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Posts Tagged ‘competition’

Event, Personal, Photography, Sports | 0 comment

Hare Scramble Racing

©TimeLine Media - VCHSS race - 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville

This was my first attempt at photographing motorcycle racing of any kind. Hare Scramble racing is a specific type of racing where the riders make multiple laps on a course that has terrain/elevation changes. At this time the course was a naturally rugged course through a farm in Ruckersville, VA. The race on this occasion was part of the Virginia Championship Hare Scramble Series. Being unfamiliar with the sport, the venue, and how things are run, I went in thinking I would try my best, but did not expect to get much from my first time out.

Ruckersville, Virginia

©TimeLine Media - VCHSS race - 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville
©TimeLine Media – VCHSS race – 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville

Before getting there, I looked online for some photo ideas. There are a myriad of place online where amazing photographers showcase their work. I go to 500px.com first – I think they have some of the best images online. It can be intimidating to post there as there are so many excellent images there! I decided that I wanted to get some photos of bikes up close to convey the speed and conditions that the racers face in competition.

©TimeLine Media - VCHSS race - 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville
©TimeLine Media – VCHSS race – 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville

Luckily, I had no problem with access. The 6.4 mile course had lots of good places to view racing, and you were on your own to monitor the trails to see if any racers were approaching. With the race being in the middle of the bright day, the open fields would be tough for getting light to the helmets without harsh shadows. Plus, I thought the dust might be bad for my lungs and gear!

©TimeLine Media - VCHSS race - 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville
©TimeLine Media – VCHSS race – 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville

In the woods, the sun was a lot more subdued. I could adjust more settings from the camera to get what I wanted. Like in ballroom dancing, there was a lot of colors on the bikes and the protective clothing of the riders making auto focus easier when tracking the bikes. I am still going through the photos, but I’ll post more about how I made these images in a future post.

©TimeLine Media - VCHSS race - 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville
©TimeLine Media – VCHSS race – 2013 Cross Trails at Ruckersville

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography | 0 comment

Early September Canvas Sale

©TimeLine Media - dancing at the American Star Ball

Custom Wall Art

Happy September! This is a popular time for sales from the print labs as schools are getting back into session. The lab that I primarily use is having a canvas sale. From today, September 1, 2013 to next Sunday, September 8, 2013 prints are discounted. The prices have already been changed on the proofing website. With this in mind, no coupon or special codes are needed to receive the 20% off discount.

http://www.timelinedc.com/proofs

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray Virginia Beach at the Spring Freestyles
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray Virginia Beach at the Spring Freestyles

Canvas Sale

As I have noted, canvas prints have become a popular way to hang art on your walls. These prints are a more contemporary presentation of images, without frames, or borders. However, if you would like a more traditional setting, these can be placed into wood frames, or created with a color border surrounding the edges. At this time I have many of my personal prints hanging in my house this way. Mine are grouped into collections for wall spaces. I especially enjoy the reaction people have from seeing large, custom-made photographs in my home. Of course I appreciate having paintings or reprints of famous photos, but as personal as photography is to me, it is a perfect way to present my craft to family and visitors.

Example of canvas print collection
Example of canvas print collection

So much of my photography is from the ballroom dance floor. Many customers have emailed, and we have created nice groupings of canvas prints for their spaces. While some are on walls, some have them gone up staircases, others have been placed in their entertainment rooms where they practice some of their dancing. Unlike paper prints, it is much easier to hang these as larger prints – they come with rubber bumpers, and framing wire already attached so you just need to mount a picture frame hook to hang these pieces. If you have any questions about them, please let me know! I can help you measure out a good size for a space you were thinking, and can recommend images if you have a few in mind. My email is rassi @ timelinedc.com, phone 703-864-8208.

©TimeLine Media - dancing at the American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media – dancing at the American Star Ball

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Ballroom Dance, Event, Photography, Sports | 0 comment

Sports Photographer Idols – Part 3

©TimeLine Media - USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Champsionships - ballroom dance

In two previous posts, here and here, I wrote about lessons learned from studying another sports photographer to improve my own photography. I will be going out to another sporting event today, and will be on the look out for more inspiration. Another lesson that Dave Black will emphasize with action sports photography is gear. Yes, this aspect of photography can be really overdone! In the competitive world of sports photography, it can be determining factor in whether you can survive shooting only sports.

Photography Kit

If the people around you are shooting at 200mm, you need to get a 300mm length lens. Comparatively if everyone is shooting at 400mm length, you need to get a 600mm length lens. If everyone has an 800mm lens, you need to stick a teleconverter on your lens to extend passed 800mm. Moreover if this sounds like an incredibly expensive “arms race”, it is. But it is hard to argue in an age where everyone has access to good camera bodies, and long lenses – where iPhone and tablet photos can pass as publishable images for newspapers and websites. Photographers also need to up their game in terms of equipment, and putting that equipment in places where everyone else does not have access.

©TimeLine Media - ballroom dancing at the 2013 American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media – ballroom dancing at the 2013 American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media - Baltimore Dancesport Challenge
©TimeLine Media – Baltimore Dancesport Challenge

The last point that stuck with me from Dave, is positioning of the photographer with relationship to his subjects. When shooting sports, it is important to get down low to the ground. The subject you are aiming for, if they are down the field, will look like they are right in your plane of view. And when they start to move towards you, then will look larger and fill up the frame making for an “hero” shot composition. Viewers will be drawn to the main subject. They will look powerful and dominate the frame which is the goal in most action images – even from the dance floor!

Sports Photographer

The sports photographer will be on the ground with knee pads or stretched out just off the edge of the dance floor trying to get the camera to places that people in the audience or in the stands would not be able to get their camera. This is their job, and why they are given the task and position in the venue. If they do not take advantage of their setting, then smartphone and tablet images will become more acceptable. And exceptional sports imagery will no longer be sought after by editors, and customers.

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray Summer Showcase
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray Summer Showcase
©TimeLine Media - USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Champsionships - ballroom dance
©TimeLine Media – USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Champsionships – ballroom dance

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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