I think one of the most critical things missing in this photo is a sense of height or magnitude. I participate in so-called "alternative sports" and the key to a good photo is capturing the height of what's being done. I would have voted this lower because your angle makes anything that's going on look small and insignificant. Photography for the genre is all about building into this, and your shot goes in the opposite direction. Shoot from below, get up close- bring the action up close and personal to the viewer and blow them away with the individual's ability to defy gravity and showcase the dynamic nature of the scene.
Responding to your request in a thread for a critique of this photo: I didn't vote and I certainly would not have voted this a 1. I wish that I could understand the motivation behind extremely low scoring of images that clearly don't deserve it. Anyway, back to the critique...
What's wrong with the image: The motion blur to showcase the action called for in the challenge description was a great idea, but it was carried too far in that the subject is also a little blurry. Framing him in the center didn't help...it would have been better to leave some space in the image in front of him.
What's right with the image: The background motion blur is great (but see above). I really like the angle of the shot. I don't know if it is truly level or if you turned it at all, but because of the tight crop the viewer can't tell which lends to the wild, action feel to the shot.
What could have been done better: In addition to the above critique details, I would have liked for him to wear something better than a 'wife beater' tank top. I shoot a lot of kitesurfers and I prep them on what I want them to wear, either in general (no black shirts) or I sometimes get fairly specific. You might have simply taken a candid shot of a stranger, in which case you had no say as far as his attire goes. But, as a viewer of skating shots in general, we expect to see something a little more stylish, punkish, rebellious, or just different. Again, leading space in the frame for the direction that he is going and crisp focus without blur on the subject would have greatly improved this entry.
With that said, it definitely didn't deserve any 1's. I probably would have voted it a 5 or a 6, but then again, I'm picky conservative in handing out higher scores.
For a sports photo, this is very soft. Razor sharpness on the details usually helps action shots, lending additional drama to what's going on. As well, there isn't much by way of drama here -- you haven't captured anything outstanding in this activity, which may have impacted your score. The angle of the skater's face isn't that interesting, nor is his expression, so that doesn't help us to understand how good he is at this, or what he's going through, or the tension in the sport, or any of the things that make for a great sports photo. The background is very bland, and tells us nothing about the environment in which this sport happens. Had I voted, this would have been 4 or 5 from me.
Kat, I like your version. I like that it shows motion (the blur is good here), the concentration on his face and the ledge as the anchor of the frame. By comparison, mine stops the motion completely and the wider DOF puts everything in focus. Yours is much more active than mine which is really a freeze-frame. Key to yours is that his face is in focus. WB, or maybe brightness, could be adjuststed a but, but I am looking at it on a laptop.
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
Photographer found comment helpful.
