Monday, March 27, 2017

Giant Slalom Ski Race

This photograph of a skier on the giant slalom race course shows very aggressive body angle that makes for an exciting composition.  A viewer can instantly see that the skier is going very fast and the diagonal line formed by the athlete's legs makes for a dynamic composition.
It is not very common that a course is set to allow such a position for the photographer.  The gate was set on a small flat spot and the hill dropped off sharply in front.  By positioning the camera on the slope we were able to be very low in relation to the skier and looking almost directly head-on.  The race took place in the late afternoon on a cloudy day so the light was awful.  However, dark goggles were not necessary so the skier's eyes are visible in the photo.  A nice bonus to see the facial expression.
400mm lens, 1/1600 second at f/3.5, ISO 400.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Giant Slalom Skier at a Gate

This photograph is from the recent alpine ski racing season and shows a skier at a gate during a giant slalom race.  I took photos of many skiers at this gate but only a few showed the action and intensity of this one, which is why it is a favorite.  The aggressive body angle indicates the high speed of the skier and also makes the composition more dynamic with the diagonal line formed by his body.
400mm lens, 1/1600 second at f/4, ISO 200.