I came to getting just the right moment. It helps to be lucky sometimes. Yeah, the discus is the one event where sometimes a person has no control over the background. Your pretty much limited to shooting in one certain spot.
<I>#3: I think you took a risk with this shot - some will like it and others won't. I like the tension with the runner almost striving to leave the photograph. He is a man on a mission. Having him in mid air adds to this wonderfully. I like your composition here as he runs away from the people in the background. You busted a whole stack of "rules" in this shot ... And for me it works well. (my only distraction is that he doesn't look sharp ... 1/1250 should have stopped all but maybe the extremities)</I>
This is shot from one of my "sweet" spots on the track field . . . sitting down in the depression right on the turn. Your are right. I did really go against the flow on this one, but I always try to get 1 or 2 shots each meet where the camera really exagerates the separation between the runners. I don't know if there is a technical name for it, but it appeals to me.
And you are right, the runner should have been sharper . . . and I normally try to get these shots with the camera in the "horizontal" postition:
<I>#4: Good position. Good light - this one "pops". Pity about the fence - but that is totally out of your control. Again nicely timed. I wonder if it would be better to crop out the walkers in the back left?</I>
Again, you are right about "cutting out" the 2 people in the background. This is something that I accept in using a rigid "4 X 6" format in my processing. I do everything in 4 X 6, it just makes it easier for time shake . . . and the editor of the paper I shoot for requests that format. If people contact me later to buy an image then I will do extra processing to cut out the clutter and isolate more.
<I>#5: Very nice - good sense of speed and power in the athlete on right. Dead sharp, good timing. Some wasted space in this image ... For me. I wonder if you cropped heavily left and right so you just kept the main athlete - potentially a super shot?</I>
I did go back and look at the original image and I did crop this one for "dead space" but again I did it to accomadate the "4 X 6" format.
<I>#6: You can really see the effect of direct light here. First runner (left) is tilted towards the light and she just glows/shines. The other two runners are tilted away and they are much more muted. This works really well here in drawing the eye to the the first runner (plus a bright yellow top helps to exaggerate this). Amazing time to have all three runners in air with similar phase of stride. Again, it has worked perfectly that the first runner has her right leg leading whist both the others have their left legs leading. Reinforces that difference between the winner and the "others". I think you could crate another composition with this image ... Crop the "milbank" runner out completely and only have the two "raiders" athletes. Might be worth a look?</I>
I caught this same girl last year at regions and she can "really turn on the afterburners":
I thought about cutting out the Milbank runner but I wanted to keep her in the shot because it was 1 of the shots that I was going to offer the Milbank paper.
Again, thanks for all the feedback - I will take any hints or recomnendations I can to get better at this.
Thanks for taking the time to give a comprehensive view of your thinking process. Now forget/delete any reference to cropping. Your requirement to crop 6x4 explains it all (I think I said in an earlier thread ... I'm darned if I know why they would stipulate that requirement. I also supply a couple of newspapers with sports photos and I understand the need to supply a looser crop so they have a bit of wiggle room - but that is completely different to a set crop. I'm willing to bet they don't publish your photos in a 6x4 crop ratio. Just doesn't make sense to me
That hurdler definitely has the form but both girls are worthy of photos - for different reasons.
Oh man I love that relay shot with the runner coming up to the change. Such a good story. I would never have thought to catch that ... I definitely will now!
And the last sprint shot - terrific low angle. A real winner - loved it.
From what I know of the States, SD isn't a "mainstream" state but I can TOTALLY relate to your photography. I live in a community of 1400 people and I take junior sports and local sports in general. I just love the connection you have with the kids and the locals - you all live together and share your lives together. It's a special relationship. And you know what, if I had the chance to shoot the pros v my locals ... I would stay with my little community
When I think about travelling to the US, my priority is to visit the least populated states and places - North West, North Central, Utah etc. So keep shooting and keep posting
www.acecootephotography.com
Thanks for the feedback!
I shot these close to wide open . . . in the range of f5.6 to f11. Most all were shot using my Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS with the exception of the relays. Because I need to postiton myself so far away from the edge of the track for the relays when using my 70 - 200 (thus someone ALWAYS moves into the space between myself and the track blocking my shot), I use my Canon 18 - 135 IS 5.6.
Therefore anything other than the relays were shot around f5.6 and the relays were shot at about f8 to f11.
I know I could have shot everything wide open (f2.8 and f5.6) but while spending time on this blog I have adopted the postion that when sometimes shooting wide open you just don't get the same sharpness because your lens's "sweet spot" is usually 1 or 2 stops above "wide open".
I can't remember the technical term for for, but by experimenting with the idea over the past few years I have subscribed to that thought.
Again, thanks for the input. It's greatly appreciated.
Thanks again for the feedback and kind words!
By reading your bio on your web site it would seem that you and I do share the same passion for shooting amateur sports (that and you a very knowledgeable fellow).
Getting back to the unique shots of the relays . . . I do remember now the technical term for this - it's called "forced perception". You can really do a lot of crazy things with your camera.
http://digital-photography-school.com/forced-perspective
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I agree with you, I would much rather spend time photographing amateurs competing for their schools or pride then the "overgrown" and "overpaid" pro athletes any day.
Most of the communities in this area are in the population range of 300 to 3,000. Although I don't personally know all the kids and their parents, I do know all the coaches and the main players. And of course they all know who I am . . . "That old dude from Milbank who takes all the pictures" <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif" border="0" alt="" >
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I have lived in the North Central part of the US most of my life. I did spend some time on the East Coast (New Hampshire, about 50 miles North of Boston Ma) but it was too crowded for me and the lifestyle was a little too fast paced.
I did spend some time in the Rocky Mountians in Idaho (Sun Valley) but I guess I am a "flat-lander at heart. I do have a son that lives with his wife and their son in Denver Colorado. We have been out West to visit them a few times and it is nice, but it's not for me. And yes, one of my first "tourist" stops was the Coors brewery tour in Golden just outside of Denver. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/clap.gif" border="0" alt="" >
And just this winter my wife and I did make a trip down to the Southwest part of the country to Phoenix Arizona. That was different too.
The weather can get extreme in the Nothern Great Planes in the summer and winter but it tends to keep out the "riff raff". Not too many criminals want to be standing around looking for targets of opportunity when its 30 degreees below zero (I don't know what that is celcius but I should . . . I grew up 5 miles South of the Canadian border [Manitoba] in North Dakota).
Folks are pretty honest around these parts. In the summer there is a family that lives just across the street from me that runs a produce stand off of their truck farm. Nobody attends the stand. The prices are marked on the produce . . . you just bag your own vegtables and drop your money into the beat up old cash box that sits on the table. In the 23 years I have lived here nobody has walked off with that old cash box.
So to wrap it up, I would recomend that if you ever make it over to the "states' you would probably like the more rural areas of the country.
When you get a chance I would like to hear a little more about the land "Down Under". It would make a nice retirement trip for the wife and I in about 6 years.
Again, thanks for the positive feedback - Mark
What I love is that each Saturday the sports community all head off to where we are playing (4 levels of football and 9 levels of netball). Its like a travelling circus and plays a really important role in the social life of the school. Tomorrow is a "home" game for us - so at the end of the day everyone will go to the clubrooms for a meal, reports on the matches and announcing of best players. Plenty of chinwagging and a few beers (for those that drink it!). When we play "away" our closest (and biggest rival) game is 50km (30miles) - all of the other away towns are between 100-150km (60-90miles).
Everyone knows everyone in the club - and I know all of the kids because I teach at the school during the week. It is a fantastic thing for the kids, and their parents, to see you as a "slightly" normal human being!!
Look forward to seeing more of your work. Cheers :photo
www.acecootephotography.com