Shooters ... what do ya think of this crop?

[Okiewan]

I know average Joe thinks a pic is bad if the whole bike insn't in the image so I won't bother asking him :p Seriously, I've been working on crops that I like (yes, framing in the camera, not photoshopping, but that's cool too). I want a tight crop, but also enough left in the image to either show where the rider is going, or where they came from.

Here's one I really like. Thoughts? Editing is welcome btw.
Thanks!

 

[Okiewan]

Well crap. Now the more I look at it, the more I think I needed more of (his) left side in. The boot being cutt off is bugging me.

 

[Squid31]

I like everything about the shot other than the way he is cut off. I do the same thing all the time when shooting vertical, and it really makes me mad...

 

[Green Horn]

I know average Joe thinks a pic is bad if the whole bike insn't in the image so I won't bother asking him :p

Why not just title the thread Rich, Kawi, and Chili then? :p

 

[Okiewan]

Rich, Chili, Kawi, Squid, Will, Lou. :p
There is a difference in the way people that look at photographs. Most, just look to see how good the action is. If the focus is good enough = "good shot". Photogs look at that plus the technical aspects of the image .... exposure, crop, sharpness, DOF, light, etc. etc.

Sooo... if you are looking for answers to technical aspects, who you gonna ask? ;)

 

[kenc1959]

The crops (in camera) I find I like to keep is Rider/bike moving into the picture either 1/3 or 2/3 into the frame. That rule of 3rds seems to apply. I discard a pic if I lose a foot or a 1/2 a wheel, or even the top of the helmet; and it seems I get a lot of those.

(gonna look for my favorite in camera crop which was actually a misfire)

 

[kenc1959]

here is a crop I like (probably cuz I took it??)

 

[Green Horn]

Rich, Chili, Kawi, Squid, Will, Lou. :p
There is a difference in the way people that look at photographs. Most, just look to see how good the action is. If the focus is good enough = "good shot". Photogs look at that plus the technical aspects of the image .... exposure, crop, sharpness, DOF, light, etc. etc.

Sooo... if you are looking for answers to technical aspects, who you gonna ask? ;)

Yeah, I know there were a few names I left out, and no disrespect was intended to them.

I can't wait till I'm actually "qualifiied" to critique your pics, oh mighty one. :laugh: [rolls eyes]

 

[Okiewan]

First step is to get some pics in focus and without camera shake. [ rolls eyes ]

 

[Okiewan]

:laugh:

 

[04kdx200]

Okie, put a frame around it.... kinda like it would appear hanging on the wall. I think it would wake up the crop a bit..

 

[Green Horn]

First step is to get some pics in focus and without camera shake. [ rolls eyes ]

I am ASSuming that was meant for me. Any good tips to overcome the shaky thing then, or is this just for attack purposes only?

 

[Green Horn]

Wow! This thread certainly is chock full of technical advice. LOL

 

[biglou]

My preference is to have the entire bike (and all the roost, if there is any, like in my RV photo from Red Bud this year) as big as possible and then crop in PS. If the bike and roost take up the entire frame, there's plenty of detail to crop tighter if need be. That's just me, though. ;)

Like so:

Then again, I contradict myself sometimes!

 

[Okiewan]

I am ASSuming that was meant for me. Any good tips to overcome the shaky thing then, or is this just for attack purposes only?

You didn't see my smilie?

Avoiding camera shake.

1. Use a tripod.
or
2. Make sure your shutter speed is faster than the lens (or zoom) you are shooting. Ie; if you are shooting at 70mm, shutter speed needs to be at LEAST 1/80th. Since this rule came to be during the film days, on a 20D you should make it (70x1.6 (crop factor)=112) 1/125th.

 

[will pattison]

okie, the crop and everything else about the shot is excellent.

i'm starting to feel about cropping the way i do about running low shutter speeds so the freds will think it's a good pic - it's ok to cut off a wheel or a boot. for me, it depends on what the real focus of the picture is. i mean, all riders have wheels and boots, but in this case, i think the diagonal composition, the color, and the intense focus of both the rider and the photographer is what makes the image.

look at the article about the nationals in the october twmx. of the 11 rider shots, 6 are cropped "incorrectly".

plus....cropping in camera is for still life and landscapers. maybe cudby or bonello is good enough to catch bubba full swap through the whoops at millville at 1/80th and perfectly preserve the rule of thirds, but i bet even they would say your pic is sweet!

wp.

 

[Green Horn]

You didn't see my smilie?

Avoiding camera shake.

1. Use a tripod.
or
2. Make sure your shutter speed is faster than the lens (or zoom) you are shooting. Ie; if you are shooting at 70mm, shutter speed needs to be at LEAST 1/80th. Since this rule came to be during the film days, on a 20D you should make it (70x1.6 (crop factor)=112) 1/125th.

Thanks, I was thinking it was a shutter speed issue...mostly. I didn't know of the shutter speed vs. zoom rule. I will have to play around with that. :cool:

 

[Green Horn]

Even though we've established I can't shoot ( :laugh: ), I'll put my untechnical opinion out there. I kind of favor a tighter crop with that pic...personally. Focus more on the rider himself. Like anything really, it's more of personal preference since this is kind of "artwork" that you're creating, true? Also, I wonder how your same pic would look on print, on a mag cover, etc...? I think alot of pics are done an injustice when they are posted on an interweb thread.

Here's my crop...

 

[Okiewan]

Will..
I think when it comes to crops like that, it takes it from a discussion about a technically correct image (focus, exposure, etc) to one of tastes ... and we all taste different :p

You hit on a belief of mine about crops. It depends on what the subject really is. Is it the bike and roost or about the actual rider? There's a place for both. I this case, it was the intensity of the eyes that I wanted to be the focal point.

That being said, it could have been cropped better, as mentioned, if the whole boot was in, but the rear tire cut, it would have been better imho. But that's how it came out of the camera, not like I have a choice with that image.

 

[Okiewan]

That works too greenie... but dude, you blew it up :)

 

[Okiewan]

I'm going to do a little experiement in another thread about crops.
The same image, cropped two ways. We'll see which is preferred.

 

[Green Horn]

but dude, you blew it up :)

Uh oh, is that another no-no in the photog world? :bang: :laugh:

 

[Chili]

Been away for a few days but Greenie nailed what I would have done with the crop.