# Winner!



## The_Traveler (Jul 7, 2013)




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## amolitor (Jul 7, 2013)

Very nice!


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## The_Traveler (Jul 7, 2013)

Thanks
I'm expecting a comment on the focus.


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## Starskream666 (Jul 7, 2013)

Well ya the focus is off the 'winner' and there's a tree growing out of the other guys head and its very noisy and dark, and the contrast between the darkness and the bright highlights doesn't please my eye.

Cool that you got the woman in the back who is probably supporting him


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## The_Traveler (Jul 7, 2013)

Starskream666 said:


> Cool that you got the woman in the back who is probably supporting him



That's the point of the picture.


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## amolitor (Jul 7, 2013)

I thought the lack of focus was an interesting unifying element. The woman in the background and the lead rider are rendered in similar degrees of softness, which mildly connects them visually. The actual plane of focus is elsewhere, and not relevant here. It's quite a nifty bit of technique on display here.

My assumption is that it was pure serendipity


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## DarkShadow (Jul 7, 2013)

I can make out detail in the image and read the names on the riders shirts. I can see the riders veins and muscle tone in the riders arms.I can see the lady is really excited in the back and perhaps more then the rider him self.Sure there is noise and softness but its consistent through out entire picture.I like it and I like the B&W. Thats is my opinion and my like's I am stick to it.


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## MartinCrabtree (Jul 7, 2013)

IMO a sharp,focused well composed action shot is nothing more than a record of the happening-unless something extraordinary occurs. 

This image gives a feeling of what it as like to be part of the event. Far better IMO. I like it.


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## DarkShadow (Jul 7, 2013)

MartinCrabtree said:


> IMO a sharp,focused well composed action shot is nothing more than a record of the happening-unless something extraordinary occurs.
> 
> This image gives a feeling of what it as like to be part of the event. Far better IMO. I like it.


Totally agree.


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## MSnowy (Jul 7, 2013)

Was this intentionally shot this way or did you notice in post that you missed focus?


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## The_Traveler (Jul 7, 2013)

MSnowy said:


> Was this intentionally shot this way or did you notice in post that you missed focus?



I will give two possible answers and you can chose:

1) I pre-focused about halfway between the woman and where the leaders would be, then shot at a sufficient f stop to de focus them both equally. I thought the lack of focus would be an interesting unifying element. The woman in the background and the lead rider are rendered in similar degrees of softness, which mildly connects them visually. The actual plane of focus is elsewhere, and not relevant here. 
I edited so that one can make out detail in the image and read the names on the riders shirts so there is noise and softness but its consistent through out entire picture.I liked it much more in B&W. 
IMO, a sharp,focused well composed action shot is nothing more than a record of the happening-unless something extraordinary occurs and this kind of image would give a a feeling of what it as like to be part of the event.

or 

2: I was trying different focusing modes on my new OMD. This one didn't work well but a part of the image was terrific.  I did a major crop and then used Efex Pro to convert it to B&W. It was a mis focus but I lucked upon that interesting corner.


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## amolitor (Jul 7, 2013)

I laughed. Out loud, even  Quietly, though!


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## MSnowy (Jul 7, 2013)

Ok Thanks. I'll go with #2 only because it's in Sports Gallery. Move it to B&W and I'll go with #1


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## The_Traveler (Jul 7, 2013)

Before someone discounts this image because it might have been a serendipitous viewing of an accidentally OOF image, consider whether seeing something interesting and taking a very simple, camera moderated exposure is any different.

I did these things: saw the image, pressed the button, downloaded the image and then did some post-processing but just in a slightly different order.


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## amolitor (Jul 7, 2013)

I don't care how it was made. A camera falling on the pavement that reproduces a Cartier-Bresson precisely is just as good a photograph as the original. van Meergeren was cruelly robbed (although he WAS a bit of a crook..)


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## MartinCrabtree (Jul 7, 2013)

Luck is based on careful preparation and good placement in the time-space continuum.


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## vintagesnaps (Jul 7, 2013)

I feel like I want to step back; I don't think this works cropped because of the missed focus/lack of sharpness, there doesn't seem to be anything for the viewer's eyes to land on.

I've done sports and this is the type shot that I'd usually just realize it was one I missed and try for another. I see what you were going for. I find that I don't always nail it the way I wanted.


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## SCraig (Jul 7, 2013)

The_Traveler said:


> Before someone discounts this image because it might have been a serendipitous viewing of an accidentally OOF image, consider whether seeing something interesting and taking a very simple, camera moderated exposure is any different.
> 
> I did these things: saw the image, pressed the button, downloaded the image and then did some post-processing but just in a slightly different order.


Is that your justification for a high-contrast, poorly-focused photograph?  C'mon Lew, even you have to admit that this is just a bad photograph.  Decent subject, poorly implemented.


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## The_Traveler (Jul 7, 2013)

There is no attempt to justify it as a sports photo or any kind of a photo.
I found it amidst the ruins of a day with a new camera and I liked the way it looked and I got something from it.

You can choose not to like on any basis you want.
I like it and will continue to do so.


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## imagemaker46 (Jul 7, 2013)

It doesn't really matter if it was pure luck or if you set the whole thing up, or it was a combination of both. The fact of the matter is what you have is an interesting image that is different, that works.  I like that you converted it to black and white as well.


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## Starskream666 (Jul 8, 2013)

The_Traveler said:


> Starskream666 said:
> 
> 
> > Cool that you got the woman in the back who is probably supporting him
> ...



I thought the point of the picture was the guy winning, hence the title


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## imagemaker46 (Jul 8, 2013)

As a pure solid sports action shot it sucks.  But that is not the point behind the image. As I stated before, the woman in the background, is what makes the photo what it is, if that element wasn't there it would have been an easy delete.  I believe that it was luck  she was standing there and her reaction is what makes the shot work.


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## gsgary (Jul 8, 2013)

The_Traveler said:


> Thanks
> I'm expecting a comment on the focus.




It's out of focus


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## gsgary (Jul 8, 2013)

I think if it was shot on film i would believe it


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## The_Traveler (Jul 8, 2013)

gsgary said:


> It's out of focus





gsgary said:


> I think if it was shot on film i would believe it



It was in focus when I loaded it to Flickr: those damn servers.


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