Big Air Event in Galway

BlastedGlute

Just a couple of snaps I got at the Big Air Event the other day. Was a fairly sizeable crowd there and limitations on barriers and photog access which was frustrating but these came out ok. Was a great day that's for sure! Fair play to everyone who got involved and organized it!







Have a few more but it's late and I'm up early again! :P

Was anyone else there?

stick-dan

First shot is cool, was at it myself, good event.

mrSelfDestruct

was at it too. http://www.flickr.com/photos/64176426@N05/5846044074/

BlastedGlute

Nice composition there, the building is very squared away looks neat! I was kind of trying to avoid going for a fast shutter speed that day. Like there is no sense of direction in your photo there, he could be going either way I mean,only that we know he was landing on the airbag and not clearing it from the other side. Last time I posted skating photos here it was a bit of a pet peeve from skaters to have every shot frozen in mid air. They seemed to want a sense of movement or direction. I'm not sure I got that but I was running fairly slow shutter speeds all day and really following the bikers as they moved to drag elements. I have a better idea next time top position myself slightly more at the midpoint of the jump. This should keep the guy moving across my lens instead of just away from it.

mrSelfDestruct

Dude I'm new to photography. But one thing is for sure. As long as there's guys jumping bikes off a ramp I'll be running a fast shutter.

H

BlastedGlute

Well I got my first camera 4 months ago so I guess I'm new to, it's just some advice you dont have to take it

pete4130

they just looklike boring shots taken from the sidelines/crowds that probably almost anyone with a camera there would have capture and be almost the same. They just don't stand out.

As has been said before, skate/BMX you need to know whats going on, understand what tricks the riders tend to do, anticipate and be lucky and get a vantage point to show things in better context. Try make an interesting photo with a BMXer in the shot rather than an uninteresting shot of a person on a bike.

The slow shutter just doesnt work either. It's blowing out the background way too much and looks more like a mistake than being creative.

Heres 2 examples without and then with some context.

challengemaster

Pete, while I think everyone on here appreciates your input both as a BMX'er and a photographer, I think you need to see the bigger picture yourself :P

There's two kinds of people out there. People that know the scene and will appreciate the kind of stuff you produce, and then the general public who will nearly expect (and prefer) stuff like the OP. Same with most things tbh! I guess it just depends who the OP is actually trying to please, himself, the general population, or the BMX community

As BMX photography wouldn't be where my main interests lie, if I hadn't seen your shots on boards, I probably wouldn't have come across anything from that perspective.


If you get what I'm trying to say?

pete4130

I don't really get what your saying. I'm not being argumentative or snide so I hope this doesn't come across that way.
I'm just offering advice to someone who's posted at least twice with skating/BMX images and offering advice from my experience and being honest about the images. The same way if they were soccer photos of some feet, legs and a ball on some grass, it doesn't show context or hold interest if that makes sense?

The images don't tell me it was the Big Air event in Galway even though the title does, they lack that articulation.

An interesting image, no matter what it is of ,is going to be an interesting image to most people. Ultimately the OP needs to be happy with his images and if he can pick something constructive out of what I'm saying/showing and feels its valuable and feels their work/images improves because of my advice then thats what I'm aiming for. I'm not looking to wade in and seem as if I'm saying "I take better BMX/skate photos than you" or anything like that.

BlastedGlute

I wasn't even putting these here fir c+c because I don't really care what might be wrong with them, it's not the kind of photog I ever get to do and the chances of me doing it again are slim to none unless it comes back next year :P

Having said that I understand what pete is saying. I have an 11-16 I could have been shooting with all day but I'm experimenting, I can easily get images like you have shown here but in this scenario where I'm not allowed anywhere near the Ramps, your advice doesn't fit so well! Your perpestive is from a free to roam skatepark, mine, is from behind a barrier from a venue with limited access and vantage points, where the point directly below most of the subjects was blocked by stewards.

Monasette

It was a fun day out, even if the access was a little restricted. There was a guy right beside the ramp taking pictures - I'd like to see what he got. I put together a short quicktime video (taken from some of the still shots I took on the day).
I'm still amazed that everyone survived the day unscathed.

JayEnnis

challengemaster wrote: »

Pete, while I think everyone on here appreciates your input both as a BMX'er and a photographer, I think you need to see the bigger picture yourself :P

There's two kinds of people out there. People that know the scene and will appreciate the kind of stuff you produce, and then the general public who will nearly expect (and prefer) stuff like the OP. Same with most things tbh! I guess it just depends who the OP is actually trying to please, himself, the general population, or the BMX community

As BMX photography wouldn't be where my main interests lie, if I hadn't seen your shots on boards, I probably wouldn't have come across anything from that perspective.


If you get what I'm trying to say?

That's like saying that because teenage girls like overly contrasty photo's with washed out faces and selective colouring, we should all be doing it because they are part of the general public. BMX/Skate photography is a niche that has its own distinct style. "Guy in the sky shots" are boring, when you've seen one you've seen them all and I say that with no offense intended towards the OP.

BlastedGlute

haha no offence taken, I dont think this convo is about my photos in particular, And I understand whats being said anyway. expect a big improvement in my next submissions

Zillah

pete4130 wrote: »

As has been said before, skate/BMX you need to know whats going on, understand what tricks the riders tend to do, anticipate and be lucky and get a vantage point to show things in better context. Try make an interesting photo with a BMXer in the shot rather than an uninteresting shot of a person on a bike.

God that's pretentious.

pete4130

Zillah wrote: »

God that's pretentious.

You might think its pretentious but its honest, truthful advice gained from 11 years of experience while working for BMX magazines that get published worldwide.

Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about though? :rolleyes:

Jim

First shot in the first post is excellent. The blur on the wheels really adds to it.

magicbastarder

pete4130 wrote: »

I don't really get what your saying.

i think what he's saying is that if the OP is taking shots for the general public, the demands will be different on him than if he was taking photos for the practitioners of the sport.

BlastedGlute

Cheers Jim