Precision skydivers

[Hooligan Dan]

Howdy, everyone. Just thought I'd share a couple photos from a story we ran today. A team of precision skydivers from Qatar are practicing at the local skydiving hotspot for the next 40 days. Basically they jump from only 3300 ft and have to touch their foot as close to the center of a 16 cm target. I imagine it's a lot more difficult than it sounds.

Not the best shooting conditions because I had to shoot into the sun, but I liked them.

Nikon D3s
Nikkor 17-35 2.8
RAW processed in LR4

 

[LaFoto]

You sure made the best of the conditions given, and I particularly like the first, as the colours go so well together. And he's still airborne, which I like.
Though it IS interesting to see how the other one lands on the very spot. But the power line and things on ground and other elements are a tad distracting, which is why I prefer the first to the second.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Seems like a tough one to shoot from the ground and make it both tell the story and be interesting visually.

Both shots are nice (although I agree with LaFoto's assesment) but neither really tells us what's going on. The way I would have tried to shoot this is from atop some very tall ladder (like a firemand's ladder truck) but I doubt your paper would have paid for that expense. And then, the skydivers themselves would probably have objected to it

I think you did just fine, considering. It is one of those cases where the 1000 words are needed to prop up the photo which really doesn't stand much of a chance on its own.

By the way, yes, I imagine it is a lot tougher than it sounds as 16 cm is only a bit more than 5 inches, for those who didn't get it.

 

[Hooligan Dan]

I agree, cloud, theses two photos don't really say much by themselves other than a couple guys jumped out of an airplane. That's why the paper has 7 other shots to go with them haha.

Thank you for commenting. I always appriciate your input on work.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

That's why the paper has 7 other shots to go with them haha.

Well, let's see them...


As an ex-PJ, I always kinda laugh at the notion that a picture is worth 1000 words Although it is possible to tell the story with just one photo, it is not often the case. And even with a few shots, it is not always possible.

On the other hand, some shots have generated millions of words in reaction to them because the story it told was not the one the photog intended. Perhaps the greatest example of that is this image: Avertissement de redirection

 

[Hooligan Dan]

Eddie Adams is an example I use all the time when speaking to a local Mass Comm class about photojournalism and how it affects society's view of conflicts.

Anyway, the other shots are pretty mundane. A shot of a guy tapping his toe on the target, getting on the airplane, packing chutes, that kind of stuff. I'd be interested in what you think of my Blind Artist post. I don't think many others here quite understand the importance of multimedia in photojournalism these days as much as you probably do.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

I'd be interested in what you think of my Blind Artist post. I don't think many others here quite understand the importance of multimedia in photojournalism these days as much as you probably do.

Wow, I feel honored. But where can I find it?

Or have I already seen it? It does sound a bit familiar.

 

[Hooligan Dan]

It's down at the bottom of the page. As with most of my multimedia threads here, it tanked quickly.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...ry-about-nearly-blind-high-school-artist.html