Thursday, July 25, 2013

Kiteboarder in Mid-air

This photograph of a kiteboarder in mid-air is a nice action shot.  The athlete pops out because he is high enough to have only the sky behind him and no other clutter.  Also, the contrast between him and the background is distinct.  One could argue, with validity, that the eye is drawn to the brightest areas of an image and the bright line of spray in this image is a distraction from the subject.  My own feeling is that the spray contributes greatly to the portrayal of action that I'm trying to achieve.
400mm lens, 1/4000 second at f/3.2, ISO 125.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Kiteboarding Action

This kiteboarder is not airborne yet the photograph shows excellent action.  The image in our previous post showed a kiteboarder in the air with spectacular height off the water and the viewer knows implicitly that there is action.  The image here shows a lot of white water and spray which indicates power and speed.  The camera angle gives us a nice view of the board and we can see how it digs into the water.  No question that this is a fast ride.  So many nice angles; dangling arm, the legs, the board and spray, the control cables.  All of this contributes to a very dynamic image.
400mm lens, 1/2500 second at f/3.2, ISO 125.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Kiteboarding in mid-air.

This kiteboarder was recently photographed in mid-air over Lake Huron in northern Michigan.  The breeze was marginal until late in the day.  This worked fine for photography, though, because the sun was getting a little lower.  This shot was taken just after 5:00 PM.  The subject stands out well against the blue sky and the dark water.  His face is well lit.  The angle of the board provides a nice diagonal line.
400mm lens, 1/4000 second at f/3.2, ISO 125.