[Leica] A newbie here..

[alex at zabrovsky.com (Alex)]

Wow Ted, I'm overly impressed with your comments on my photo work, much 
appreciation checking my site.
I always look for a competent critique which will help me to improve my 
photo skills and your words are very important to me.
In fact, I do not do sport routinely, just was willing to try myself in 
various kinds of shooting. I tend to agree with you that most of my 
equestrian work isn't going to impress skilled shooters and I'm aware 
that there are lots room for improvement in this respect. Actually I was 
aware about the "decisive moments" in jumps (I tried to learn the 
"theory" of this kind of photography ahead of the contest), but in most  
cases was a split second to late to click, besides I couldn't afford any 
real machine-gun shooting because of shooting film, not digital, so the 
longest burst I allowed to myself were 2-3 frames. This is one of the 
reasons I missed the right moments - just tried to wait maximum time 
before the moment to press the button and due to lack of previous 
experience in most cases I just missed.
Perhaps being able to shoot digital then would make up for my lack of 
experience - I would just hit the shutter every time the horse begins to 
raise up and keep it firing untill it gets down to the ground - then 
perhaps some small percentage of my picture would capture the "moment of 
truth".
In Gymnastics somehow it went better - it appears I had better feeling 
of timing and expectations.
Well, as you probably realized from my opening message on LUG, I made a 
turnaround and sold out my Canon SLR system in favor of RF passion 
(alongside LF), so most certanly I'll not do any dyanmic sport anymore 
but probably get interested in some other fields of photography more 
appropriate to RF.
Then, once again I'll look forward for comments and critique from you 
and LUG community in whole, it is essential to get better in my passion..

Thanks Tod once again, looking forward for your comments in the future..
Regards, Alex

Ted Grant wrote:

> Shalom Alex,
> Welcome to the fun house! :-) Looked at your galleries and good 
> photography without question.
>
> On your sport gallery solid photo work on the Rhythmic Gymnastics, 
> peak action is right on the mark time and time again. well done.
>
> The equestrian photo when the sport page opens. This particular timing 
> is too late! Shooting equestrian events  you want to capture the horse 
> with it's front legs high and about to go over the jump or as horse 
> and rider are at the peak covering the jump.
>
> Once they go past this point and on the way down is a nothing 
> moment...... that is unless the rider is coming out of the saddle and 
> onto the ground or water! Now that's a different action compared to a 
> successful jumper.
>
> You might like to look here for a jumping picture at the Olympics I 
> shot a few years ago.
> http://tedgrantphoto.com/1j.htm
>
> Shooting from your side position to the jump as we see in the sport 
> gallery it's very important to catch the horse and rider on the way up 
> or right at the top. If you watch without shooting you'll see the 
> horse almost fully extended as it pushes off it's hind legs and rider 
> leaning forward! That's the moment you want. So when you shoot, all of 
> this happens very quickly. So without question you are watching all 
> this happen with the camera at your eye... horse goes up..... you go 
> click! :-)
>
> Looking forward to more of your photography.
> ted
>
> Ted Grant Photography Limited
> 1817 Feltham Road
> Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
> CANADA
> 250-477-2156
>
> tedgrantphoto.com
> tedgrant@shaw.ca
>
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