Bountiful DH mtb race

**Shepherd Wong** · 06-06-2007, 09:36 AM

Here are some shots of the Bountiful bomber race from this past weekend. I'm not able to race this season so I'll go around and take photos of the races instead. Because of my knee I wasn't able to get to any more interesting places on the course, but hopefully at the next race at Deer Valley I will be able to hike around more. I already posted some of these in the Sprocket rockets section but decided to put them here also for some suggestions. I'll also like to try some off camera fill flash at Deer Valley if you have any suggestions for that.
Thanks!

**smmokan** · 06-07-2007, 09:13 AM

Nice shots. I'd like to see you zoom out a little bit and show more of the course they're riding on.

**smalls** · 06-07-2007, 09:50 AM

yeah. you've got some really nice shots in there, but every single one leaves me wondering where the rider is coming from and where he is going.

#1: get lower and off to the right some more. ideally i'd like to see the shot from the left side, but it looks like the hill is in your way. he's popping up really well, but where's he gonna land?

#2: why'd he crash? is he gonna fall over a cliff now? what's his head gonna hit? all you see is a falling rider, which in itself isn't all that interesting.

#3: same as #1. he got really high, but how? and where's he going?

i think those three had the most potential with your available lighting, but you're too tight on just about all of them.

also, some EXIF would be nice.

again, nice shots, just my $.02

**Shepherd Wong** · 06-07-2007, 11:08 AM

Thanks for the comments. Smugmug strips off the exif, but they were all generally,
1/1000 shutter, aperture between 2.8 and 4.0, matrix metering, auto iso to get exposure, it ranged from 100 to 400, focal lenghts between 70 and 200. I did try to show the take off and landing like in the two jump shots, but my perspective was limited to where I could hike to easily on my knee and the course in general.

This was my first attempt at dh racing, and from what I can tell it's going to be hard to capture any context of the course in the shots, but I would really like to. The tech sections are so steep and in the trees that it's going to be hard but I'll really have to think hard about where I am going to shoot for the next race(Deer Valley nationals). I have some ideas and think they'll work better than on this particular course, and are slightly easier to access.

Thanks again for the comments, it's really got me thinking hard about places to shoot the DV race!

**smmokan** · 06-07-2007, 11:11 AM

I think if you mix up your perspectives, combined with your obvious talent here, you could get some very good shots. Do a few shots from farther away and include the beautiful scenery around the rider, and then do some like you've posted above. I'm sure whatever you come up with will work.

**Tippster** · 06-07-2007, 12:41 PM

Wide Angle Zoom is your friend here.

**Shepherd Wong** · 06-07-2007, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Tippster

Wide Angle Zoom is your friend here.

Just got back from work and sitting on the porch was a Sigma 10-20.

Can't wait to go out and shoot with it!

**Conundrum** · 06-13-2007, 05:03 PM

Hey Alex,

Nice shots. You shooting anything the 23 and 24th. I'm going to be down for work that weekend. I'm going to ride but doubt I'll be riding the whole time.

**Shepherd Wong** · 06-13-2007, 08:48 PM

I'll be around that weekend. Give me a call on your way. If inspiration doesn't strike we can always go shoot some beers.

**Natedogg** · 06-27-2007, 09:21 AM

Gneiss juans, maing!

1. Im not sure how much of the course youre gonna get... but I agree somewhat that some of the closer shots are almost a little too tight. I mean, you dont want the rider to be a speck, but maybe a little more context...

2. What camera? Your colors are niiiiice. Im jealous as shit cuz I cant seem to make my colors saturated like that. Any post-processing on them pups?

3. #1 is the shit.