Self Portrait: Riding under a bent over snowy tree

[dwaugh]

I was out riding today after we unexpectedly got 4-5 inches of snow overnight. The trails were good since it was powder snow and easy to ride in in the woods where snow didn't build up on the trails so much, but I had the reoccurring problem of branches and trees sagging or bending over the trail. I knew that if I could find a good one that I could ride under, it might make for a good shot. So, I did it in a semi-open place with good lighting, with my camera on a stump maybe a foot and a half off the ground or so. I was only really going for the first shot, and the second was really an accident where I went too fast and got ahead of the timer, but I liked it enough to use it too. I edited the curves of these to help reduce the shadows on me and balance the lighting a bit. So, how did I do overall? I haven't cropped these.

[kate90]

i like the lighting on the snow, and the shadows, looks really affective =)

[jbaldocchi]

I like the coloring and lighting too. Nice capture.

[readingr]

Nice photos, both look good to me.

The only minor crit from me is the lack of movement in the bike wheels. If you managed to captyre than then it would be outstanding, It just makes them look a little too posed.

Roger R.

[DLB1973]

Hey D Waugh. Nice pics and it's great to see another mtb biker here. Where are you located? Looks familiar as I live in Wa. Here is a local pic of my wife riding. Currently not riding as I need knee surgery but thanks for the hit!

[dwaugh]

I'm in Bellingham and the photos are from Galbraith. I post riding shots here now and then.

As for the lack of movement in the wheels, it's something I actually try to avoid most of the time. The main reason is that without panning and blurring everything but the rider and the bike, capturing wheel movement also means blurring the rider, and although I see that in photos now and then, it's just not my style and 99.9% of the time if the rider is blurred in one of my shots, it's not used. Also, to blur the wheels I would have to have panned (and would have needed another rider because I can't pan for a self-portrait) and would have had to have blurred the background, which I wanted to be sharp. The conditions were against me, too; I was shooting at 1/1600.

[Cathathome]

Those shots are terrific, IMO. I like the 2nd one best, because of the way you and your bike dominate the scene, yet the snow and branches make an amazing backdrop. Great light - fun stuff!

Cheers,

[GB1]

Dave - Nice day to shoot, and nice shots. They look a tad posed to me, but could be as if a friend was shooting you also. I don't think you could have gotten the focus any better, esp on the bottom shot. To me the exposure looks perfect. The time of the day is good but I think shooting closer to sunset would produce more warmth.

[dwaugh]

but I think shooting closer to sunset would produce more warmth.

I like the cooler look, because it wasn't a warm day! haha
I couldn't have done it at any other time because this was near the beginning of my ride, probably around 1:30, and waiting any longer, among other reasons such as my hands getting really cold at the end of the ride, I didn't want to risk someone knocking the snow from the tree (since that was the point of the shot - riding under the bent tree with snow). It's rare to go up so late in the day, even on a weekday, and have the first tracks in the snow, especially on that trail since it's one of the two main entrances to the trail system.
Thanks for all the comments.

[SmartWombat]

I think the first one either needs a bit of pp or fill flash to lighten your face.
The second one looks better (subject filling the frame!) but I prefer the first image going under the branches - if only the lighting could be sorted.

[Singletracklovr]

I like #2 alot.
As a fellow Mtn Biker/photog I know how hard it is to get good action shots with out crashing. heehee

Well done.

[summerstar]

Those came out great. Nice work!

[Don Schaeffer]

Gawddd! You look so young and healthy.

[Frog]

Not noticing the original date, I thought my Lord, why didn't I hear anything about snow in Bellingham yesterday. Knew we had that wind thing around the sound but snow(?).
Finally checked the date.
Nice shots, too.