Impact

[polymoog]

When I take photos at motorsports events, my aim is always to try and convey to the viewer the sense of speed and movement which takes place. I rarely take stills, (which is also because I need a lot of light in order to get down to a bearable ISO), even though I have seen many amazing pics which really capture the moment.

However for me the idea is to have the picture leap out of the screen at the viewer, I want them to be able to hear and feel the car or snowmobile as it passes by. The problem is, I never feel like I have acheived that goal, or even come close. My images, no matter how much background blur and no matter what angle I take them from, seem flat and one dimensional.

I try to experiment with cropping, making sure the subject is not positioned in the centre of the picture, and I try to strike a balance between a close up of the vehicle and having enough background to give the image a sense of context. However I feel I am somewhat off target in that respect as well ... I also know that if the driver/rider is visible, their body language, face etc play an important, if somewhat unpredictable part.

Anyway, here is an example from last autumn, the nearest I have come so far to these unattainable goals, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.polymoog.se/moppe/mop033a.jpg

ps I imagine the lighting involved makes a difference as well, bright blue skies and vivid colours contribute to the overall feel, something which is hard to attain at this time of year, with all the white of the snow and the weak sunlight ...

[Hertz van Rental]

First thing: I'm not a Sports photographer. Never was. So my knowledge and experience in this area is strictly limited.

The first thing I would advise is to look through magazines and such to find pictures that do what you want yours to do.
Make a collection then look at them all together.
Doing this will help you see what is different between what you do and what you want to do. Then you can analyse these differences to find ways to get what you want.
It's simple and it works.

What I would say is that your image seems rather flat in terms of colour and tonality. Everything is a bit washed out.
One way to make your images 'pop' is to have more saturation. The subject should be bright and vibrant and the background should be darker to make it stand out.
The easiest way to achieve this is to use a flash. But you will need to check with the venue first to see if it's allowed.
The second thing is that the subject appears static. You have frozen all movement so it doesn't give the impression of movement.
Some blur in the subject can help give the feeling of movement so long as it is the right amount in the right place.
Again flash can help with this. By using flash with a slower shutter speed you can get a blurred subject with a sharp flash image layered over the top. This can be very effective.
Also, try choosing a spot where something is happening. A small hump on the course where the riders might get some air. This can give a much more dynamic image.

As for composition. Well, I would strongly recommend making the collection of images. You will see a preferred compositional style and you should try to work towards that.
So make the collection, find a representative image and ask 'how do I take a picture like this?' and we'll move on from there.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. But even a genius has his limitations :big grin:

[polymoog]

Thank you for your feedback, really great to hear someone elses point of view, and advice :D

There were no jumps on this course because these are veteran mopeds and everything would break if they even looked at a jump ;) I do otherwise try to move around the course and get pics from different angles.

That the guy is totally sharp in contrast to the blurry background is something I always aim for, I feel like the pic is no good if part of the rider or bike is blurry, apart from the rotating wheel. However I can see your point, I do look at other photogs pics but they are mostly at my level or slightly better, so maybe I should look at magazines. It's just that I don't want to copy other people's style :) I want to find my own way, but of course it has to be something that works.

And I will try to use my flash more, I am useless about that ;)

Thanks again Hertz for taking the time, even if you don't take sports pics, you know more about photography than me and that's what counts ;)

[Hertz van Rental]

I do look at other photogs pics but they are mostly at my level or slightly better, so maybe I should look at magazines. It's just that I don't want to copy other people's style

There is nothing wrong with copying the style of others.
Most great artists and all photographers start out doing just that. It's one of the best ways to learn the craft. Once you have the techniques and technical knowledge then you can develop your own style.
So it pays to copy the best. Those guys know what they are doing (and you can bet they started by copying someone else).

[Overread]

I'm no sports shooter either, but one thing in this shot which is breaking that feeling of motion is not so much that the rider is sharp, but that his leg is sticking down on the ground, sharp and with no visable scuffing or signs that its running against the ground.
To me it gives the impression that you got a biker to pose on the bike at a lean, shot and then imposed this over a blurred background and then went all out editing the wheels to blur. I know this is not what you did, but its the impression I get - if his leg had been lifted up and resting on the bike I think it would give a lot more to the shot.

[polymoog]

Wow, I go to all this effort to take pics where the rider/vehicle is totally sharp, and it turns out I am creating entirely the wrong effect :( :(

Am I allowed to submit another picture, bearing this adivce in mind, to see what you would think?

For the record, he is putting his leg down to help him thru the turn, but I can see what you mean Overread, I have never thought of it that way before.

[Hertz van Rental]

Wow, I go to all this effort to take pics where the rider/vehicle is totally sharp, and it turns out I am creating entirely the wrong effect

I wouldn't say that.
What you asked, in effect, was how you could give your images some 'punch'.
The gist of my advice was to try to get the background darker and the subject colour to saturate more by using flash.
And to get a feeling of action in there a bit of blur in the subject indicating movement wouldn't hurt - just so long as you keep the face sharp.
What you say you want to do is to convey a feeling of movement, action and excitement. What you are doing is showing the vehicle and rider.
You just need to understand that when you try to convey a feeling showing every detail of the subject is of minor importance. It's what you suggest to the viewer that counts.
What I do know about Sports photographers is that they shoot at 4 - 5 fps in several second bursts and sort through the pictures later.

PS: You haven't done anything wrong - you just haven't got what you wanted.

[polymoog]

OK, so would this kind of thing be more like it, if I had used the flash (it was taken on Saturday so before I had seen your advice)?

http://www.polymoog.se/misc/test.jpg

I used selective hue/saturation and fill lighting to try to bring out the subject, but I don't think it turned out very well. I don't usually make large adjustments anyway because I don't want an image to look processed.

This pic is a typical example of a pic that annoys me because it shows something interesting but it is not totally sharp, so I wouldn't normally use it. What do you think? (and sorry to bore you with my constant ramblings ;) )

[Hertz van Rental]

OK, so would this kind of thing be more like it

That's not for me to say.
It's your image so only you can say if it's more like what you had in mind or not.
You said you wanted your images to have a bit more wellie and I suggested a couple of things that might help.
Photography kind of works like this:
You have a vague notion in your head as to how you want your pictures to look.
You take a picture and you are dissatisfied with it.
Why?
Because it doesn't match what you have in your head.
You then have to really look at the picture and try to figure out in what ways it doesn't match your ideal.
When you have isolated these differences then you use the appropriate techniques to make the next picture more like your ideal.
And then you keep repeating the process, moving ever nearer to what you want.
After a while you find people ask you how you manage to get your pictures to pop when theirs look so flat.
And then you tell them.
Where the vast majority of people fall down in this process is that the ideal they have in their head is vague - they do not have a clear vision of it. In fact they can't say what it is but they just know their pictures aren't it.
What you have to do is to look at the work of others - preferably the best examples you can find.
Choose those pictures that you wish yours were more like and use them to work out what you aren't doing.
Then you try a few techniques to rectify the situation.
And so on.
But the only person who can judge if an image of yours is more like what you want is you yourself.
You have to develop the confidence to make these decisions.
90% of being a good photographer is self-confidence.

You rarely see two top photographers together because it has to be a really big room to contain so much ego (old photographer's assistant joke).

[polymoog]

Sorry, I didn't see your reply untill now !!

I usually have a clear vision, I just can't get it to happen in real life. And sometimes the pics I think are OK, are the ones others think are not so good, and vice versa. And of course you can never take a pic that everyone will like, there will always be room for improvement and personal taste.

However I feel I have learnt a lot from this discussion, and will bear your advice in mind, the next event is this weekend, so we'll see if I can manage to make any improvement ;) BTW I do have some mags at home so will be looking through them as well.