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Winter Action Images

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

Deep blue skies, bright colors of winter wear and rich colorful sunsets, the bold graphics of sports gear, the clear crisp air and the frozen landscapes – winter is a beautiful time of year to shoot the great outdoors. Makes me wonder, “Why don’t I get the assignments with palm trees and pool side Pina Coladas?”

Just to make sure I was on track here I googled “winter action images”, and I got pictures of guitar player/singer Johnny Winter action figures. We have to do better than this…

images

This is an opportunity to showcase your winter action images. Take the wheel of the snow mobile, and tell us the fine points of the craft.

So please show us your images of skiing and snowboarding and tell us about the difficulties and the solutions you have discovered. Explain what gear you choose and what you do to get that great image every time. How do you anticipate the timing? What lenses do you like? Do you have good luck panning?

Does shooting action require a ninja-like skill that you develop over 10,000 hours of shooting ski jumpers, or olympic skaters or hockey pucks headed at you at a hundred MPH? Tell us the details: shutter speeds, polarizers, point of view and pocket warmers.

Do you have an instinct for braving the cold and snow and a special way to keep your camera batteries warm? Maybe it’s more about being outdoors and the beauty of nature that is invigorating for the mind and spirit.

Do you need a release if everyone’s face is covered with a ski mask? Everyone looks like Freddy Kruger. Maybe you should get a release just in case one is the real Freddy Kruger.

I invited winter action super star Dave Black to visit the Big Shot Workshops and these are some of the images he showed us. Enter Dave Black’s world atwww.daveblackphotography.com.

photo by (c)Dave Black
Freestyling Over the Alps copy

And one of my daughter making up her own winter sport.

DSC2724.tif

Originally posted at 12:53PM, 27 December 2013 EST
Rob Van Petten edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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BioArt says:

D300, 300mm, 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1250
Blocking The Blizzard

D300, 300mm, 1/400 sec panning, f/7.1, ISO 200, -1/3EV
Michael Jackson - Farewell My Summer Love

D300, 155mm, 1/2500 sec with High FP Speedlight, f/7.1, ISO 640
Leaving Winter Behind

This one is resting after having seen lots of action
Winter 1945

©BioArtPhotography.com – All Rights Reserved
Originally posted 5 weeks ago.
BioArt edited this topic 5 weeks ago. 

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Mully410 * Images says:

My winter action photography rarely includes people. I have much more opportunity with wildlife here in Minnesota. Today wasn’t very cold (35-40F). My D4 battery lasted all day just fine but I had a spare available if needed. I fell once which covered the camera with snow. I gently brushed it off with a towel (never forget a towel).

I made this shot in the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge. There is a power plant nearby that keeps a small section of the Minnesota River from freezing. This allows many fowl and other animals a place to eat and drink. Most pelicans and great blue herons migrate south but it’s not super unusual to see them over-winter here.

Pelican and Heron_42719.jpg

Camera Nikon D4
Exposure 1/2500 sec
Aperture f/8.0 (Aperture Priority)
Focal Length 700 mm (Nikkor 500mm f4 + TC1.4eII)
ISO Speed 400 (use auto ISO set for 1/1000 as a safety for birds in flight, never see noise at ISO 400)
Exposure Bias -1/3 EV
Originally posted 5 weeks ago.
Mully410 * Images edited this topic 5 weeks ago. 

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daisyj85 says:

You don’t usually think of bikes in the snow, but I was able to photograph cyclocross races in the snow one day a few weeks ago. I specifically rented the 70-200 VRII lens, which is exactly what I needed that day on my D7000. (I am saving up now to purchase it)
Capital Cross (Explored)
5 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 BioArt:

Hi Bio – Birds in flight. This has some kind of filter it appears. Has the look of a PS glass filter. I notice that your shutter speed is 1/2000 sec. at ISO 1250. That is key to shooting this kind of image. It’s all about the shutter speed and the means to get there. High ISO is a big help. The longer the lens the higher the wipe open aperture also unless you are fortunate enough to have the long and fast glass. It will be interesting to see if we can draw some commonality of approach as we look at other people’s images. I’m thinking the new 80-400mm will be a favorite among action and wildlife shooters. There are some common rules among these two types of shooting. Long lenses are common, faster shutter speeds and higher ISOs are the regular fare.

I also like “…resting after seeing lots of action.” I’m inclined to empathize.
5 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Mully410 * Images:

Mully – Thanks for all the valuable detail. Battery life is a big consideration when it’s cold. Last week I was north of Burlington, Vermont where it was -9 degrees all day. My D800 was fine all day, although I did notice my battery was short of breath but not as bad as my own, so I was able to take a warm lunch break and recharge everything.

Falling is a problem doing action and especially when it’s icy and slippery. Shooting snow tubing yesterday, I fell only once but did talk to another guy who admitted to falling 12 times during the course of the day. Ouch. I like your towel idea. I have a couple of soft cotton hand towels that work well and render a minimum of lint. With the weather seal on the D4 and D800 I don’t worry about moisture much anymore.

Great shot. The juxtaposition of the two birds is perfect. This has action and pretty light, color, a big full composition without feeling crowded, and a great grey scale. I like many others on your Photostream as well.

You also chose 1/2500. Is that a common bird action speed? 1/2500 at F8 using ISO 400 with a -1/3 EV suggests a tremendous amount of light. I suppose all that snow is bouncing a lot of brightness.

In any case. These are quite nice and skillfully composed, exposed and processed. Thanks for joining in.
5 weeks ago

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platypusstudios says:

I’m out in the snow a lot….but usually just photographing landscapes until the sun comes out. Action shots were difficult with my D90 in the low light, with a slow lens…..thankfully, my carefully honed Jedi/Ninja skills can be called upon.

The first two shots are from a snow storm last March. It wasn’t terribly cold, and it wasn’t still snowing – so the degree of difficulty wasn’t too high. If it gets really cold, a hand warmer in your pocket can help keep your fingers limber.

Snow Beast by platypusstudios
Fun in the Snow by platypusstudios

For this last shot I had to keep my new D610 relatively dry. In a storm like this everything gets wet. Keep a microfiber cloth handy. Conditions were terrible….but sometimes that’s what you get with “winter action”.

More Snow! by platypusstudios

5 weeks ago

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shottwokill says:

Another Day another Airport 5

I doubt that this fall into the action shots you were describing above with the beautiful blue sky and colorful clothing but I think it captures multiple layers of action that fade into the blizzard with the crash crew on stand-by, patrols on the only path they can see, the de icing crew and the plane being engulfed in the steam from the liquid spray, while the plows are blowing snow into the air and the winter storm throwing it back with equal or greater force. What caught my eye at that moment was the collective rough raw winter and what appears to be a losing fight against it. Not being a planned shot, there was little preparation over the normal adjustments of a snapshot to document the plane I was about to board and hoped it got me off the ground before the storm got worse. For experience to capture a shot like this I would offer, (aside from 1.5 million frequent flier miles worth of airport delays and choking down another fat burger while being grateful it’s not a bullet (yet in a way it is)), I just reached into my carry-on and pulled out an old D80 with a kit lens and tried to block any glare that was on the window. I left it on the 100 ISO and using a manual exposure mode I went for ‘f8 and be there’. Before pulling the trigger, I did bump up the sharpness and saturation a tad to help object separation when shooting into a wall of white and the contrast that accompanies shooting at an angle through glass when the inside light is greater and a different color temp than the outside natural light. That is when it hit me – You real photographers have it all – money, women, cars, shoots in the best of places – You guys got it made.
5 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 daisyj85:

Right – I don’t think of bike events in the snow but the craziest extreme sports keep cropping up, so nothing surprises me. When I’ve tried to navigate my bike in snow it usually means a close-up shot with a snow drift. I give them and you a lot of credit. I for one, wouldn’t jump out of a plane with nothing but a snow board, but people are having fun doing it.

The 70-200mm VRII sounds like a wise choice for this event and is versatile and manageable for a long day. That lens on a DX format gives you the longer lens factor and is much lighter with the D7000 body. That lens is a standard good investment for most genres of shooters. Teleconverters work well with this lens too and expands the range of your whole kit. As with much of this winter action imagery, a major factor is not falling over and converting your new 70-200mmVRII into a snow cone.

Thanks for submitting this image for us.
5 weeks ago

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christianhunold says:

We don’t get much of a winter here in the mid-Atlantic, but sometimes it’s cold enough for herons on ice!

Sticking the landing! (1/800ƒ/4.5 ISO 1100 500 mm)
sticking the landing!

Strike! (1/80 ƒ/4.5 ISO 1000 300 mm)
strike!
5 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 platypusstudios:

Shooting landscapes before the sun comes up? That shows commitment. I also recognize your highly attuned Jedi/Ninja skills. Did you actually use a light saber or is this just high ISO and a very steady hand? I have seen some small LED light saber looking gadgets that look like they might work. My preference however would be the Ninja Skills approach. It burns more calories and must be applicable to variety of other practical household uses.

The light quality from a snowy ground cover has a very filled and flat dynamic. The light level is often higher than I expect due to the 360 degree fill. It’s effective to have that red football in the dogs mouth. Nice to hear from you and Happy New Year too.
5 weeks ago

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platypusstudios says:

Happy New Year to you too Rob!

Truth be told, I’m not photographing winter landscapes before the sun comes UP – though I really should be. I’m photographing before the sun comes OUT. So, no bright blue sky, just that super flat light from an overcast sky and snow all around. I like that light…..but there is a big difference between what I see and what my camera sees. Mainly, you don’t get much detail in the snow.

The first image is un-edited and I’ve done a (rather sloppy) levels adjustment to the snow on the ground in the second. Sometimes no detail in the snow is good, but in the biking shot I think the churned up snow adds to the “action”. I’m hopeful that the Great Gear Upgrade of 2013/2014 will cut down on the need for post processing. It’s snowing again – so I must get back to my “testing”.

Dedicated Biker by platypusstudios
Dedicated Biker - Edited by platypusstudios

5 weeks ago

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Ivan Sorensen | www.ivansorensenphotography.com says:

Winter is for the young and the young at heart.

Jake's Christmas Skates

Winter is for great scenery.

Kristen's Canadiana

Winter is for happy colours and holiday times.

Christmas Colours

It’s been a very cold and snowy winter so far. Did I mention it was cold? Minus 22C and -35C with the wind chill as I’m typing this. My D800 really doesn’t care. It has been encrusted with ice, snow and freezing rain numerous times and so long as I start with a fresh battery I haven’t had a single complaint from it. Just be sure to let the temps equalize before shooting in extremes. If coming from a warm room or car let the body and lens cool off to clear any possible fogging before starting to shoot. Of course, you could just ignore the lens fogging and shoot for that hazy effect. Don’t forget the woolies.

The first two images were shot in very flat lighting. I actually find that to be the most useful condition because I can choose how much detail to include depending on how I expose the shot. There was some unattractive details in the snow of the second image due to a severe ice storm that I was able to ‘blow out’ in large part by metering on the darker buildings.

The third image was shot during a heavy snowfall, hand held, high ISO, as my great-grandson and me were traipsing through the park.
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
Ivan Sorensen | www.ivansorensenphotography.com edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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Mully410 * Images says:

 Rob Van Petten:

Thanks! I’m almost always in Aperture priority so I can control the DOF. I had the Auto ISO set for a min of 1/1000s and since there was a ton of bright sunlight, I got 1/2500 sec. I try at least 1/1000 when I’m shooting BIFs, if the light permits. I also almost always shoot a wide open f-stop but this bright day was giving me very high shutters so I closed down a little just in case I started pushing close to 1/8000 sec.

More tips: keep one of those cheap chemical hand warmers in the same pocket as your towel and it makes it easier to wipe the frost off the LCD. Sometimes I put a band-aid on my nose if I find it freezing to the back of the camera. I have spikes for my boots but forgot them that day. They are now in the truck for next time.
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
Mully410 * Images edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 shottwokill:

We definitely have it made. If you’re convinced we have all these wonderful benefits, we have mastered our craft very well. We’ve created a very convincing illusion through the use of photography. Thank you.

I like the notion of using the fine tuning available in your menu – within fingertips reach – to adjust for fog and haze to get clearer and cleaner more saturated capture. That is great use of the tools at hand. I admit I’m inclined to fix it in photoshop being a very PS kind of guy and also not too inclined to mess with my menu for fear of forgetting what I adjusted and not wanted the effects when I got back to the studio for the important shots.

My previously mentioned friend Dave Black in the intro to this thread is extremely good at the menu and taught me a long time ago that applying what you can at the time of capture is the best approach. He is a master at the buttons on the back of the camera.

Just remember – Money, women (or men), cars, shoots in the best places… You can’t have all at the same time. You occasionally get paid and then can afford one of the others for a short time. Better by far to live on loving the process of shooting better pictures. Nice to hear from you.
4 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

I read the very amusing post about the post… It was so clever and well written I hope you can re-post.
4 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 christianhunold:

Herons on ice. Sticking the landing has a great sense of tension and great fragile timing. These are the moments that make photography a great art form. Cameras can stop time. They allow us to concentrate and examine a fraction of time when some fleeting event is really beautiful. This heron has stuck the landing – power brakes still on enough that the feathers are still reacting. A split second event caught by magically stopping the continuum of time. I’m surprised this is that still at 1/800. What do you say bird shooters, is that about right? I have shot horses at full gallop that are blurry at 1/800 and none are airborne quite yet.

The Strike shot at 1/80 is a great use of shooting the various parts of the bird that are moving at different speeds. This may be my favorite kind of action shot because it’s so much more of a challenge to anticipate the speed of extremities and the slower speed of the head and body.

I have shot many commercial jobs for Reebok and Nike and a variety of athletic apparel manufacturers where this technique is really key. You want to stick the athletes face or a shoe, and blur much of the rest slightly.

This is a very useful and gratifying technique to employ once you get the general feel of relative speeds of moving extremities. I think 1/80 of a second for a fast runner was a good place to make some magic images.

These are very nicely done. Very sharp, well chosen focus points, neutrals and colors play well together, DOF choice. All nicely conceived. Thanks.
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
Rob Van Petten edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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JimPeel says:

Snow Mustache
Snow Mustache
Labs love all forms of water!
4 weeks ago

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Rodeographer says:

 Rob Van Petten: Re re-post post posting.

Sorry Rob, It’s gone and deleted. I wrote it as a dare from a friend – a 36 hour dare. Didn’t know you read it, glad you liked it though.

Untitled
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
Rodeographer edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Rodeographer:

I loved it. The post of a post. You are a very good writer. I was preparing my response and I was enjoying the challenge of matching wits. Sorry you lost it – but please feel free to take the dare and submit future whimsical entries. Thanks for the reply.
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
Rob Van Petten edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Ivan Sorensen | www.ivansorensenphotography.com:

Ivan – Nice submission and Happy new Year. The light in your Young at Heart image is so clean it looks like the studio. Great colors with the red against the white. There is front light quality looks like fill flash. It has a touch more contrast than most images shot in the white snow.

“Winter is for scenery” has a well seen use of the white out ground and sky using the wide angle of this perspective. Has a contrastier quality than many shots against the snow. The extra snap gives this one a vibrance and textural sense.

“Happy colours and holidays times” is a beautiful night shot. Thank you for the blow by blow approach to ice and snow. This shot looks like a Currier and Ives illustration. This flare and sparkle from the lights in the trees and the blue lights on the Christmas tree emit a great magical feeling in the air here. You photographed a feeling, capturing a sensory experience here. The high ISO glow and flare work really beautifully here. This one is a real beauty. The mood works with the moment and the subject matter so well. Thanks Ivan.
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
Rob Van Petten edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 JimPeel:

Happy New Year Jim – Nice portrait of the dog. He looks a bit concerned here. At least the white in his goatee will brush off. Mine is there for good. You have controlled the contrast and saturation in the flare from the snow very nicely. Do you do this in post or are you adjusting your exposure and sharpness or contrast in the camera to suit the light conditions? This works very well.
4 weeks ago

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shottwokill says:

Bus Stop

Rob, I know exactly what you mean about not changing the camera settings back to the preferred settings. I took this while walking back to a hotel. It struck me as a lonely winter scene; single guy late at night and the single set of tire tracks in the snow made me believe he might be there a long time before the next bus comes by. But to get a hand held shot in that light, I bumped up the ISO. For this shot the lack of detail (depending on taste) may even add to the low light and wintery scene. However, a couple days later the next group of shots was under much different conditions and the required detail was not there and the noise was unacceptable for those shots because I did forget to change the settings. My other camera has multiple programmable shooting modes so it is easier to keep a group of settings but being in the wrong mode happens. Especially as cameras become more complex and the menus become so option rich. I do like to try to get it right in the camera but I think there is a necessary balance between image capture and the post work.
You say “you can’t have it all at the same time” to the “money, women, cars” comment (Which hopefully was an obvious tongue-in-cheek comment). I think when one’s insight is only the high quality output of the professional photographer (or any profession) it may be easy to assume the ‘Grass is Greener’ But having seen you actually working and your experience and professionalism with the equipment, crew, client, models – all of that – as soon as one looks beyond just the finished product and see the effort required, they have to realize the “Grass may look greener but it still needs mowed” It’s hard to get quality out without putting quality in. Living for the love of the process often results in the greener grass.
Originally posted 4 weeks ago.
shottwokill edited this topic 4 weeks ago. 

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John Blackwood says:

This set was taken after a snowfall on top of existing snow. Our dog was having a great time breaking a new trail until he hit a soft spot. He emerged a few seconds later and decided that it was time to come indoors.

Tuuli in Snow by John Blackwood
Tuuli in Snow by John Blackwood
Tuuli in Snow by John Blackwood

4 weeks ago

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Ivan Sorensen | www.ivansorensenphotography.com says:

“Living for the love of the process often results in the greener grass.”

Perfect! Can I steal that?
4 weeks ago

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Ivan Sorensen | www.ivansorensenphotography.com says:

Rob, Happy new year to you as well and thanks for your comments. In particular the mention of contrast caused me to go back through my stream and you are right. My stuff is heavy on contrast. I simply prefer pictures with a little ‘pop’ in them.

I find the D800 produces images that are almost too clean when properly exposed and contain so much detail that they look almost flat. There is simply no need for HDR because the D800 NEF images are inherently low contrast to begin with.

Having said that, I think I will explore the lower contrast style a little more than I have been doing, especially for portraits.
4 weeks ago

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shottwokill says:

Ivan, Steal is such a strong word but if it help in any way please use it.

WRT contrast, I typically go for a stronger contrast, There are times when I do like the softer appeal of lower contrast but usually when I try for it I do not feel as comfortable with the results.

WRT the D800, I have a D800 and the RAW files are very clean especially if you can put it on sticks, use live view and enlarge on the very edge of the subject when focusing, clarity is excellent. The dynamic range is excellent so HDR is not needed in many cases, if HDR is desired the D800 just makes it that much better. (HDR – I am referencing the dynamic range of the image and not the Tone mapping to get the surreal effect. However, even that – quality in quality out)
4 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 shottwokill:

You touch on a very good point in your description of changing settings and forgetting to change back. Multiple shooting Menu Banks under the camera icon in the menu or the Custom Settings Menu also allows you to save settings for color, auto focus metering and a a variety of other preferences. It’s another layer of adjustments to remember. However, with a little practice and refinement, these settings can be a very useful tool. It provides you with a one stop set of preferences for a style of shot that may be replicated.

I like your comment, “Living for the love of the process often results in the greener grass”. If the grass looks greener it’s probably because I painted it green, saturated it and retouched out the weeds – both physically and figuratively. We only put the good ones in the portfolio.

On the contrary, there are some extremely talented and accomplished non-professions in this group who get the grass pretty green very often. The common lament of the pro-shooter is that they wish they hadn’t make this beautiful art form into their business.
4 weeks ago

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christianhunold says:

 Rob Van Petten:

Thanks for your thoughtful response, Rob.
4 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 John Blackwood:

Very amusing. This works well as a series. It has a cinematic sense. Winter action for sure. From the look of the light level, I’m guessing this was a brighter day and that your meter, reading the snow at 18% grey, darkened the whole shot for you. Could that be? A simple EV+ 1/2 – 2/3 can be the answer to that problem when shooting, or brighten it up in post. Thanks for the fun photos.
4 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Ivan Sorensen | www.ivansorensenphotography.com:

I’m stealing that line too. It sounds like a quote from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I do see a slight touch of snappiness in your collection and I was not criticizing but only acknowledging your preference. I think it works and especially is effective to counter the often flat and two dimensional depth of a snow scene. I was simply drawing attention through your examples what seemed to be an effective solution to a common occurrence in the winter. May the force be with you.
4 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

I had an opportunity to shoot my daughter practicing for a track meet last night – as cold as it was.

_DSC1964
_DSC1974

3 weeks ago

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JimPeel says:

 Happy New Year Rob, Snow Mustache goes back to the days before I shot RAW and pre-Lightroom, so I’m not really sure what I did to that one. The photo below hits more on the theme Winter Action. As with many of my sports shots, post is my friend, when I get peak action but not an ideal exposure I try to make it pop as best as I can in post.

The one below was shot RAW, in A-Mode usually +0.7 EV but in post I felt it needed +1 stop, so I’m not sure if I did add the +0.7EV. WB: As Shot, Brightness and Contrast: 50-25 Default. Pumped up Clarity, Blacks, and added some Vib and Sat. Heavy sharpness to bring out snow blast.

_DSC3369.jpg

Alas, his white beard nor mine wipe off anymore.
Originally posted 3 weeks ago.
JimPeel edited this topic 3 weeks ago. 

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 JimPeel:

Hi Jim – I understand the post part of it completely. The job of any digital photographer is to consider what part can be done with the controls of the camera, and what can be done in the computer. Both have extensive tool boxes and both have their place in the completion of a great picture. There is no picture that I publish that does not get a complete visit in photoshop to consider what can be enhanced, reduced removed or otherwise manipulated to improve the impact. Sometimes it’s a little contrast pop, but sometimes it’s a complete rebuild.

Thanks for walking us through your entire process on this new dog in the snow shot. I was shooting in the snow recently and arrived at this exact same approach, shooting in Aperture Priority for the DOF control, with a +0.7 EV to compensate for the meter reading the snow as grey, also pumping in a slight bit of contrast and clarity and vibrance to add some dimension to the otherwise snow filled flatness. I like the idea of sharpening here to enhance the textural quality of the snow also. These are all good uses of the tools.

Thanks for all the details. Shooting in snow does have a special set of conditions to keep in mind. This formula that you are describing is a good working approach and a way to keep a good working RAW file and adjust a few other tweaks in the RAW processing or in Photoshop. If I were shooting in snow everyday and it was my regular fare, I might make a set of picture control settings to jump to and keep handy in the camera. Thanks for your comments.
3 weeks ago

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Rodeographer says:

The pic below is a snowmobile drag racing event I attended 3 days ago. This particular image I didn’t care for – was going to delete it – so decided to torture it instead.

Rob, I can’t tell you what I have done with this, just kept mucking with it till I got something I somewhat liked. Should I decide I don’t like it in the morning – I’ll save you some typing.
2nd place
D4 + 400mm f/2.8 shot wide open
2 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Rodeographer:

Rodeographer – You bring up a good topic. Fixing things in photoshop – or just messing around with them in post to see where you can take it. If nothing else it’s another creative area to dabble and exercise your photoshop skills. I like doing that on a regular basis. I see something done and I want to see how that could apply to my style.

It appears you have added a textured template here with some patina and paint cracks – I’m not sure that really makes this image any better. If it looked a bit more like the dirt of the track and mud and snow flying then it might work. It reminds me of a hundred movie posters where I do see some very good effects being used regularly. (For a few years I shot movie posters for A & E TV which was a lot of fun in the conceptualizing and problem solving of like things you are talking about here.)

This is a complicated image with this compression of depth from your long 400mm lens, and all these out of focus elements in the foreground. You appear to be shooting through another closer rider which gives the moment a greater sense of drama and action. The sharpness and saturation of colors is making this shot work.

I don’t think it has the singular instant impact and competence of some of your other rodeo images, but not every image is the cover of your book, nor is this one bad. On the contrary I think it looks good and belongs somewhere inside the book. Keep these cool action images coming.
Originally posted 2 weeks ago.
Rob Van Petten edited this topic 3 days ago. 

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Rodeographer says:

 Rob Van Petten:

Rob, you beat me by four hours. The morning after I posted the image, I still kind of liked it – so it got an extension. The next day I changed my mind, went to delete the post and saw your reply.

The idea behind the torture session was not to make the reject better – but to wreak my vengeance upon a still, to murder it with finesse. Yet, I am in agreement with you that flying mud, snow, dirt, (blood, now that would be nifty) would be a more appropriate background setting.

Regarding the (or any) rodeo images you have seen in my stream, they too are rejects in a way. When I finish shooting a subject, I divide the photographs into three parts. The total rejects – like the above pic – compromise about 5 to 10 percent of the total.

Then come the so-so shots, images I’m not crazy about yet are not total garbage – they end up in Flickr. I realize theft is rampant on the internet, so if some folks around this wondrous globe of ours feel the need to partake, they have my blessing. The third part, roughly 15 percent of the lot – are images I consider to be good – and are only available for private viewing.

Rob, thanks again for taking the time and offering me your insight on how to make the drab look more appealing, I appreciate it.
2 weeks ago

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Rodeographer:

Hi Rodeo – I’m traveling but I want to follow up. Maybe reply tomorrow. You have an interesting editing formula. That’s worth exploring. And I have to say if what you shot here is the yard sale variety of your stuff, I’d like to see the 5 star top shelf images. In any case I think you have a very developed style and a lot of very competent technique. When I get landed I will take some time to revisit your comments and respond. Thanks again. Yes, mud and blood seem to be the right filtration for this image.
2 weeks ago

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Rodeographer says:

DSC_0409 Interior_pe last

Goggles

I was the only photographer to shoot the event right next to the racing lanes. All other photographers were shooting from behind snow barricades – probably a wise move – but to get the shots I wanted, I did it my way. (Can anybody hear Frank Sinatra?)

I used a simple setup. I was shooting from a kneeling position with a D4 and the 400mm @ 2.8 on a Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 (carbon fibre) tripod with a Wimberley head, and had positioned a second camera (D3S) with a 17-35 f/2.8 (set at 17mm and f/8.0) between lane numbers 2 and 3 on the ice four inches off the ground – mounted on a Skimmer Pod II with a Markins Q-Ball Q20i head – triggered with a PW Multimax.

I was told that there could be a high probability that the D3S would get run over – but I figured it was worth it to get these high speed machines at that low a level. It is also best in these situations to shoot with both eyes open. Shooting the 400 at 2.8 allowed me to only concentrate on one racer at a time, and not necessarily the winner or the snowmobile in the lane closest to me – 4 feet away. Shooting with both eyes open would give me a few seconds of rolling out of the way should any of the racers lose control of their machines.

I got some good images from the D4 and the 400, but none (zero) from the D3S. When I initially positioned the D3S in between the lanes, I checked the operation of the camera and remote trigger and everything clicked fine. Apparently what happened – the power cord connecting the Multimax to the 10-pin socket vibrated loose from the passing machines (my fault for not securing the screw-in lock on the cable properly) and all the shots that I thought I fired didn’t trigger the camera. (Once the D3S was positioned between the lanes, no access is allowed to check its condition till after all the races are over.)

I don’t have a problem positioning a good body and lens in the way of harm, as long as I get some positive results from it. On the bright side, it did teach me a lesson I won’t forget.

*Edited to include tripod information.
Originally posted 6 days ago.
Rodeographer edited this topic 3 days ago. 

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Rob Van Petten is a group moderator Rob Van Petten says:

 Rodeographer:

Great story – thank you. And thanks for all the tech details. There is a lot more to getting a good action picture of a race like this than might meet the eye. The technical end of the production has a lot of options and with those options comes opportunity for failures. I really appreciate your camera, lens, tripod, and Pocket Wizard details here. Very good of you to share technique. Great shot too. A 400mm is not an easy thing to handle. Great shot. Thanks.
4 days ago 

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