This is my first attempt at a snow sports action shot. I know I have a lot to improve but I'm hoping to get more into action sport shooting this year.
I took this at Copper Mountain last Sunday when we were getting all that awesome powder. I took my camera gear with me in my F-Stop Loka bag. I would ski a natural jump and then tell my snowboarding buddy where it was for the next run. I would have gotten closer but I was worried about getting run into by other people not paying attention. This was my favorite shot because of all the snow flying off the back of his board. I also wish I could have had a clear sky to set him against but decided for the trees due to the overcast.
Posted by Jody Grigg on January 16, 2011 at 10:32 PM
A little tip, you always want your subject to stand out from there background, ie have them wearing bright colored clothing. I have a Winter Park / Copper Mtn Pass so drop me a line if you are looking for a model, lets just say I have done this a few times before, ask Don Grall.
Thanks Jody, I wanted a clear blue background for him to stand out against but had to settle for this. Thats the only jacket color he had, but his board definitely stands out!
Here's one where he stands out more but I hate all the clutter in the background. It wasn't the best conditions for shooting but I was mainly there to ski and get a little photo practice in. Thanks for the subject offer!
Posted by John Mumaw on January 17, 2011 at 8:55 AM
Well, these are a whole lot better than I could do.
Goosing the saturation of the 'boarder only in #1 and losing the strong color cast in #2 make them both pop quite a bit more.
Posted by Todd Caudle on January 17, 2011 at 10:44 AM
I think Jody and John's suggestions are spot on. Additionally, in the second one, I would crop it to eliminate all those man-made features, and maybe even clone out the lift towers behind him, so he looks like he's hotdogging in the backcountry instead of in the parking lot.
Posted by Pam Colander on January 17, 2011 at 11:40 AM
I'm certainly not an expert at all, but in the future try an find a spot where the boarder will be above you with nothing but sky above (preferably blue, of course) looking like they are shooting off a cliff. Get low and put them high. Keep at it, maybe take Jody up on his offer.
Posted by Lynn Scott on January 17, 2011 at 12:46 PM
Jason some nice shots. Tough sky to work with in these kind of shots. Jody, John and Todd all had great imput. Keep after it!! Can't wait to see more.
Posted by Jared Atencio on January 17, 2011 at 1:52 PM
I think it's def a good and worthwhile exercise to get out and shoot things other than nature and landscapes every once in a while. It really helps to broaden your horizons, skills, and ability to work in many different environments with different subject matter, which can only make you a stronger photographer IMO. It's really difficult to take great action sports shots without some sort of off camera lighting, whether it be strobes, spotlights etc. That equipment is crucial to freezing action and making the subject stand out against the background, but it's a real pain to work with that equipment in the field.
If you're just out to get some good snapshots of friends etc., I find some of the best shots w/out lighting is just freeriding shots carving a powdery mountainside or a shot that could be perceived as a landscape shot, where the boarder/skier is just an added element for scale, etc. (Jack B's got some nice ones in his blog). Don't know how comfortable you are on your planks but another fun technique is to actually ride next to your buddy and snap shots, which will put your buddy in focus but blur the background which adds motion to a shot. Just some ideas, but hope you pursue this some more!
Posted by Jody Grigg on January 17, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Jared says 'It's really difficult to take great action sports shots without some sort of off camera lighting,'.....I have to say when it comes to skiing and snowboarding he is way off base with this answer. I have skied for photographers in Europe and here in the States and not once has the photographer ever used a flash......Adventure/Travel shots yes people use a flash.....Winter Sports no, unless they are shooting kids riding down a rail at some park or something.
It's always good to shoot something different to keep our eyes fresh when we're in the field imo. These are good exercises and the skills you learn doing this will no doubt help any wildlife shots you try. Everyone has some great suggestions. I like #1 and for the moment you captured with the snow flying. #2 has a bit too much clutter, but he is getting some nice air!
Posted by Jared Atencio on January 17, 2011 at 3:39 PM
Jody, yeah, I guess it depends on what you're shooting, natural lighting conditions etc. I was a sponsored skateboarder for a few years and we used a flash setup 90% of the time, even in the middle of the day to get a balanced exposure or expose shadows when shooting directly into the sun, and even more so during the "golden hours" or obviously night shooting. When looking at all "action sports", maybe skiing/snowboarding utilizes more natural light, but other activities are heavily dependent upon artificial lighting. Looking at any "professional" magazine such as TWS, Snowboarder etc. you'll find examples to support both Jody and my suggestions, but looking at any skateboarding magazine you will see that flash is used much more frequently. Not to get into an arguing match with Jody, I've seen tons of great photos all utilizing natural lighting, but as said, flash/lighting is just another option that I've seen many photographers employee with success, so it may be worth looking into and don't feel the comment was completely off base... Having said that, it would be fun to meet up and ride with both of you some time, and hopefully you're able to experiment and eventually get the shots that you envision Jason
Discussion
10 repliesI took this at Copper Mountain last Sunday when we were getting all that awesome powder. I took my camera gear with me in my F-Stop Loka bag. I would ski a natural jump and then tell my snowboarding buddy where it was for the next run. I would have gotten closer but I was worried about getting run into by other people not paying attention. This was my favorite shot because of all the snow flying off the back of his board. I also wish I could have had a clear sky to set him against but decided for the trees due to the overcast.
Larger version here
Here's one where he stands out more but I hate all the clutter in the background. It wasn't the best conditions for shooting but I was mainly there to ski and get a little photo practice in. Thanks for the subject offer!
Goosing the saturation of the 'boarder only in #1 and losing the strong color cast in #2 make them both pop quite a bit more.
If you're just out to get some good snapshots of friends etc., I find some of the best shots w/out lighting is just freeriding shots carving a powdery mountainside or a shot that could be perceived as a landscape shot, where the boarder/skier is just an added element for scale, etc. (Jack B's got some nice ones in his blog). Don't know how comfortable you are on your planks but another fun technique is to actually ride next to your buddy and snap shots, which will put your buddy in focus but blur the background which adds motion to a shot. Just some ideas, but hope you pursue this some more!