Skateboarding - Lesson learnt - Off Camera flash - Sponsored riders

[Martin.D]

I posted some skate board photos back in April - link here. Since then I have taken many more photos and learnt a great deal, it's not just about taking a nice photo's but timing the shot just right.

The skaters themselves tell me it's important from a shot to identify the following:

Take off point
Skater
Obstacle
Trick (from the photo most riders can tell the trick)
Landing point

I have built up a huge relationship with our local team by creating them a web site for hanging out and a chance for them to to see them selfs by means of a photo..

With all the above in mind we decided to set up a photo session in our local park so that I could put my next step to the test, off camera flash.

I had a great time and had the chance to shoot some cross lighting into the sun and some late night flash

Here are some of my final images..

C&C Welcome, all click able for a larger version..

I allow the skate boarders to download the original photos from my second Flickr account, all photo's below are cropped and on my main account..

Slide Show for the following pictures can be viewed here

1) - Action Shot (Guy with the video camera released his first DVD a couple of months back, now working on his second)

2) - Alex Siegfried - Nose blunt slide Video of Alex in action here

3) - Oleg - Front side smith

4) - Olaf

5) - Alex

6) - Alex

7) - Oleg

8) - Kevin

9) - Olaf

10) - Oleg

11) - Ingo

[AlanBryant]

Cracking set of shots

Did you take any frame fillers of the chaps ?.

[thomasmacleod1]

"great set of photos" best Ive viewed for a while

[Martin.D]

Originally Posted by AlanBryant

Cracking set of shots

Did you take any frame fillers of the chaps ?.

Thank you Alan - Not sure what frame fillers mean?

[AlanBryant]

Originally Posted by Martin.D

Thank you Alan - Not sure what frame fillers mean?

Sorry i mean............

In all the shots you have included the rails or the walls(which is good).Did you take any closer shots of the guys doing the tricks so they are filling the whole frame ?.

[Martin.D]

Originally Posted by AlanBryant

Sorry i mean............

In all the shots you have included the rails or the walls(which is good).Did you take any closer shots of the guys doing the tricks so they are filling the whole frame ?.

Ok now I understand, yes but not many because shooting up close was not my goal, it's possible but for this shoot maybe I have 2 or 3 close ups, I shall have a look..

[too_funky]

Nice shots there, hoping to get into this sort of thing myself, got a couple of shots from some of mates biking locally on my flickr but were taken a while ago before i had off camera flash, my new body or lens. So hoping to have a few more shoots. Couple are sponsored, theres a local skater i know aswell thats got a sponosr nagging him for pics. Its good to see examples of your work, given me some good ideas.

[Martin.D]

These next shot's are using a much slower shutter speed - from 1/250th down to 0.8

Creates a little motion blur, not sure I like this kind of photo but I thought I would share..

12) - Oleg

13) - Ingo

Back to normal:

14) - Kevin

[Holowlegs]

Hello there


Martin you really can see the improvement in what you are doing here, and as you experiment with different thing the picture are getting better.

That last one really is a corker off a shot, and make you think weather he makes it or not. You really have caught the action well.

Keep them coming

Cheers Holo

[Antpink]

Originally Posted by Holowlegs

That last one really is a corker off a shot

The whole shot is excellent - and the square crop is perfect. This really is a good take.

[Martin.D]

Originally Posted by Holowlegs

Hello there


Martin you really can see the improvement in what you are doing here, and as you experiment with different thing the picture are getting better.

That last one really is a corker off a shot, and make you think weather he makes it or not. You really have caught the action well.

Keep them coming

Cheers Holo

Thank you - Tommorow i.e Sunday we are out again but this time we are hitting the streets..

[Biscuit761]

Got to say that these are very impressive, nicely done. Was the off camera flash tripod mounted and how did you fire it ?

Bill

[Martin.D]

Originally Posted by Biscuit761

Got to say that these are very impressive, nicely done. Was the off camera flash tripod mounted and how did you fire it ?

Bill

Both my off camera flashes are tripod mounted - 1 high and 1 low..

I like to shoot low for the action shots so the camera is resting on a bean bag in an attempt to prevent scatches

Tonight we have another session but this will be only street photos wich is right up my alley and in my own opinion makes a much more interesting shot.. Need to go buy me some more batteries for my flashes, full power eats the cells!

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

The shots at night or with a really fast shutter(not sure which way you did it) where the sky/background is black, are really excellent. The actually geometery of the composition is striking in itself and the guys on the boards just gel with the space so well, really really great shots.

[Martin.D]

Thank you Gordon

Here is another from the same evening..

15) - Kevin