Me and the olympics

Every 4 years , the summer Olympic games creep up on me. I pretend indifference but eventually it draws me in, to the point I find myself watching sports previously I had no interest in such as fencing and handball.

As a photographer I also can't help noticing that as well as the worlds greatest sportsman and athletes, there is probably the greatest gathering of sports photographers under one roof at any one time (and probably the greatest number of camera and lenses in terms of net worth also). It is therefore a great time to take learn from the professionals about the art of event and sport photography.

The ABC channel of America have kindly shared some of the best photos from the games on their website everyday(See below), and it has been fascinating going through them.

What has struck me most is that the photos that most stood out are not traditional action shots, but the more quirky ones; the blurred action images, ones with bits of athlete or just shadows. Some do not show any sportsmen at all.

This reminded me of one of the highlights of this years photographic show.
Among the stands and vendors there was a talk by Bob Martin on sport photography. Mr Martin is a very self-assuming man, who has taken many pictures of many sports including the a number of Olympics. One of his iconic images was from the Paralympics of a swimmer with no legs diving into the water while his artificial limbs are awaiting collection next to the pool.

During the talk he gave great details fascinated of how he visualized the image and got himself into position.

Of course few, if any of us, will ever be fortunate enough to go to an event like the Olympics as photographers. We will never be afforded the kind of access that professionals get. Even if we did, it is unlikely we would be able to afford the level of equipment required to take high speed photos at night at a distance.

However that does not mean sport photography is out of reach. There are almost certainly local sport events, that while not the Olympics offer great opportunities to take great images.
As an example, a couple of years ago the photographic society did an event at a track meet for cyclists, where they were more than pleased to allow photographers access and we were given almost free reign of the track.  The lessons learned from such events can be applied to almost any event from sports day to weddings and graduation.

One of the important lesson for me was the importance of looking for the other angle. Its looking for that photo that tells the story without being to obvious about it. Bob Martins single image told that swimmers story far better than a ordinary action picture would.

The other lesson is that for me, a great image needs to be different and almost controversial. The images that stick in your head are not the pretty ones, but  the ones that make you stop and pause. they are the ones that tell a story, but in a way you had not previously considered.

We may never be able to compete with the kind of access professionals get at sports events or be able to afford the type of equipment they have, but that does not mean we cannot take images that tell the story of an event in some way. By studying others though , we can discover new angles and ways of looking for images


Links to ABC photo website

Opening Ceremony
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14

Some other Mallory images

These are some of the images I took last year at Mallory park and why, to me, they are interesting

I like the energy in this image. Would it work sharper? No ,it would be too static

Again the blur gives motion and energy to the image

More conventional, but in B&W the facila expressions work better

This is one of my favorites. The juxtaposition between the cyclist and the lad and his bike tells a story of ambition

I like the distance between the lone cyclist anfd the chasing pack. The fact you can only see the wheels of the othyer cyclist is not a problem and in fact emphasizes the lone cyclist

For this one I played around with flash to standout the cyclist

Again this was a deliberate attempt to concentrate on the bikes over the riders, which adds interest

Again used the flash to highlight the finish flag and the riders

Event Photography - Always plan ahead

I went yesterday to our local Mayday festival. Last year I got some good photos, so I had high hopes of doing so again. As well as the street performers, it's a great place to get photo's for local colour. Also, so unlike many Bank Holidays in the UK, the weather gods this time were kind with no rain forecast.

When I reviewed the photos I took however, I was disappointed with the results. From my initial viewing, none of the photos had any wow factor. While it may be possible to make something of some of them, I had no great enthusiasm for any of them.

So what went wrong?

Well in hindsight, I think my mistake was that I did not plan ahead about what sort of photo's I wanted to take. I went just with a big zoom on the end of the camera and snapped away at anything I though might be interesting. Last year I went primarily with my 50mm Prime lens. Because of the restrictions the lens presented (i.e. no zoom) it forced me to focus on taking photo's of people, rather than the scatter gun approach. As a result my photos benefited from the increased discipline.

I must admit the reason I went with the 18-210 zoom this year was that I felt I missed out on some good shots through the lack of zoom ability. However because I had not planned on the theme the photos I did not concentrate enough.

One set of photo's I had planned to get was of the bird of prey guy. I was hoping to get some good shots of falcons and owls flying. Unfortunately, unlike last year, he did a lot less flying and mostly away from the camera, which is not the best shot for these sort of things. I think for a good raptor shot, you really want it flying toward you with the eyes in shot and focus.

Lesson 2. If it is clear plan A is not going to work, don't be afraid to give up and go to plan B.

These events are generally about the people. Now shots of people in events like these are never likely to get you high scores on websites such as 500px, but they are good to advertise your skills to the local community and open doors. I have noticed that a lot of photographers don't like taking photos of people and I think is generally that we are happier behind the lens, not interacting with people.

I always make the mistake in these situations in believing that I am some sort of candid street photographer. I let myself believe this because of my inherent shyness and therefore avoid the need to talk to strangers. However in these situations, you get far better shots if you ask people to pose for you. This is why going only with a prime lens is such a plus. It is the only photo you can really take.

So the lessons learnt going forward.

1. Have an idea of what sort of photo's you wish to take before you go. Do not go with a scatter gun approach, since you will probably end up with nothing.

2. If conditions are not suitable for plan A, don't be afraid to re-evaluate and switch to plan B. It the photo's are not coming out as you want it is better to do something else

3. These sort of events are about the people. Get used to talking to people and getting them to pose for you. Most will be happy to do so (although expect them to be reticent at first). Zoom street photography is just an excuse for not getting close and personal

One thing that might help my shyness is actually forcing me into situations where I have to interact. One thing I may try and do is take people photos' during the local Heavy Metal download festival as a way of overcoming my phobia.

Anyway here's the best of a insipid bunch...

Cakes

Cheers

Wheee