# C&C Skateboarding



## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

Some stuff I have been working on, very new to photography and especially skate photography.. Critique me please but be gentle haha! I couldn't get much closer in this image because everytime I tried I ended with a board to the shin or foot. I understand there is some motion blur but at 1/250 of a second idk how to get rid of it. It is the only thing to bother me about this photo!!

Nikon D3200
Rokinon 8mm lens

Shot at 
ISO 100
f stop 8.0
1/250th
1 OCF at 1/4 power


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## TATTRAT (Mar 19, 2013)

Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.*There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.*


*
*
If you show more open space like I did in this image, it shows where he came from and where he is going, sliding in this case. If it is closer up you cant really tell what is going on, I know this is a bad example but for example if I did a close crop you would think he was posed or wouldnt know anymore about this image but now its almost self explanatory


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## Ballistics (Mar 19, 2013)

MitchStrp said:


> TATTRAT said:
> 
> 
> > Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.*There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.*
> ...



I agree with needing dead space, but there is a bit *too *much dead space.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

If a crop is in need could you show me what your thinking? It would probably help me out in the long run!!


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## TATTRAT (Mar 19, 2013)

MitchStrp said:


> TATTRAT said:
> 
> 
> > Motion blur would be cool if it showed something besides him stanced like he was dropping in...like more of a kick flip, or something.*There is a lot of dead space around him too. Would like to see closer up, more of the skater, and less of the surroundings.*
> ...



I get what you are saying, but if you cropped closer with more than just a slide, it would look more active. With such little motion blur, and all the space, it looks posed already. Hell, he doesn't even have to land it, and you have the lighting where it needs to be. With the board planted, it just seems a bit lackluster, imo. Have him do something aerial, power slides, lip slides, even a lot of grinds are hard to convey unless you are right up on 'em, again, imo. Use to do a lot of skate/surf shooting when I was living on Oahu and if there is one thing I learned, more action, more better.

Hell, just google "skateboarding photography" and you'll see that almost every shot is in the air, or the board is off the ground in some level.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

I appreciate it man! The only reason we shot this particular trick on this particular rail is because its located in my hometown and it was on the cover of a smaller west coast magazine and we wanted to replicate the trick and image. I agree though, I wish I could have gotten close its just hard plus I have a broken ankle from skateboarding  so I was on crutches and it was pretty hard to get this shot. Ill post some others very shortly of more action but they werent to my liking.


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## Ballistics (Mar 19, 2013)




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## TATTRAT (Mar 19, 2013)

Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .






Punched up the lighting and the yellow curb, and tried to enhance some of the motion, still though, would like the cars out and the horizon to not be in there. Just my humble $.02


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

Nose slide and bail on the Nose grind haha!! This one is just a blooper for good fun.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The cars dont bother me and in most skate magazines dont get chopped out, its street skating and actually gives it the street feel. I do hate the powerlines though!! Also when you edited it doesnt look bad but it looks like you brightened up the contrast now his skin looks funnny.


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## TATTRAT (Mar 19, 2013)

Those convey a LOT more action, and are a lot more pleasing to look at honestly. If dude man in the second shot had still had a foot on the nose, it would look fantastic! 

That's the cool thing about this type of shooting though, you can go to any park, and for the most part, all the peeps there are willing to put on a show once the camera and flashes come out, even if you don't know them. Keep up on it, it will start coming more and ore naturally, just like any type of shooting.


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## TATTRAT (Mar 19, 2013)

MitchStrp said:


> TATTRAT said:
> 
> 
> > Ideally, I would have liked to get the cars out of there, and have more on the plane on which he is sliding, but here is a quicky. . .
> ...


 Yeah, I can see that now, it was a quick edit, more to convey the aspect I guess, I also see where you are coming from for the street skating aspect.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> MitchStrp said:
> 
> 
> > TATTRAT said:
> ...



but I like how you made the ledge a solid yellow instead of a blown out yellow.. I should have done that ! It looks good, Im just such an anti photoshop nut!!


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## TATTRAT (Mar 19, 2013)

MitchStrp said:


> ... Im just such an anti photoshop nut!!


 I have a version of lightroom. . .I still don't quite get all of it. I came from film, and still try to get things right on the camera. I hate to rely on post processing to get "the shot", honestly, then it's not photography to me, but digital art. Nice to see someone else who isn't into the whole photoshop thing.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 19, 2013)

TATTRAT said:


> MitchStrp said:
> 
> 
> > ... Im just such an anti photoshop nut!!
> ...



Amen brother! The only thing I ever seem to do in photoshop is adjust exposure and thats very rarely. Plus I get so excited when I capture a great image I just want to post it EVERYWHERE  haha, Im like a little kid when it comes to this stuff.!


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## MitchStrp (Mar 20, 2013)

I dont really care for this one.. just because the bottom left portion of the frame is disturbed by the coping and his right hand looks a little over exposed but it was one of my first trys with skateboarding and off camera lighting.


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## Ratboy (Mar 20, 2013)

Quote from Grant Brittain - " If you dont wear a board in the head , your not close enough " , get in close with a fish eye , i'm not a expert in skate photograpy , just a skater for the past 25 years that's been looking at the stuff for that long ....personally i like the dead space , if you darken the dead space in lightroom and lighten up the skater , it will look cool ....my thoughts


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## MitchStrp (Mar 20, 2013)

Ratboy said:


> Quote from Grant Brittain - " If you dont wear a board in the head , your not close enough " , get in close with a fish eye , i'm not a expert in skate photograpy , just a skater for the past 25 years that's been looking at the stuff for that long* ....personally i like the dead space , if you darken the dead space in lightroom and lighten up the skater , it will look cool ....my thoughts*




I FEEL THE EXACT SAME WAY! Thank you so much! I feel like we are on the same level haha and yeah the only problem with the board to the head is I have a broken ankle and on crutches so its damn near impossible to try and avoid being hit when close.]


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## gsgary (Mar 20, 2013)

Try upping your iso to let a bit more ambient light in, also try putting your flash on camera and using second curtain sinc at about 1/30 for a nice blur effect


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## MitchStrp (Mar 20, 2013)

If i put my flash on my camera the lighting will be to raw/harsh and cast a nasty shadow and I dont want the blur effect and when I do I sync it to about 1/60th but thank you! But i will try upping the ISO to let more ambient light in, never even considered it!


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## Brycycle53 (Mar 20, 2013)

I didnt read all the comments really but generally speaking ober all of these.
get in closer with the fisheye, I use the same one, and alot of the time I take the photo, then get the **** out of the way before they land. Im always prepared to eject if need be.

If the subject is moving across your frame then you'll have a harder time freezing the action ive noticed at the lower shutter speeds. rather than if the are coming to you or away from you.
 Dont crop fisheye photos, it never looks right when its done, and i am also guilty of this. 

the first photo you posted as is. I like the crop alright, but there is to much light on the ledge, and not enough on the skater himself. look at his face and arms it looks as though you had the flash pointing down to much. The upper left corner close to blown out and overall distracts from the subject.

Ive done this for a few photos, but sometime i use my flash and shoot at 1/320 if you place your subject in the upper portion of the frame then he will be exposed by the flash at the fast shutter speed but the lower portion will not be. Play with that idea in you room to see whats the fastest shutter you can use and still get a usuable portion of the frame.


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## CouncilmanDoug (Mar 20, 2013)

don't forget that there is other lenses besides fisheyes for skateboarding, I swap between a 35mm and a 135mm ususally. In my opinion fisheye gets kind of old pretty fast. with that said, to get rid of motion blur in your photo's up the flash power, or use multiple flashes. 

and just to show you the different, not ridiculously distorted shots that are possible in skateboarding haha
35 - DSC_0105 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

135 - DSC_0013 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## runnah (Mar 20, 2013)

I've seen the "crop the photo" comment a lot on here in reference to action sports and I have to say when it comes to sports like skating or bikes often wider is better. When shooting these type is athletes you have to remember that the trick is only half of the equation. I can hop on my bike and grind a ledge, boring if it is a 2ft ledge, exciting if it is 4ft and has a 20ft drop on the side.

Just food for thought.


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## Ballistics (Mar 20, 2013)

runnah said:


> I've seen the "crop the photo" comment a lot on here in reference to action sports and I have to say when it comes to sports like skating or bikes often wider is better. When shooting these type is athletes you have to remember that the trick is only half of the equation. I can hop on my bike and grind a ledge, boring if it is a 2ft ledge, *exciting if it is 4ft and has a 20ft drop on the side*.
> 
> Just food for thought.



Which isn't the case here.


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## MitchStrp (Mar 20, 2013)

Thanks guys! Thanks Bryce. Typically on a shot like this if you had two flashes... where would you put them and why? suggesting you had light stands if need be.


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