Kites... Deer Creek Reservoir, Utah

[Chris350]

Here's something I tried shooting today. Hard to make the entire set up fit in the frame... Just the kite was no good, just the rider failed to convey what was going on... Gonna need to study this one some more. Of course the wind never blows at the golden hours either so light is tricky... I'm thinking an underwater housing and a rider who is really good at controlling his rig.

[DHMN69]

The background works well though.. the rider and kite in the distance though maybe not so much? The shadow too obviously hard to control that. I wouldn't mind seeing an angle on those hills during sunrise or sunset but that's getting out of 'sports' and into landscape

[jacobovs]

The background works well though.. the rider and kite in the distance though maybe not so much? The shadow too obviously hard to control that. I wouldn't mind seeing an angle on those hills during sunrise or sunset but that's getting out of 'sports' and into landscape

I have been shooting kiteboarding for a while, the only way to get both the boarder and the kite is to use a wide angle lens and usually in the water. Check out the kiteboarding magazines to get some ideas.

[DHMN69]

Not a lot of those types of opportunities here in Minnesota.... once in a while people attempt to surf the shores of Lake Superior but there's some nasty rocks they have to avoid usually

[SmartWombat]

I'm thinking an underwater housing and a rider who is really good at controlling his rig.

Definitely like to see the results of that!

[Photo-John]

Here's something I tried shooting today. Hard to make the entire set up fit in the frame... Just the kite was no good, just the rider failed to convey what was going on... Gonna need to study this one some more. Of course the wind never blows at the golden hours either so light is tricky... I'm thinking an underwater housing and a rider who is really good at controlling his rig.

Cool to see some more kite surfing photos here. You should check out jacobovs' gallery. He's done a lot of kite surfing photos in the SF Bay and on the coast there. He's really good. When I still lived in the Bay Area I went out to shoot in Foster City and had pretty much the same experience as you - I couldn't get the rider and the kite in the same photo and have an image tight enough for my taste. I also found I didn't really appreciate the areial acrobatics of the sport. I prefer real gravity sports where air time is really limited. I'm sure kite surfing is super fun but I'd rather watch and shoot a good windsurfer.

Jacobovs' recommendation about checking magazines is solid. I always do that if I'm shooting a new subject. An underwater housing isn't a bad idea, either. That's how the best wakeboard photos are shot. The photographer works from an inner tube between the boat and the wakeborder. It allows for much tighter shots and better angles. Underwater housings ain't cheap, though!

[Chris350]

Here's something I tried shooting today. Hard to make the entire set up fit in the frame... Just the kite was no good, just the rider failed to convey what was going on... Gonna need to study this one some more. Of course the wind never blows at the golden hours either so light is tricky... I'm thinking an underwater housing and a rider who is really good at controlling his rig.

Beach work is/was all I'm set up to do right now, and as you can see it's such a large rig that getting it all in the frame is tough while still making an interesting image. I can see that details shots are a better way to go, and in the water is definitely going to be the best option like shooting surfing. Different light would help too but since the wind only blows at mid day at this location.... I have to make correction tot eh images and re-upload them which is why the OP has no image anymore. It's too bad there is a time frame for editing posts set by the forum software. I'd like to go back and relink the image. I also prefer to avoid uploading to multiple locations as it gets confusing to remember what went where and at what resolution.

[Photo-John]

I'd like to go back and relink the image. I also prefer to avoid uploading to multiple locations as it gets confusing to remember what went where and at what resolution.

Give me the image URL and I'll fix it for you. We have a limit on edits to keep people honest - just in case we had some kind of big blowup on the forums. It's unfortunate we have to do that. But these are the Internets and that's the way things are.

[SmartWombat]

How about one of the water/shock proof cameras as a starter, while you're learning the environment?
I started out motorsport with P&S and improved my technique with that while learning the sport, the circuits, basics of panning and so on.
Less worry about the equipment, and more about the image.

Oh did I just argue myself out of a 1DmkIV ?

[Chris350]

How about one of the water/shock proof cameras as a starter, while you're learning the environment?


Oh did I just argue myself out of a 1DmkIV ?

are you trying to talk me out of a waterproof housing, or what? Not a bad suggestion, although it's not something I'm going to spend an awful lot of time with, I have other needs to fill in towards bettering my primary target, cycling.