2008 RNR Marathon Images

[GB1]

Volunteered at the rock n rock marathon in San Diego this morning and managed to get in some shooting before the main wave rolled in. I have a LOT to learn with action photography!!! Focusing properly is a major challenge as ridicules as that sounds: the distances are constantly changing, and your options are to either manually focus - close to impossible to get right on a consistent basis - or go with the SLR's continuous focus function. The Nikon D200's is supposed to be above average with that, but who knows what that means. You also pretty much have to keep the subject centered for that to work (when it does work) so you can't do any artistic composing, unless you select a different focus grid location, which maybe I should have done. Another problem is that a good scene may only last for a millisecond and if you hesitate, you missed it.

Most shots were taken at ISO 320, f-8.0, with a shutter speed of about 1/600 sec, at 135 mm focal length. Most were significantly sharpened to get them to what you see.

Any comments and suggestions would definitely be considered -

Gb

[Frog]

I really like the fourth one because it tells the action story with a static image.

[livin4lax09]

not bad. action photography is challenging, and is in part really about the level of your equipment. as you've found, focusing is quite challenging and you really need a pro level body to track that continuous focus. Generally I shoot with f/2.8 if you're looking to isolate the subject, or whatever your lowest f/stop is.

Not bad at all for your first time though, and its evident you hit the focus on some of them. Practice will definitely improve your skills in sports photography. And as I've recently discovered, having an eye for the interesting compositions like your fourth one is by far more important than being able to hit the focus every time. At least in my opinion.

One suggestion - get lower. Most pros shoot from either their butt or their knees. Helps to make the athletes look more powerful and intimidating. Instantly makes a huge improvement, as long as you're not shooting up the nose.

[Overbeyond]

I like the last one best because it portraysthe pain and fatique a marathon runner often suffers. This poor chap looks as though he has got himself into real trouble so I really hope he made the finish line.

[SmartWombat]

I like the framing in the 4th shot

[Shooter Tiff]

I think you did really well. I am sure that you took a lot that didn't work quite as well but that is kinda how sports photography seems to work. I have been trying a lot of biking shots and the focus is definitely the hardest part. I find that AFC just hunts too much, especially because conditions are not always ideal and there are usually a lot of other things in the frame for it to go for. Selective AF is the way to go. I just pick a spot as they will be coming into the frame and wait for that.
BTW What did you use for sharpening? looks a lot better than what I have been doing.

[GB1]

Thanks everyone, for looking and comment.

Frog, Paul - I sort of saw that in # 4 too. This is exactly what I was going for BTW: a crazy frenzy where everyone's coming by with hands shooting in all directions and grabbing drinks (I've run races and seen this from the runner's perspective too). They're low percentage shots though - very few are keepers (thank GOD for digital cameras! Film would be terrible for someone fighting a learning curve). My only wish is that I had shot that one with a wider aperture.

livin4lax09- I will have to try that lower angle technique! It sounds like it might produce some neat shots. I think the D200 is as pro as I want to get though, will have just work on technique instead of hauling a big, heavy, true pro camera around (which are also insanely expensive ). f 2.8? Ha. I can't make f 8.0 sharp! 2.8 sounds like a long ways off right now.

It's actually my second running photo shoot. I think last year's were better than this year's.

Btw I did consider getting low just to the side of a runner or two and snapping a burst as they got very close and passed, but I thought that I might obstruct them. As a runner myself, I know this would be very cruel cause you're in enough pain and delirium already without someone getting in your way... :cryin: (I still wince when I think of that idiot grabbing the lead runner in the last Olympics). Would make for some really neat shots though

Tom - Hey most marathoners at 23.5 look worse, this guy did good (I see from the website results he came in a tad over 3 hrs with an overall 109 / 16373 placement). What actually struck me is how calm and collected the front runners seemed, even though they were running so much harder. Maybe you can tell better than I on that though.

Shooter - Glad to hear it ain't just me! Focusing is rough and I think I will be working on this aspect of action photography for awhile. I will try that selective wait-for-the-subject approach. It may be the best. I sharpened in Corel PhotoPaint which I prefer over PS' sharpener. Corel let's you precisely set the percent sharpening, with visual feedback. Seems like PS is more of a click and we do it for you function, though it may have a better control buried down in the menus somewhere.

Gb