Anyone got any photo question?

Sideways717
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Sideways717 3/17/2011 4:21pm
3/17/2011 4:21pm
Hello Paul. I went to the Indy Supercross and got this shot of Kdub. I was really happy with it. Is there anything you would do to make it better. I dont have Photoshop, all I use is canon's DPP and convert to jpeg from RAW.


This is the original.


This is my cropped version. Im not sure which I liked better.

Here are a few more I took from the event.




I shot all these with a Canon Rebel XSi and the EF-S 55-250.
bmoto816
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bmoto816 3/18/2011 1:10am
3/18/2011 1:10am
Nice shots Sideways! I love the angle on that first K-Dub photo, I personally like the cropped one best but they all rock.
Sideways717
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Sideways717 3/18/2011 8:39am
3/18/2011 8:39am Edited Date/Time 3/18/2011 8:58am
bmoto816 wrote:
Nice shots Sideways! I love the angle on that first K-Dub photo, I personally like the cropped one best but they all rock.
Thank you very much! I love shooting moto! Im thinking about hitting up St Louis too just so I can work on a few things Ive learned from last weekend. There's alot to learn in photography!
Paul Buckley 3/18/2011 7:12pm
3/18/2011 7:12pm
I like the cropped version better too. I'd try to brighten up the whites a bit and adjust the white balance, not to neutral white but something a bit on the warm side. Right now it looks a little too cool.

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Carla_Oliveira 5/25/2011 2:29pm
5/25/2011 2:29pm
Hi Paul!!, what is the aperture and speed should I use to shoot a holeshot mx racing, I mean, in a regular sunny day?, one of those pics I could give more sharpening on most of riders, not just the first one.
thanks
Paul Buckley 5/25/2011 5:01pm
5/25/2011 5:01pm
Carla give 1000 a try for the shutter speed and f11 for the aperture at ISO 400. If you want a little more wheel spin and background motion blur try a slower shutter (500 etc) to make the lead rider pop more raise your shutter speed and open up the lens.
ts.p311
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ts.p311 5/28/2011 10:41pm
5/28/2011 10:41pm
Hows it going Paul? I recently got a canon rebel xt digital, and shoot a lot of sporting events, mainly mx. Im currently just running the stock lens, but would like to get something of a slightly higher quality without breaking the bank. Id like to stay within $300... Any Ideas?
DrSweden
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DrSweden 6/1/2011 4:05pm
6/1/2011 4:05pm
I was thinking to buy a SLR for less than $ 800, and I was hoping to get a 50-200(?) or similar plus the standard. I'm looking at Canon T2i, Nikon in the same price range would be 3100, or maybe 5100. D90 is a bit more I think. But anyway, the questions is will I even notice the diff between the cheapest Rebel XS, T1i, Nikon 3100 compared to the more expensive T2i?

The ambition is family stuff, beach, nature, indoor and maybe some moto (but that's not priority).

Any suggestions?
Paul Buckley 6/8/2011 1:22pm
6/8/2011 1:22pm
ts.p311 wrote:
Hows it going Paul? I recently got a canon rebel xt digital, and shoot a lot of sporting events, mainly mx. Im currently just running the...
Hows it going Paul? I recently got a canon rebel xt digital, and shoot a lot of sporting events, mainly mx. Im currently just running the stock lens, but would like to get something of a slightly higher quality without breaking the bank. Id like to stay within $300... Any Ideas?
You could give this Canon a try, it won't be as sharp as a 300 2.8 L that the pros use but it'll be a step up from the kit lens.
Check it out at B&H
Paul Buckley 6/8/2011 1:24pm
6/8/2011 1:24pm
DrSweden wrote:
I was thinking to buy a SLR for less than $ 800, and I was hoping to get a 50-200(?) or similar plus the standard. I'm...
I was thinking to buy a SLR for less than $ 800, and I was hoping to get a 50-200(?) or similar plus the standard. I'm looking at Canon T2i, Nikon in the same price range would be 3100, or maybe 5100. D90 is a bit more I think. But anyway, the questions is will I even notice the diff between the cheapest Rebel XS, T1i, Nikon 3100 compared to the more expensive T2i?

The ambition is family stuff, beach, nature, indoor and maybe some moto (but that's not priority).

Any suggestions?
Doc, you probably won't notice a difference until you get into more demanding extreme situations like MX where the more expensive cameras faster computers will make a difference in the auto focus performance.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 6/8/2011 6:57pm
6/8/2011 6:57pm
Paul Buckley wrote:
Doc, you probably won't notice a difference until you get into more demanding extreme situations like MX where the more expensive cameras faster computers will make...
Doc, you probably won't notice a difference until you get into more demanding extreme situations like MX where the more expensive cameras faster computers will make a difference in the auto focus performance.
Cool and tnx for the reply. I went for the Canon Rebel T2i, which should be the "best" one, and will probably be enough for me until I die! Smile
silentradio 6/27/2011 2:51pm
6/27/2011 2:51pm
Do you prefer shooting in RAW or JPEG?
Boggy_353
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Boggy_353 7/4/2011 1:31pm
7/4/2011 1:31pm
Hi Buckley!

Thanks for all the feedback I've gotten from you, it helps a lot to get som input from pro photographer like you. So here's my new update from my photoworld. Let's start out with some pictures.













I usually don't like my photos when i look at them, because I think they often are too dark or out of focus. And as you might see some of the photos are a bit out of focus, and I've been struggling a lot with that lately. I'm not sure what I do but they keep getting blurry, which really nags me. And I also feel like the photos are missing the little extra that make them go from a good picture to the one you really say "wow, that's a great shot". Could it be because my lens isn't that good for motocross photography? It's a canon zoom EF 70-300mm 1:4 - 5.6 IS USM lens attached to a EOS 400D. Been looking at some lenses but I'm not sure what is good and what is not? So at the moment I'm looking for two kind of lenses, one that is sort of like the one I have now and one with an fisheye effect, any recommandations?
I have also started playing a bit with the pictures in Adobe Lightroom to fix up some of the pictures that just need some adjustments. Not to much but just some adjustments. Any tips on that end to get the pictures to get more alive? I often think that my pictures turns out to dark and sort dead if you can call them that.

Looking forward to hear your feedback, and get some tips on what to do to get better at this. I have a big interest in motocross photography and want to keep working on it until i maybe one day reach my goal which is taking photos for a motocross magazine, and take pictures of the pros out there. Hope to hear from you soon Smile
Boggy_353
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Boggy_353 7/5/2011 3:24am
7/5/2011 3:24am
Ooh, forgot to, but we suffer a lot from bad light at the races here in Norway. By that I mean we often have cloudy weather at the races, which again makes it harder for me to get some lighter pictures. Any suggestions on that BTW Smile
NOXiiClothing 7/6/2011 8:23pm
7/6/2011 8:23pm
This isn't really a photography question but a video question.

I just bought my first camera earlier this year and started off taking pictures but once I started taking videos with the camera I was hooked. Now, I have made a few short one song edits and have had some pretty good feedback. After my last edit I made I have been getting asked by some local riders if I could make one for them and they keep saying that they will pay me. My question is...What do I charge? Do I charge by the hour or a flat rate? Or, do I just ask them what they are willing to pay and just be happy that someone out there likes my videos enough to pay me to make one for them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a link to my videos
www.vimeo.com/sixfortyone

Thanks!
Paul Buckley 7/8/2011 4:31pm
7/8/2011 4:31pm
silentradio wrote:
Do you prefer shooting in RAW or JPEG?
Most of the time I shoot jpeg just cause it's faster. If I'm shooting a job with a big enough budget to warrant the extra time then I shoot both and I'll use the jpegs to create a web proof gallery.
Paul Buckley 7/8/2011 5:27pm
7/8/2011 5:27pm
Boggy_353 wrote:
Ooh, forgot to, but we suffer a lot from bad light at the races here in Norway. By that I mean we often have cloudy weather...
Ooh, forgot to, but we suffer a lot from bad light at the races here in Norway. By that I mean we often have cloudy weather at the races, which again makes it harder for me to get some lighter pictures. Any suggestions on that BTW Smile
First read through all 14 pages, I think a lot of your questions will be answered in them.

As far as your camera/lens setup goes that might be part of the problem since with a higher priced body and lens also comes higher performance auto focus.

Here's what I'd do, use a high enough ISO to keep your f-stop two or three away from the max aperture but not so high that your photos are too noisy. Use M or TV mode to control the action stopping power. Pick one focus point and keep that point on a bike or rider as you track them for a moment before pressing the shutter the whole way.
Paul Buckley 7/8/2011 5:35pm
7/8/2011 5:35pm
NOXiiClothing wrote:
This isn't really a photography question but a video question. I just bought my first camera earlier this year and started off taking pictures but once...
This isn't really a photography question but a video question.

I just bought my first camera earlier this year and started off taking pictures but once I started taking videos with the camera I was hooked. Now, I have made a few short one song edits and have had some pretty good feedback. After my last edit I made I have been getting asked by some local riders if I could make one for them and they keep saying that they will pay me. My question is...What do I charge? Do I charge by the hour or a flat rate? Or, do I just ask them what they are willing to pay and just be happy that someone out there likes my videos enough to pay me to make one for them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Here is a link to my videos
www.vimeo.com/sixfortyone

Thanks!
I'd come up with a flat fee, a starting point at least. Figure what you should make a year then divide that by 2,000 then add in some $ to cover equipment and expenses. Say you should make 50,000. a year that translates into 25. per hour if you spend a couple hours on a rider's edit you should charge around 75. but will a rider pay that for a 3-4 minute video?

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MCfan4life
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MCfan4life 7/28/2011 2:21am
7/28/2011 2:21am
Hey Paul how you doin' man? I just stumbled upon this thread as I have recently purchased a digital SLR and am heading to the final round of the Oz MX Nationals this weekend to take some photos (taking a weekend off from working on the CR).

I am an absolute NOOB when it comes to this. But I have taken the time to read ALL 14 pages to get some ideas.

I am in the minority as I have a Sony 390. It's only an entry level camera but hopefully should be OK to get some good shots.

I have come up with the following basic settings to try. Shutter speed 1000, ISO 400 and White Balance set to cloudy (pretty sure I read somewhere that this brings out the colours better than the sunny setting?). I have a 18-55 lens and also a 75-300. I guess I'll be shooting pit photos mainly with the 18-55 and track photos with the 75-300. Your thought on this? The track is very open as in there aren't really any trees to throw shadows on the track and the soil is dark sand/loam. Here is a picture from the track (not my pic) to give you an idea:



Would I need to change the ISO or shutter speed when changing lenses and changing between action and still photos? Thanks for any advice you can throw my way. This thread is awesome and very generous of you Cool

Here are a couple of photos I took just on the auto Sports mode but I want to play around with manual settings this weekend.



whyderp168
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whyderp168 8/11/2011 11:44pm
8/11/2011 11:44pm
I have a Canon EOS 7D and the 18-135 f/3.5 kit lens. I shoot in full manual and use f/3.5 but even then I can't get super blurred backgrounds. I shoot in AI servo and the subject is in focus and everything but there is almost no depth of field. Even zoomed into 100mm, there is only a real DOF when the subject is a fixed distance away from a solid background. Also, sometimes when shooting in manual at f/3.5, the camera will just switch to f/5.6 or f/4.5 or some weird number and won't let me get the lens wide open at f/3.5. Any help is appreciated, here's an example of the non-blurred background.

f/3.5
1/1250
ISO 200
Focal Length: 18mm
After I typed this all it's starting to look like it mostly has to do with focal length.
Jefro98
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Jefro98 8/11/2011 11:50pm
8/11/2011 11:50pm
whyderp168 wrote:
I have a Canon EOS 7D and the 18-135 f/3.5 kit lens. I shoot in full manual and use f/3.5 but even then I can't get...
I have a Canon EOS 7D and the 18-135 f/3.5 kit lens. I shoot in full manual and use f/3.5 but even then I can't get super blurred backgrounds. I shoot in AI servo and the subject is in focus and everything but there is almost no depth of field. Even zoomed into 100mm, there is only a real DOF when the subject is a fixed distance away from a solid background. Also, sometimes when shooting in manual at f/3.5, the camera will just switch to f/5.6 or f/4.5 or some weird number and won't let me get the lens wide open at f/3.5. Any help is appreciated, here's an example of the non-blurred background.

f/3.5
1/1250
ISO 200
Focal Length: 18mm
After I typed this all it's starting to look like it mostly has to do with focal length.
It's indeed the focal length mate.

Creating a DOF at 18mm wont work very well.
If you go high up on the focal length the DOF will get smaller.

Ever tried the DOF calculator? Give you an idea what will work.

[url]http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html[/url]
whyderp168
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whyderp168 8/12/2011 12:02am
8/12/2011 12:02am
Thanks man, more of a reason to save up for a nice 70-200 L haha
whyderp168
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whyderp168 8/12/2011 11:22pm
8/12/2011 11:22pm
Jefro98: I saw on your pbase thing that you had a 7D. I was wondering what picture style settings you used? Thanks
Paul Buckley 8/13/2011 4:58am
8/13/2011 4:58am
MC Fan, you can leave those settings for both lenses but you can change them to see what will happen with different shutter speeds and f stops. Check your LCD and make adjustments until the picture looks the way you want it to.
Paul Buckley 8/13/2011 5:03am
8/13/2011 5:03am
whyderp168 try to borrow a 300 or a 100-300 and shoot that at 2.8-3.5 then you'll see nice soft backgrounds especially when the rider is really close to you. You can get similar results with your kit lens but only with still lifes in the pits, I used to shoot some stuff for Renthal with my 15mm fisheye wide open at 2.8 and if I could get close to the minimum focusing distance the background would have that fisheye distortion and the 2.8 blur.
whyderp168
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whyderp168 8/13/2011 1:43pm
8/13/2011 1:43pm
Hey Paul, is a 70-200 good enough zoom or am I better off looking into a 100-300? Thanks for the help
Jefro98
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Jefro98 8/15/2011 3:23am
8/15/2011 3:23am
whyderp168 wrote:
Jefro98: I saw on your pbase thing that you had a 7D. I was wondering what picture style settings you used? Thanks
I never changed the picture style so it's still the standard.
Ddavis
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Ddavis 8/17/2011 9:42pm
8/17/2011 9:42pm Edited Date/Time 8/17/2011 9:44pm
Hey Paul, mainly I just want to know what your recommended settings are for shooting at a national. As in terms of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. I would hate to miss out on an opportunity of a great shot because my shutter speed was to fast and it came out dark, or overly exposed.

I have a Canon EOS Digital Rebel and an 18-55mm lens and 55-250mm lens.
Here is a link to my photos from Hangtown, I had the opportunity to take pictures on the track. It would be great if you could look at them and critique a few. Btw at Hangtown I was still new to photography and used sports mode, now I use Manual mode. Also, should I just use Tv Mode when taking pictures at the track? or Manual settings?
http://ddavisphotography.smugmug.com/Motocross/AMA-Hangtown-National/17826657_nSXx3r#1362753589_5zDs5fx
bj277
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bj277 9/10/2011 9:48pm
9/10/2011 9:48pm
Hi paul
I am into shooting motocross along with other action sports like snowboarding etc. I have a Nikon d7000 with 50mm 1.8 and nikkor 70-200 2.8 What is your suggestion for a good quality wide angle lens.
Any adive is good.
Cheers Ben
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ricko 9/12/2011 8:54am
9/12/2011 8:54am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2011 8:55am
I got 1 question, got a EOS 7D, 70-200mm f/2.8, and 24-70 f/2.8, recently purchased a 580ex II flash, looking for tips on how to set up the flash or what mode to shoot on for mx, I know theres no magic number but looking for a place to start and work and play around with it from there. I'm capable with the camera and lens itself, the flash is all new to me. Looking on how to set it up for mx, indoor use and still photos ill try and do on my own.

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