Longboarding

I haven't posted in a while, and I'm going to try to post more, so I thought I'd share some photos of a little longboarding action. Please give me some pointers and criticism.

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Trying some board flips.

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Tried a few panning shots that I thought turned out ok. Not sure I like the PP yet but I'm still toying. Any PP ideas?

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I kinda like this picture. Thought I might try and add a nose and mouth below the glasses, might be funny.

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Really struggling to edit this picture. This is straight off the camera. Any ideas on edits?

I like the idea of shooting some longboarding and have it on my list of things to shoot when I get an opportunity so this post grabbed my attention.

The first one suffers from either too much DOF or a too-distracting background. Especially with that lamp post that touches his hand. So I'd try this type of shot with a fast lens wide open (got a fast 50?) or being much more selective about what is behind the skater.

The second one is a good idea but the panning technique needs work because the skater is not sharp. He is also too centered in the frame. I'd put him on a 1/3 line so he is facing into the frame and make him sharp.

The sunglasses is an interesting idea. I think if you made the face out of skate-related objects it has potential. I don't care for the halos in the processing but that may just be a matter of taste.

I like the composition of the last shot. Good lines. It does need more pop, so I'd increase contrast and/or selectively brighten the girl. If she was wearing a different color you could also turn the luminance down for the blue channel in LR to make the sky darker. That actually may still work if the shirt is seen more as as aqua than blue. Then maybe you could brighten aqua. That may not work but could be worth a try. Or just mask and brighten her in Photoshop. Or re-shoot using off-camera flash and/or better light.

I hope this doesn't all come across as too down on your shots. Each has potential but each also has flaws that prevent it from hitting that potential.

Thanks for sharing!

Matt, you read my mind!

For #3 either on the right 1/3, moving into the frame (the 'rule' having space to move into) or on the left 1/3 moving out of the frame (breaking the rule). But not dead centred.
As a beginner, I used to shoot like this, because I used the centre AF point.
Move the AF point and move the subject in the frame.
I think it goes back to the days of manual focus microprism central spots on the film SLR.
A hard habit to break.

I was thinking for #4 the girl is just too far to the right, past the 1/3 point.
I wonder though about reversing it, shooting from closer and putting her in the left 1/3.

I think you have good ideas here. I'd start by looking for more dramatic light, either a different time of day or with off camera light. A reflector could help the first one by adding light from the right to better isolate him. Likewise fill flash; either on camera or off can accomplish the same thing.

The first one is a good concept, I would try a different perspective to get rid of, or minimize the background elements. A longer lens with a shorter DOF would help that, but taking it out of the frame would be even better. A wide-angle up close and tight from a low angle is how I see it. Since it's a parking structure, you could also try a longer lens from a low angle too, perhaps from a ramp to that level.

To me the last one is crying out for context. What's she looking at? Why is she standing there? It has nice lines, but that's all I see. It may be because the colors are too close together visually. Honestly if it were mine I'd say I missed the shot and file it away as something to re-visualize. I'd look for a better sky element. Also I think she might work better in the left 1/3 looking into into whatever you place in the sky element. The lines currently lead you to her, but she's not a dominant element in the frame. If the lines lead in to her them to what drew her to be looking over the edge I think you have something.

The sunglasses shot is a nice idea. It already is a sort of face as shot with the screw heads and the object under the nose piece of the glasses. I like that there is a "facial" element without being shown a face.

One last thought. If I find myself trying "make" a shot in or with post, I feel that I missed it as well. The sunglasses shot works ok with the halo's but perhaps remove them or lower the values from around the pink shoes, I find them distracting as they are. They make a nice framing element so they ought to support the sunglasses face element. Right now they draw my eye off the central theme. Try it the either way too, lower the halo around the glasses to emphasize the pink shoes.