Teva Mountain Games

[GeneralBenson]

Hey Peeps. A few weeks ago I was one of the official shooters for the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO. For those who don't know, the TMG's are a sports festival and competition, which focuses on outdoor/mountain sports; like rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, trail running, as well as being renowned for its fantastic night life. It's always a great time. I had shotthe games last year, just as a freelancer, but was very excited to be officially on board this year; which in addition to the awesomeness of shooting them last year, added thing like money, lodging, free food, beer and wine, unlimited access, and a free t-shirt. Big time score, considering I was going to shoot it anyways. So here are some of my favorite images from the event. All images captured with a variety of Pentax bodies (K-7, K20d, K10d, K-x) and the whole Pentax line of DA* lenses.

More images are available for viewing, if one wishes, on these 4 blog posts:

SteepCreek Championship Kayaking
Bouldering World Cup Qualifiers
Bouldering World Cup Semi's and Finals
Lifestyle and Emotion

Comments and critiques are welcome if you wish. Otherwise, enjoy!

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[Derrel]

Some fun shots. I stopped by your blog and looked at all the entries. I really like #s 9,10,12,and 15 from this page. Some of those bouldering ladies are pretty easy on the eyes! I liked the remote camera work that enabled such great shots like #9. (I assume #9 was from a remote camera, or you're part monkey!)

"money, lodging, free food, beer and wine, unlimited access, and a free t-shirt. Big time score, considering I was going to shoot it anyways."

---Yeah, those are some pretty cool things! I hope they had some good craft beer there! Bottoms up, slam it down!

 

[camz]

If C&C is what your looking for here's my take.

I really like #8 and #10..


#1 It's too bad the part of the paddle got cut off on the upper left.

# 4 I would've zoomed in a little bit more to get rid of the trees on the right and the two guys in the background.

#12 looks more like a portrait shoot then a sports event.

#13 I'm not really digging the distortion...he looks like plastic man.

#16 too bad her hand got cut off on the right.

 

[briarder]

I really like the sky/clouds in # 11 & 14. Did you use a filter to get that look ?

 

[GeneralBenson]

Some fun shots. I stopped by your blog and looked at all the entries. I really like #s 9,10,12,and 15 from this page. Some of those bouldering ladies are pretty easy on the eyes! I liked the remote camera work that enabled such great shots like #9. (I assume #9 was from a remote camera, or you're part monkey!)

"money, lodging, free food, beer and wine, unlimited access, and a free t-shirt. Big time score, considering I was going to shoot it anyways."

---Yeah, those are some pretty cool things! I hope they had some good craft beer there! Bottoms up, slam it down!

Well, unfortunately Budweiser was one of the title sponsors, so you had to be pretty crafty yourself to get something better. There was indeed a remote camera on top of the climbing wall. But #8 was the remote shot in this set, #9 was hand held. Thanks for the compliments!

 

[GeneralBenson]

If C&C is what your looking for here's my take.

I really like #8 and #10..


#1 It's too bad the part of the paddle got cut off on the upper left.

# 4 I would've zoomed in a little bit more to get rid of the trees on the right and the two guys in the background.

#12 looks more like a portrait shoot then a sports event.

#13 I'm not really digging the distortion...he looks like plastic man.

#16 too bad her hand got cut off on the right.

Yeah, I would also love to have the rest of the paddle in #1. That was shooting at 16mm, and that paddler lost control and came through that shoot half sideways and then ricocheted off that wall. I was perched inches from the class 5 rapids, and he was inches always from taking me out and knocking me in. So all thing considered, I'm happy with the way that shot came out. Even though the paddle is not all in, I still feel like it transmits a lot of the intensity of the moment.

#4 Yeah I can see that. I wanted to stay wide though to keep the perspective that she's about to go off a 6 ft drop. One of the problems with this event is that it's always swarming with photo and video people, an it can be really tough to get shots without other people in them.

#12 Pretty much is just a portrait. Well I guys it's a portrait at a sporting event, although nothing in the photo would give that away. That was during the night life part, and the wasn't anything I was supposed to be shooting then. And I just saw this really pretty girl with a bunch of warmth behind her that would look good knocked out of focus, so I asked her If I could make a quick portrait. I like the way it came out, but I would have liked it if I could have have incorporated something so that it would have been more environmental, but she was sort of far away from the action and the ambient light was so low. In hindsight though, I wish I would have done something to set up the shot a little differently so that it atlest had the "I'm enjoying the nightlife" kind of vibe to it.

#13 What distortion? There's nothing but basic light room adjustments in the photo.

#16 Agree. I feel like the action going on with her shirt and face is sort enough to keep your attention there, and thankfully, her arm gets muddier as it goes out of the frame, almost acting like a vignette, to keep your eye from going over there. So it doesn't bother me a ton, but I still would rather it was in there.

#8 was 50% luck, 25% pushing a button and hoping you remote camera is firing, 20% f/8, 5% being there.

Thanks for the critique!

 

[GeneralBenson]

I really like the sky/clouds in # 11 & 14. Did you use a filter to get that look ?

Both of those shots hada circular polarizer on them. Although, they hardly needed it. That just what the sky looks like in Vail. High elevation, very little pollution, very blue skies and white as cotton clouds. In both of those shots, I had to brighten and desaturate the blue because it was too intense. I would have been better off without the cpol, as lightening the blue channel never ends well. Although the cpol don't bring alot more clarity to the sky, which is nice.

 

[camz]

If C&C is what your looking for here's my take.

I really like #8 and #10..


#1 It's too bad the part of the paddle got cut off on the upper left.

# 4 I would've zoomed in a little bit more to get rid of the trees on the right and the two guys in the background.

#12 looks more like a portrait shoot then a sports event.

#13 I'm not really digging the distortion...he looks like plastic man.

#16 too bad her hand got cut off on the right.

Yeah, I would also love to have the rest of the paddle in #1. That was shooting at 16mm, and that paddler lost control and came through that shoot half sideways and then ricocheted off that wall. I was perched inches from the class 5 rapids, and he was inches always from taking me out and knocking me in. So all thing considered, I'm happy with the way that shot came out. Even though the paddle is not all in, I still feel like it transmits a lot of the intensity of the moment.

#4 Yeah I can see that. I wanted to stay wide though to keep the perspective that she's about to go off a 6 ft drop. One of the problems with this event is that it's always swarming with photo and video people, an it can be really tough to get shots without other people in them.

#12 Pretty much is just a portrait. Well I guys it's a portrait at a sporting event, although nothing in the photo would give that away. That was during the night life part, and the wasn't anything I was supposed to be shooting then. And I just saw this really pretty girl with a bunch of warmth behind her that would look good knocked out of focus, so I asked her If I could make a quick portrait. I like the way it came out, but I would have liked it if I could have have incorporated something so that it would have been more environmental, but she was sort of far away from the action and the ambient light was so low. In hindsight though, I wish I would have done something to set up the shot a little differently so that it atlest had the "I'm enjoying the nightlife" kind of vibe to it.

#13 What distortion? There's nothing but basic light room adjustments in the photo.

#16 Agree. I feel like the action going on with her shirt and face is sort enough to keep your attention there, and thankfully, her arm gets muddier as it goes out of the frame, almost acting like a vignette, to keep your eye from going over there. So it doesn't bother me a ton, but I still would rather it was in there.

#8 was 50% luck, 25% pushing a button and hoping you remote camera is firing, 20% f/8, 5% being there.

Thanks for the critique!

General,

Yeah I've done photojournalism before and I know there's no second chance on alot of the shots and it can get tough. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy looking at the series.

For #13 didn't get to elaborate but what I was talking about was lens distortion...it makes his limbs and head loong elongated..but that's a personal preference as I like shots that are sometimes distorted :thumbup:

 

[Big Mike]

Excellent set, well done. Look like a great event, fun to attend and fun to shoot.

 

[GeneralBenson]

If C&C is what your looking for here's my take.

I really like #8 and #10..


#1 It's too bad the part of the paddle got cut off on the upper left.

# 4 I would've zoomed in a little bit more to get rid of the trees on the right and the two guys in the background.

#12 looks more like a portrait shoot then a sports event.

#13 I'm not really digging the distortion...he looks like plastic man.

#16 too bad her hand got cut off on the right.

Yeah, I would also love to have the rest of the paddle in #1. That was shooting at 16mm, and that paddler lost control and came through that shoot half sideways and then ricocheted off that wall. I was perched inches from the class 5 rapids, and he was inches always from taking me out and knocking me in. So all thing considered, I'm happy with the way that shot came out. Even though the paddle is not all in, I still feel like it transmits a lot of the intensity of the moment.

#4 Yeah I can see that. I wanted to stay wide though to keep the perspective that she's about to go off a 6 ft drop. One of the problems with this event is that it's always swarming with photo and video people, an it can be really tough to get shots without other people in them.

#12 Pretty much is just a portrait. Well I guys it's a portrait at a sporting event, although nothing in the photo would give that away. That was during the night life part, and the wasn't anything I was supposed to be shooting then. And I just saw this really pretty girl with a bunch of warmth behind her that would look good knocked out of focus, so I asked her If I could make a quick portrait. I like the way it came out, but I would have liked it if I could have have incorporated something so that it would have been more environmental, but she was sort of far away from the action and the ambient light was so low. In hindsight though, I wish I would have done something to set up the shot a little differently so that it atlest had the "I'm enjoying the nightlife" kind of vibe to it.

#13 What distortion? There's nothing but basic light room adjustments in the photo.

#16 Agree. I feel like the action going on with her shirt and face is sort enough to keep your attention there, and thankfully, her arm gets muddier as it goes out of the frame, almost acting like a vignette, to keep your eye from going over there. So it doesn't bother me a ton, but I still would rather it was in there.

#8 was 50% luck, 25% pushing a button and hoping you remote camera is firing, 20% f/8, 5% being there.

Thanks for the critique!

General,

Yeah I've done photojournalism before and I know there's no second chance on alot of the shots and it can get tough. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy looking at the series.

For #13 didn't get to elaborate but what I was talking about was lens distortion...it makes his limbs and head loong elongated..but that's a personal preference as I like shots that are sometimes distorted :thumbup:

I hear ya. I thought you meant for #13 that there was too much skin smoothing, which it sort of looks like unnaturally smooth skin, but there is none. I guess he just has the skin of a 13 yr old greek boy. That shot was at 24mm on aps-c so there some optical distortion, and he is leaning towards the camera, but for the most part, I think his arms might just actually be that stupidly disproportionate to his body. The perfect build for competitive climbers is scrawny bodies, long arms, and jacked popeye forearms. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[nchips1]

11 is AMAZING, :thumbup:

 

[dak1b]

wow alot to c&c..but i love #11 and #14

 

[GeneralBenson]

Thanks, Dak and Chips!

 

[Sebastian Riel Ph.]

To be honest I like #15 and #17 even if they're indirectly involved with the sport.

 

[GeneralBenson]

To be honest I like #15 and #17 even if they're indirectly involved with the sport.

Those are two of my favorites too. They are in fact directly related to the sport. During the bouldering competition, the climber are in isolation until they climb the first problem, which means they've been kept away from the wall and anyone who could tell them about the wall, so they have no foreknowledge about the routes. After they come out to the wall and finish their time on the first route, they then sit in those chairs facing away from the wall until it's their shot at the next route, so they can't watch any one else climb it. You always catch great moments watching how the diferent competitors act while sitting there waiting for their shot at the next route.