I wish my photo's looked like these ??
Discussion
For those of you that don't visit fred miranda's site, check these out..
www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/199203
www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/199203
A narrow depth of field, great panning with slower shutter speed, and probably, a privileged vantage place.
When I went as a freelance photographer to race days(even though I wasn't, just bluffed my way in), the chances of better photos were greatly increased, as I had a better choice of positions to shoot from.
When I went as a freelance photographer to race days(even though I wasn't, just bluffed my way in), the chances of better photos were greatly increased, as I had a better choice of positions to shoot from.
is it just me who sees most of the panning shots missing out the subject? When I did that and showed PH my shots I was told most were pants - how come his are celebrated?
Having said that, the glowing cars (lit by flash), the sunset shot, the fezza and the last Aston are good shots/action pics.
Having said that, the glowing cars (lit by flash), the sunset shot, the fezza and the last Aston are good shots/action pics.
I kind of know what you mean, I tend to discard photos of chopped subjects. However, in the case of those images the focus is on the driver rather than the car, hence very sharp around drivers head and cabin, softer near the edges of car / cropped.
Unfortunately, you can't have your cake and eat it, unless your shooting medium format or something where you have an abundance of pixels and very large image.
Also cropping aside, the colours, saturation, exposure, sharpness are all excellent. There's more to a decent photo than being able to center the subject and get it in focus. If that were true, we'd all be pro's.
Steve
Unfortunately, you can't have your cake and eat it, unless your shooting medium format or something where you have an abundance of pixels and very large image.
Also cropping aside, the colours, saturation, exposure, sharpness are all excellent. There's more to a decent photo than being able to center the subject and get it in focus. If that were true, we'd all be pro's.
Steve
Steve no need to roll your eyes at me, I know what I like, and that aint it. Yes I'll grant the focus, colours et al are spot on, but thats more down to equipment rather than ability to take a shot (I'm betting thats a quick af whilst panning rather than setting the shot up prior).
It's the same way as I don't like some of Rico's recent shots - way to abstract (the shot of the gearknob in particular) but if you look towards TrackDemon's stuff and you'll see the style I like. Nice crisp (if slightly over saturated) images of cars in either a nice setting or in motion.
As for your photographs, who do you take them for - yourself, a magazine, for sale or approval from other photographers? The target pretty much says what shot should be taken and I know from my experience shots I'm perfectly happy with don't appeal to the arty types on here.
It's the same way as I don't like some of Rico's recent shots - way to abstract (the shot of the gearknob in particular) but if you look towards TrackDemon's stuff and you'll see the style I like. Nice crisp (if slightly over saturated) images of cars in either a nice setting or in motion.
As for your photographs, who do you take them for - yourself, a magazine, for sale or approval from other photographers? The target pretty much says what shot should be taken and I know from my experience shots I'm perfectly happy with don't appeal to the arty types on here.
The rolling of the eye's was aimed at your quote
I was just taken back by that rather childish quote really, as it appears your whine about not being celebrated for a couple of snaps that you are comparing to those pro/semi-pro shots on another site.
FWIW, most of your photos are particularly good in terms of composition. What they appear to lack is what I'd expect from shooting from a compact point and shoot. So don't beat yourself up!
Personally, I just shot for fun (keeps me off the streets at weekends!!). However, I've had a couple featured in Sprint (the badly enlarged, over-saturated, over-sharpned ones) and for the TVRCC and TVCCC Challenge sites. I don't except much from my photos (hence why I generally give them away FREE).
However, like I say, photography is subjective, and if you are going to post photos on a public site then don't expect everyone to pat you on the back all time and pander to false impressions.
Steve
Docevi1 said:
When I did that and showed PH my shots I was told most were pants - how come his are celebrated?
I was just taken back by that rather childish quote really, as it appears your whine about not being celebrated for a couple of snaps that you are comparing to those pro/semi-pro shots on another site.
FWIW, most of your photos are particularly good in terms of composition. What they appear to lack is what I'd expect from shooting from a compact point and shoot. So don't beat yourself up!
Personally, I just shot for fun (keeps me off the streets at weekends!!). However, I've had a couple featured in Sprint (the badly enlarged, over-saturated, over-sharpned ones) and for the TVRCC and TVCCC Challenge sites. I don't except much from my photos (hence why I generally give them away FREE).
However, like I say, photography is subjective, and if you are going to post photos on a public site then don't expect everyone to pat you on the back all time and pander to false impressions.
Steve
fatsteve said:I know the limitations of both myself and the camera I currently use, but I look towards composition more than the quality of the resulting image (lets face it, you cannot compare a £200 2year old compact to a brand new dSLR in any situation), hence why I mentioned it.
When I did that and showed PH my shots I was told most were pants - how come his are celebrated?
FWIW, most of your photos are particularly good in terms of composition. What they appear to lack is what I'd expect from shooting from a compact point and shoot. So don't beat yourself up!
I'm not whining, you'd know if I was whinging, I do it ever so well
FourWheelDrift said:Sometimes sticking to the "rules" like having the whole car in frame can be quite boring, and breaking these rules sometimes can produce some very interesting shots.
is it just me who sees most of the panning shots missing out the subject?
No, I hate that too. I like to see the complete car in frame.
For example
Also, it's not about the gear you use - it's all about how you use it. Granted, having a £3k+ DSLR may give you more shots that are in focus, but someone who knows what they're doing can get an equally good shot by manually focusing a £150 SLR.
docevi1 said:
It's the same way as I don't like some of Rico's recent shots - way to abstract (the shot of the gearknob in particular)
Variation is the spice of life my friend. I've got 250 photos from Bedford, most of them are of full cars out on track. Just posted those for some variety
docevi1 said:I was merely pointing out that the value of the equipment has much less bearing on the resulting photograph than some people like to think.
notice you said SLR twice there I'm using a compact.
While an SLR is more suited to action shots than a compact, there is no reason that you can't get great shots from even a £5 disposable.
docevi1 said:
you cannot compare a £200 2year old compact to a brand new dSLR in any situation
I'm not so sure about that. Especially when it comes to posting pics up on the net. You can change a lot of settings like shutter and aperture on a £200 compact. Indeed, some of my alltime favourite photos I've taken have been with my old Canon £100 point and shoot camera.
Sure, I'm a bit of a hypocrit saying this as I've now got over a grand's worth of camera equipment next to me and it does help, but only when blowing the pics up in size. The extra control also is a bonus.
Photography is a VERY personal thing. Pics I absolutely adore are hated by others. Others I've taken that I think are crap are loved by others. C'est la vie.
Overall, my favourite ever pic I've taken was taken with a Nokia 6200... yup, my mobile phone's crappy camera. It's especially good for those Londoners that know what those drinks are (ed, philbrett etc).
ehasler said:
docevi1 said:
is it just me who sees most of the panning shots missing out the subject?
No, I hate that too. I like to see the complete car in frame.
Sometimes sticking to the "rules" like having the whole car in frame can be quite boring, and breaking these rules sometimes can produce some very interesting shots.
.
I didn't mean the cockpit shots I like those, drivers at work etc... I just didn't like the nose & bum crop on the Porsche or the cropped MC12 photo. I do how ever find endless photo's of car badges, grills and wheels boring since everyone does them and they aren't new or inventive
Stefan,
You've got to realise a few things about the importance of expensive kit. Its easy to say that having the lastest SLR will make you better but its just not true. Infact in some ways i think its the opposite.
Getting a good photo from a top SLR like the canon 1 series (which im pretty sure the guy took those photos with) is much harder than getting a good photo from a point and shoot. Trust me on this. It took me ages and even now I'm only getting to grips with what it can do. There are just as many challenges presented by SLR's as there are limitations of compacts. Im sure you will find out for yourself when you get one.
Sure the top pro cameras offer massive advantages if you know what you are doing: the performance, AF speed etc mean you capture a lot of moments you might have missed, but dont get it in your head that you just point it and fire and awesome photos come out the other end.
The photos in the thread are amazing i think, particularly jimmy sykes. Having recently had my first go at a track i know how hard it is to get decent and different photos. Given the same kit and opporunities if I had been there with him, his would still be way better than mine, so what do I blame that on...?
Matt
You've got to realise a few things about the importance of expensive kit. Its easy to say that having the lastest SLR will make you better but its just not true. Infact in some ways i think its the opposite.
Getting a good photo from a top SLR like the canon 1 series (which im pretty sure the guy took those photos with) is much harder than getting a good photo from a point and shoot. Trust me on this. It took me ages and even now I'm only getting to grips with what it can do. There are just as many challenges presented by SLR's as there are limitations of compacts. Im sure you will find out for yourself when you get one.
Sure the top pro cameras offer massive advantages if you know what you are doing: the performance, AF speed etc mean you capture a lot of moments you might have missed, but dont get it in your head that you just point it and fire and awesome photos come out the other end.
The photos in the thread are amazing i think, particularly jimmy sykes. Having recently had my first go at a track i know how hard it is to get decent and different photos. Given the same kit and opporunities if I had been there with him, his would still be way better than mine, so what do I blame that on...?
Matt
FourWheelDrift said:
I do how ever find endless photo's of car badges, grills and wheels boring since everyone does them and they aren't new or inventive
I'm 99.9% with you there. For example, I took this as a joke as I knew most other people would shoot it :- 
The next one is a bit different though (and I believe Trackdemon as almost the same shot, great minds eh?) and I'd put it in the 0.1%. I wondered if the grill/badge and been made to line up in some inspired way. They hadn't as it only works if you shut one eye
. 
I'm not knocking anyone work here and I'm really impressed with lots of it. But as the more experienced photographers know and lots of the work here proves, a good shot is an interesting shot.
Going back to Ed's point(and Rico's great flatliner shot) with the kit. It really doesn't matter. Here's something to try. Go get a very cheap camera (digital is best) with a delay timer on it. Take it out in your back garden and about 1 to 1 and 1/2 seconds before the timer runs out throw it straight up. You can get some great shots of your house like that (and lots of blurry sky ones, it's very hit and miss).
ThatPhilBrettGuy said:
Go get a very cheap camera (digital is best) with a delay timer on it. Take it out in your back garden and about 1 to 1 and 1/2 seconds before the timer runs out throw it straight up. You can get some great shots of your house like that (and lots of blurry sky ones, it's very hit and miss).
WIERDO! Martin.
gravymaster said:
Stefan,
You've got to realise a few things about the importance of expensive kit. Its easy to say that having the lastest SLR will make you better but its just not true. Infact in some ways i think its the opposite.
Getting a good photo from a top SLR like the canon 1 series (which im pretty sure the guy took those photos with) is much harder than getting a good photo from a point and shoot. Trust me on this. It took me ages and even now I'm only getting to grips with what it can do. There are just as many challenges presented by SLR's as there are limitations of compacts. Im sure you will find out for yourself when you get one.
Sure the top pro cameras offer massive advantages if you know what you are doing: the performance, AF speed etc mean you capture a lot of moments you might have missed, but dont get it in your head that you just point it and fire and awesome photos come out the other end.
Again composition can be seen from any camera, be it a Nokia camera phone, a compact or a £3000 dSLR. Thats not what I'm saying here and indeed I think it's better to learn what makes a decent photo using cheapo cameras than it does buying a dSLR straight off. The quality of the actual picture (as in the representation of colours etc) is down to what lens and what body you have. Thats where you can't compare the two camera's - the dSLR walks all over the compact and it shows in the pictures, for instance had I been on the track there would be no way my camera could have got so near to the cars, it would not have been as crisp and sharp a shot - with a bit practice I could have certainly have got the same tracking and panning however.
There is another issue at work as well of course apart from the equipment you use and thats interest level of the subject itself
edit:: I'll have to get myself a dSLR one day then I don't have an excuse other than me, that lens, the cheap body, the lighting, the lack of decent tripods...
>> Edited by docevi1 on Monday 28th March 11:08
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