One skateboard shot

[CouncilmanDoug]

I'm still very inexperienced using flash, and regardless shooting skateboarding with only one flash is pretty difficult. I realize now I should've diffused the flash a bit, and the backgrounds pretty busy but there's not much I could do about that. Any tips or comments would be nice

Chris. by Henryfradley, on Flickr

 

[jhenry330]

You're right, background is busy. Ever do much shooting into the sun?...taking a pic from that angle cures the need for diffused flash and gets rid of distracting background.

 

[jhenry330]

Keep in mind I meant shooting again at low sun.

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

unfortunately the other side is just as busy, and that would mean I'd be taking a picture of his ass

 

[jhenry330]

Oh, it looked as if the sun was just to the right of him...

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

Oh I get what you were saying. yeah the sun is too the right and the flash is sitting on top of the ramp

 

[Jaemie]

The yellow play structure competes highly for attention. How about cropping it and much of the other distracting background elements and rendering the image in portrait orientation? Something like this, perhaps:

 

[Mot]

While I actually skate (I'm currently out due to a sprained ankle) I haven't actually combined photography and skateboarding. However, I do spend a lot of time looking at skateboard photography!

I think you've captured a good moment (fs indy?), I think you just need to change where you're shooting from. You've mentioned the distracting background, you could try moving in line with him on the ramp, ask him to ride up towards you. Both of you have to be comfortable but it blocks out the play park. You could also put the camera down to the coping, that'll give a nice low down feel.

Basically you'll get this: http://www.tailtap.com/images/lancesmith_strople2.jpg

I think shooting with a single flash is perfectly adequate, what would you be hoping to achieve with more lights? Quite often in skate photography a single flash is used to drop the background out i.e well exposed subject with dark background. You could do it with the flash on or off the camera.

 

[imagemaker46]

If you can work from a much lower angle, shooting from the ground up, you may be able to get rid of that background. As with anything, wotout knowing the situation you're shooting in, it's difficult to give advice.

 

[CouncilmanDoug]

Thanks for the words guys. I think its just one of those things I need to just do a bunch to get decent at it. And as for the having more flashes one problem I had was getting the subject in the flash properly, I figured having 2 pointed in slightly different directions I'd be able to get them frozen in action. like this photo, he aired over the flash so he's pretty blurry

Hunter. by Henryfradley, on Flickr
I did try a different crop jaemie, I like it

DSC_0050 by Henryfradley, on Flickr
I wish I had a fish, but theres so much other camera gear I need more that I can't justify it. I did just order a 35mm though, excited about that, and school starts in a couple days so I'll have access to a darkroom