C&C Skateboarding

[MitchStrp]

Some stuff I have been working on, very new to photography and especially skate photography.. Critique me please but be gentle haha! I couldn't get much closer in this image because everytime I tried I ended with a board to the shin or foot. I understand there is some motion blur but at 1/250 of a second idk how to get rid of it. It is the only thing to bother me about this photo!!

Nikon D3200
Rokinon 8mm lens

Shot at
ISO 100
f stop 8.0
1/250th
1 OCF at 1/4 power

 

[TATTRAT]

Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.

 

[MitchStrp]

Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.

If you show more open space like I did in this image, it shows where he came from and where he is going, sliding in this case. If it is closer up you cant really tell what is going on, I know this is a bad example but for example if I did a close crop you would think he was posed or wouldnt know anymore about this image but now its almost self explanatory

 

[Ballistics]

Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.

If you show more open space like I did in this image, it shows where he came from and where he is going, sliding in this case. If it is closer up you cant really tell what is going on, I know this is a bad example but for example if I did a close crop you would think he was posed or wouldnt know anymore about this image but now its almost self explanatory

I agree with needing dead space, but there is a bit too much dead space.

 

[MitchStrp]

If a crop is in need could you show me what your thinking? It would probably help me out in the long run!!

 

[TATTRAT]

Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.

If you show more open space like I did in this image, it shows where he came from and where he is going, sliding in this case. If it is closer up you cant really tell what is going on, I know this is a bad example but for example if I did a close crop you would think he was posed or wouldnt know anymore about this image but now its almost self explanatory

I get what you are saying, but if you cropped closer with more than just a slide, it would look more active. With such little motion blur, and all the space, it looks posed already. Hell, he doesn't even have to land it, and you have the lighting where it needs to be. With the board planted, it just seems a bit lackluster, imo. Have him do something aerial, power slides, lip slides, even a lot of grinds are hard to convey unless you are right up on 'em, again, imo. Use to do a lot of skate/surf shooting when I was living on Oahu and if there is one thing I learned, more action, more better.

Hell, just google "skateboarding photography" and you'll see that almost every shot is in the air, or the board is off the ground in some level.

 

[MitchStrp]

I appreciate it man! The only reason we shot this particular trick on this particular rail is because its located in my hometown and it was on the cover of a smaller west coast magazine and we wanted to replicate the trick and image. I agree though, I wish I could have gotten close its just hard plus I have a broken ankle from skateboarding so I was on crutches and it was pretty hard to get this shot. Ill post some others very shortly of more action but they werent to my liking.

 

[Ballistics]

 

[TATTRAT]

Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .

Punched up the lighting and the yellow curb, and tried to enhance some of the motion, still though, would like the cars out and the horizon to not be in there. Just my humble $.02

 

[MitchStrp]

Nose slide and bail on the Nose grind haha!! This one is just a blooper for good fun.

 

[MitchStrp]

Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .

Punched up the lighting and the yellow curb, and tried to enhance some of the motion, still though, would like the cars out and the horizon to not be in there. Just my humble $.02

The cars dont bother me and in most skate magazines dont get chopped out, its street skating and actually gives it the street feel. I do hate the powerlines though!! Also when you edited it doesnt look bad but it looks like you brightened up the contrast now his skin looks funnny.

 

[TATTRAT]

Those convey a LOT more action, and are a lot more pleasing to look at honestly. If dude man in the second shot had still had a foot on the nose, it would look fantastic!

That's the cool thing about this type of shooting though, you can go to any park, and for the most part, all the peeps there are willing to put on a show once the camera and flashes come out, even if you don't know them. Keep up on it, it will start coming more and ore naturally, just like any type of shooting.

 

[TATTRAT]

Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .

Punched up the lighting and the yellow curb, and tried to enhance some of the motion, still though, would like the cars out and the horizon to not be in there. Just my humble $.02

The cars dont bother me and in most skate magazines dont get chopped out, its street skating and actually gives it the street feel. I do hate the powerlines though!! Also when you edited it doesnt look bad but it looks like you brightened up the contrast now his skin looks funnny.

Yeah, I can see that now, it was a quick edit, more to convey the aspect I guess, I also see where you are coming from for the street skating aspect.

 

[MitchStrp]

Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .

Punched up the lighting and the yellow curb, and tried to enhance some of the motion, still though, would like the cars out and the horizon to not be in there. Just my humble $.02

The cars dont bother me and in most skate magazines dont get chopped out, its street skating and actually gives it the street feel. I do hate the powerlines though!! Also when you edited it doesnt look bad but it looks like you brightened up the contrast now his skin looks funnny.

Yeah, I can see that now, it was a quick edit, more to convey the aspect I guess, I also see where you are coming from for the street skating aspect.

but I like how you made the ledge a solid yellow instead of a blown out yellow.. I should have done that ! It looks good, Im just such an anti photoshop nut!!

 

[TATTRAT]

... Im just such an anti photoshop nut!!

I have a version of lightroom. . .I still don't quite get all of it. I came from film, and still try to get things right on the camera. I hate to rely on post processing to get "the shot", honestly, then it's not photography to me, but digital art. Nice to see someone else who isn't into the whole photoshop thing.