Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/12/14

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] A newbie here..
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Thu Dec 14 09:33:37 2006
References: <20061213145714.BYP48667@ms03.lnh.mail.rcn.net>

Larry K. asked:
> Ok, how do you photograph runners in a race? Do you watch for their knees 
> to come up and hit that moment? ;-) Do you wait for them to collapse? What 
> do you photograph when you're watching 5000 runners stream by?
>
>  Does my jumping runner shot here:
> > http://web.mac.com/mac.hive/iWeb/Site/Street.html <<<<

Larry,
 There are two basic pictures:

1: the gang bang start with everyone which I prefer to shoot with a long 
lens down the street, 300mm or 400mm as it adds to the mass of bodies. Yep 
it's been done a thousand or more times, but that's life in marathons. Or a 
high angle from a building looking down on the mass.... Or from a 
helicopter. Your choice of locations.

2: At the finish line.... "first person coming across the line!" Period! 
Hopefully arms held  high and great expression! That's it, then you go home. 
Or hang around and shoot the losers because after the first person comes 
across the line..... particularly in a new record time, that's what everyone 
else is! Unless it's yur grand mother then you better wait for her to cross 
the line. :-) !

The problem of waiting for "others" to come along is you end up with a shot 
as you have here..... way too loose, too many bodies in the way. The facts 
of life when there's 5000 runners. Or whatever number.

First and last are the only two that count! Hopefully the last is some old 
folk of 89 years to give the shot some extra meaning.

Your shot might be saved by a tight crop from roadway to top of sign over 
the jumper with the time board, that's the picture ..... nobody else in this 
frame matters. Remember it's a tight crop, even the guy on the jumpers in 
blue, goes. It looks like there's enough space between the two of them to 
cut it clean.

>>Do you watch for their knees to come up and hit that moment? ;-)<<<

I realize you're joking. ;-) No you don't see this action because it's 
nothing but a mass of bodies.....

>>Do you wait for them to collapse?<<<

Yes you're always aware this might happen and hopefully they collapse right 
in front of you! That you have right camera in hand with right lens at 
precisely the right time! This rarely happens because they do it before they 
get to you, or they do it 100 yards down the road past you! :-( :-(

It's like shooting bob sled racing they crash before or after your location, 
rarely right where you are no matter how well you planned where you should 
be! :-(

>> What do you photograph when you're watching 5000 runners stream by?<<

You do just that after the start, "watch them stream by" because it's 
nothing but a mob scene! That is unless someone collapses in front of you. 
Or you wait at a water cup grab location sometimes you get something there.

Or you watch for the father or mother pushing a stroller or other quirky 
things of this nature.

Quite frankly marathons are a pain in the ass to shoot unless you're 
assigned the finish line! But then you had better not miss the picture of 
the winner!

ted


Ted Grant Photography Limited
1817 Feltham Road
Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
250-477-2156 


Replies: Reply from alex at zabrovsky.com (Alex) ([Leica] A newbie here..)
Reply from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (G Hopkinson) ([Leica] A newbie here..)
In reply to: Message from larry.k at rcn.com (larry.k@rcn.com) ([Leica] A newbie here..)