Wakeboarding Competition - CC!

[mtyler24]

Here are some pics from a small Wakeboarding Competition this past weekend.

Took them on Auto - i know - it was such a short pass I didn't want to mess it up and completly mess up the shot.

I used a circular polarizer, and it got darker as the clouds moved in (only some photos affected).

Will give the auto settings for each pic -

1.
f/5.0
1/400th sec. - looks like my focus is off, not so sure.

2.
f/5
1/400th

3.
f/7.1
1/800th sec
also edited w/a soft glow action

Don't really post, so if I need to do something different let me know! Hope this is in the right forum.

Any and all CC is greatly apprecited!! Willing to learn to get better.

 

[DRoberts]

Nice captures, looks like alot of fun to shot.

 

[prodigy2k7]

What lens were you using? Some of the shutter speeds look too slow... 1/400 is kinda slow for some action like this, and your 100mm+ focal length
Edit: Did you crop any of them?

 

[mtyler24]

DRoberts: Thanks it's fun, but I struggle to get good pictures. We go out almost every weekend and wakeboard, only this time it was a competition so the pressure was on and they were throwing a lot of tricks real quick.

Prodigy: Thanks for the CC, I used a Tameron 70-200 f/4.6 (I think thats the numbers/may be 70-300) I don't have it near right now so not so sure. It's an older lens. I also have a Nikon D70. My weakness has always been focus with these pics.
Yes I did do some cropping, do you think it's too much? I shot most landscape mode, and I perfered it vertical. I can post the orginals later tonight. I was told to do shutter speed priority with wakeboarding pics, I didn't want to mess up the pics so left it on auto.

After I saw them posted the colors look off. Not so sure about the soft glow on the last one either, it's funny how you can come back to a picture the next day and see it differently.

Again I welcome all CC!

 

[Jeff Canes]

How do these compare with pervious shots of your?

Manual focus should work better when shooting from in the boat. Focus ones when the rope is tight and you should be fine.

Have you tried upping both the ISO and shutter speeds and in-turn lower the aperture[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

 

[mtyler24]

Jeff: Thanks for commenting, I was hoping you would.

Umm...the rest not so great. I still have a lot to work on. I took two days of pictures I'll post the link to both incase anyone wants to take a quick look. Focus is my weakness I've always tried to auto focus once and switch it to manual. I think I get better results if I zoom all the way in focus then zoom out and put it on manual mode - make sense? Or is this wrong?

Here are the first days pictures:
I tried to fix the colors and crop the pictures. The focus method was center focus and then switch to manual mode (since the rope would stay the same)
http://picasaweb.google.com/mmtyler/ULWakeboarding8162008

and here are the second days pictures: (I'm embarssed to be showing!!!)
These are not touched - no editing! Focus method: This way was different becuase I zoomed all the way in auto focus, then switched to manual and zoomed out to where I wanted it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mmtyler/ULWakeboarding8172008
The pictures are so dark, some were shooting into the sun are much darker(the ones with the house and cars in background is where the sun was setting) also should I taken my polarizer filter off? this was the first time I used it, I took it off at the very end for the last rider. Also storm clouds were moving in and it was late day.

This is where I had my dumb moment, I finally bumped the ISO up towards the end(520?), but I didn't think it did anything so bumped it back down(320?). I thought the higher ISO made the pictures worse, but that was because I was shooting in the sun, when I bumped the iso down, the boat also turned so the sun was behind me, thus I concluded it was better to have a lower iso (not taking into account where the sun was - lesson learned) Should have left it higher at least the ones with the sun behind me would have been exposed better.

Hope that wasn't too long winded, I been struggling with these types of photos all summer. I'm ready to get them right.

Thanks for ya'lls help.

 

[Jeff Canes]

Jeff: Thanks for commenting---

Me? I’m in serious slump with wake shooting.

I looked at your galleries you do have a few good shots. Not sure want to subject you seem to have covered most of the areas. Looks like you did have the shutter speed set at 2-3X the lens length.

One think that really stands out is that the lens is a lower grade model. I hate bringing up equipment as an issue because budget is always an issue these days. A middle grade or low-high grade lens would help, something in $600-$800 price range. Like a 70-200 f2.8 Tamron or Sigma.

Personally I’m not high on the idea of using a polarizer for sports.

Did you shoot as JPG or RAW? RAW adds a lot of work but sometimes it help with the exposure.

What do you know about the histogram? It’s a graft of the exposure. Black, dark colors & under exposed to the left and right is white, light colors and over exposed.

Do test shots; Bracket at 1/3 stop increments plus and minus 1 full stop each way, use the histogram and display

--I think I get better results if I zoom all the way in focus then zoom out and put it on manual mode - make sense? Or is this wrong?---

Well that the way I was told to focus a zoom lens years ago, but I have also heard that it does not madder, if it work for you then it is right

 

[Jeff Canes]

Oh as for #3 I like both version

 

[mtyler24]

Jeff: Thanks for taking the time to go through my pics, . Some good points for me to think about, feel like I'm getting closer to understanding how to get these pics right.

I have 2 lenses that were given to me, that is one. THey're proably about 10yrs. old. I've been looking at Nikon - Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S Zoom Lens for Nikon DX SLR Cameras ($400)but I would really like Nikon - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom Lens
It's about double the price(and past the budget), but has the VR. I don't have a wide angle, so that's why I'm looking at those. Would those work for wakeboarding? Or do I need to look into a lower f stop? I'll do some more research on Tamaron lenses.

The circular polarizer was recommended (on the beginners forum - posted a question at the beginning of the summer) because I normally get blowouts, I should have taken it off b/c that day it was dark in the sky.

I'm learning the histogram, it was moving so fast that I didn't have time to stop and look or I'd miss some shots. I barely had time to focus (or my lack of focusing) These guys are awesome, some compete on the national level as well.

I tried RAW once recently, but I wasn't able to download the pics - user error I guess! I'll do more research on that when I get a chance.

Thanks, any more suggestions? Anything specific about the pics for me to work on composition, color, etc. I love the first one b/c how the body is extended out.

 

[Jeff Canes]

VR and all image stabilizer equipment maybe more marketing that usefulness. It is more helpful with slower shutter speed and you likely will not be shooting that slowly with water sports. IMO It would be better to have a lower aperture and no VR that the opposite. The newer 18-200 lens is better that your current 18-135 but not that much.

 

[Ejazzle]

i like the first one of the whirly (or tantrum) alot!

i shoot alot of wakeskating. And i always try to keep my shutter 1/1000 and up. Usually around 1/1250

his board and his body are rotating very fast in the first one. thats why its blurry, alot of times when your not shooting chase boat, but from where you were taking these pictures, you can just autofocus then flip the focus over to Manual, just make sure you dont zoom or hit the lens on something. It will go out of focus.

lets see some more!

 

[polymoog]

Cool, never seen a wakeboarding competition I would also have used a faster shutter speed, probably a mid range ISO eg 400 which gives more flexibility re shutter speed and aperture. Did you take these pics in JPG or RAW? I only ever take pics in RAW nowadays but then again, that is mostly because Pentax is known for having a very poor in camera RAW-JPG conversion (my camera is a Pentax *ist DL from 2006)