Mountain Biking - Photo that I am super proud of! Comments welcome

Well, I bought a new Vivitar 2800 manual flash for my camera yesterday before the Fortune race, and check out this shot I got... this is one I am really happy with! What do you think? (Come on... boost my ego!)

Location: Camp Fortune
Rider: Joel Simard

http://www.mtbgallery.com/albums/NewUploads/118_Fortune_XC_4.jpg

Joe

nice shot, you can almost taste the mud :) the detail is terrific.

Very Nice!! The blurry background gives it the feeling of motion. Very cool!!

I really like the focus being on the rider (yourself) and the background being out of focus... very artistic

Thanks for the comments... here is how I did it:

My camera is a Fujifilm Finepix s602 Zoom
Set at ISO 200, 1/80th Shutter and F5 Apature
The flash was set for ISO 200 and suject was about 1 metre away...

Heh, yeah, you can almost taste the mud eh?! :)

Joe

Nice shot. Are you going to soon become a contributing photographer for BIKE.

I think that shot could easily appear in the pages of the mag.

Submit it and others to Dirt Rag, they're always looking for reader input. If you write up a story about the race, perhaps you can become one of their regulars.

L8R

Love your outfit.

I think it would be even better if you were looking up the road ahead, instead of the cyclocomputer... or handle bar. :)

Otherwise, pretty complete photo... :)

Heh, the rider is not me.. I took the photo! :)

Joe

You mean you can't do both at the same time!!??? LOL!!! :D

Originally posted by dragracer
You mean you can't do both at the same time!!??? LOL!!! :D

I wish! all the shots people get of me, are either blurry, or my head is missing... or both! :)

Joe

Sweet...mud, motion, body english, rider focus...primo man!

I gotta say...you really nailed that one. Looks amazing.

Oh man that picture is sick! I wish I could take pictures that good or look that good on my bike!

Sweet pic dude.

Great pic man! So what is it that makes the rider very clear and the background blurry? I just got a digital camera (canon a70), and when I set it too ISO 200, shutter 1/80 and F50 for aperture, the pic looks pretty normal. Although it wasn't a moving target.

Is it more the shutter speed that does that effect, or the combination of aperture and shutter speed? Also, what part does ISO really play in it?

Anyways, awesome picture, definitely mag material!

Nice job of panning. Getting the subject as the focus while panning is difficult.

Originally posted by gonesh9
Great pic man! So what is it that makes the rider very clear and the background blurry? I just got a digital camera (canon a70), and when I set it too ISO 200, shutter 1/80 and F50 for aperture, the pic looks pretty normal. Although it wasn't a moving target.

Is it more the shutter speed that does that effect, or the combination of aperture and shutter speed? Also, what part does ISO really play in it?

Anyways, awesome picture, definitely mag material!

With digital camera, you can not only make background blurry, but actually pass by in a gift animated file, but also add another cyclist in the back, maybe trying to catch you...
With Photoshop, there are no limits :D

As Cartman would say "Kick Ass!!!" Thats one sweet pic man. Come to Vegas and take one of me! :D

Very cool! Did you a do the, what i call, "follow method" with that shot? Like where you move the camera along w/ the subject to keep the subject in focus, while blurring the background?

Niiiiiice! :) :thumbup:

Nice

Yes, this was a pan that I used.. You can alter things in Photoshop, but this is actually how it came off the camera! :)

You need a slow shutter, I used 1/80th because I synced that with my flash.. but you can use 1/60, or slower depending on how little light you have. Do not go too low, or the photo will be washed out, too fast, and you stop all the action (No pan effect in the background).

Basically, I followed the rider come towards me, and as he went past, I continued to follow, and took the shot.

Just have a friend ride past 5 or 10 times.. you'll get the feel for it, and it's basically a hit and miss on the right exposure when you're in the forest and the sun is in and out of the clouds...

I'll post more shots as I take them.. thank you for all the nice comments!

Joe

That one is definitely worth handing out a little ego booster. Nice job!