Beacon Bomber DH

[SunnySideUp]

I did my first downhill shooting this last weekend. I was using my Powershot A80 set to 1/125. Let me know what you think. Thanks
Shane
www.oregonvelo.com

[BigBen]

Given the equipment you were working with, I think these came out well. I would suggest bumping up the shutter speed a bit, though. When the bike is airborn, the "action" is clear; no need to blur the background by panning. Panning exposures at 1/45 look very cool, BUT when a bike's moving in three dimensions it's nearly impossible to get right. Were these road bikes the story would be different. Try 1/250 or even 1/500 and I bet you get more keepers next time. Good job, though. Cropping is good, and you seem to have a grasp on where/when to catch the action.

[Sebastian]

I think I disagree with BigBen regarding the blur. If it was still the background would be overly distracting, too busy. The blur really helps to separate the rider from the background, and helps the viewer focus on him.

The only other thing I would suggest is getting an exposure, setting it manually and keeping it there until the light or your position change. Your shots are really uneven in exposure and it is likely due to the meter being fooled by different areas of the image. Check the histogram and dial it in yourself, that way it won't shift on you for no apparent reason.

[Photo-John]

Ohhhhhh - good topic! It's a tough call. I usually try to shoot both types of photos. They're just very different. While it's true that a 1/45th sec panned, mountain bike photo won't be sharp everywhere, it can still be an excellent photo. There's no need to rule out that kind of photo just because the whole subject won't be sharp. I actually think 1/45th sec is too slow. But 1/100th is good for panning and backgroud blur. You're still likely to get hands, feet, back wheel, etc, blurred - but that just adds to the overall sense of motion. And in the end, it just depends on the photo. Fast exposures have a different look and feel than slow ones. One isn't better than the other.