Results and Feedback for the "Low-Light Action" Assignment

[keithsnell]

The guidelines for this assignment were to capture an "action" shot in low-light, while attempting to optimize your camera settings and technique to maximize image quality.


Rick did a great job capturing the interaction between the donkeys, and conveying their "personality" in his Donkeys horseing around image.  This is impressive quality for something shot at ISO 1250, and something that we wouldn't have thought possible just a few short years ago.

Donkeys horseing around
Photographed by Rick Pepin (TrvlRick)

Carol's Backstroke start was another impressive image, taken at ISO 2500, 1/1000 shutter speed and aperture of  3.2.  Many of us might have been tempted to sacrifice shutter speed for more depth of field, but I think Carol made a very smart choice to keep the shutter speed up in this image.

Backstroke start
Photographed by Carol Burkett (Carola)

Rebecca suggested that Carol crop the bottom swimmer out of the image.  To Rebecca the bottom swimmer was a distraction.  Carol replied that she liked the repetition of all the swimmers, but in this case I think the swimmer in the foreground is soft enough that we just look right past them to the swimmer in focus.  I think the crop makes the image a bit stronger and more dynamic, and emphasizes the "swoosh" of the water as the swimmers push off from the wall and really highlights the power of that first surge.

Backstroke start
Photographed by Carol Burkett (Carola), crop by Keith (suggested by Rebecca)

Carol's Sunset dive was another great image.  It's interesting that this image is more about the "scene" than about the subject.  The diver is simply a supporting element that contributes to the portrayal of the "moment" and ambiance of a sunset dive.  As several people mentioned, it is the patterns of the ambient light that really make this image.

Sunset dive
Photographed by Carol Burkett (Carola)

Jaime's two images were great illustrations of the low-light capability of the D7000.  The image of the ducks is a wonderful environmental portrait, with a bit of a Zen like feeling contributed by the trees in the background.  I did find the tree branches protruding into the frame on the right to be a bit of a distraction to the overall "feel" of the image, and proposed an alternative crop below.

Part II: +4EV pull in CNX2
Photographed by Jaime Dorotan (Girod)

Part II: +4EV pull in CNX2
Photographed by Jaime Dorotan (Girod), cropped by Keith

+3EV in CNX2
Photographed by Jaime Dorotan (Girod)

Lorin's High Kick image was a great capture; however I do wish I could have seen the face of the subject.  As humans, we're drawn to other's faces, and I think an image like this where we could see the face would be even more powerful.

High Kick
Photographed by Lorin Schroeder (Wildshutter)

Michele's Pink Panther image was an excellent capture, and won the vote for People's Choice.  I must confess that although this was a great capture, I actually preferred the images where the spray of ice, or dynamic positions of the skaters helped to convey the action.  This was an outstanding series of images, and I'm sure the skaters (and their sponsors) will love them.  This image was perhaps the best at capturing a great expression and "connection" between the skaters.  Very well done Michele!

Pink Panther
People's Choice
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

Michele's image titled You spin me right round, baby, right round was my favorite of the series.  The dynamic angles and lighting made this a very strong image, and the shot was extremely well timed to capture the "flair" of the skaters.  Outstanding!  I've selected this image as Editor's Choice for Artistic and Technical Merit.

You spin me right round, baby, right round
Editor's Choice for Artistic and Technical Merit
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

I might have tried a subtle vignette on the front edge of the spotlight, in order to direct more attention on the skaters themselves.  Something like this:

You spin me right round, baby, right round
Editor's Choice for Artistic and Technical Merit
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder, slight vignette added by Keith

Michele's Up! image was another excellent capture.  Michele did a great job capturing the height of the jump, and the ice that was kicked up contributes to the dynamic impression of this image.  I would have loved to have seen the skater's faces during this shot, but sometimes the timing just doesn't work out and you do the best you can.  Outstanding capture Michele.  I'm surprised that you didn't have to use a longer focal length lens to fill the frame.  Did you have to crop the images much?

Up!
Photographed by Michele Bollhalder

Luc's image titled Evening stroll in the forest with our electro bike was a nice demonstration of panning technique.  Panning is something that is really difficult to do well.  If you experiment with panning often enough, you get a feel for what shutter speeds will work, based on the speed (and size in the frame) of your subjects.  I'm guessing that a slightly slower shutter speed would have provided more of a panning effect, and served to blur the background just a bit more and make it less distracting.  Of course the slower shutter speeds require you to match the speed of your subject even more closely.  Well done Luc, and I think the "feel" of this image nicely conveys the sense of an evening ride in the forest.

Evening stroll in the forest with our electro bike
Photographed by Luc Bigler

Marilyn's Morning Laps is another image where the "feel" of the image takes precedence over the actual subject.  The somewhat moody tones of this image do a great job of conveying a sense of time and place that one would associate with an early morning swim.  The muted tones, and light highlighting the open space around the swimmer both contribute towards the feeling of a lone swimmer in a huge pool as they swim their early morning laps in solitude.

Morning Laps
Photographed by Marilyn McKinney

Thank you to everyone that participated in the assignment, and for taking the time to share your outstanding images.

Keith

[Michele]

Thank you so much everybody.  The work is still not finished but it has to be by this Friday.   

Cropping was and is my biggest issue on these photos.  I have spent hours trying to save some space around the skaters.  Even the slightest distance on many of the photos.  My biggest problems were the very stange looking shadows of heads, or black edge of the rink, or the video crane line going through the photos.  One head alone can ruin the whole shot.  I tried keeping them in but it looks terrible.  I tried cloning but you can really tell they would be doctored.    So cropping was the only solution.  Sadly, some really beautiful shots aren't useable due to the many interfering objects in the photo.  The media and press were not in the optimal position.  We were 4-5 meters away from the rink with at least 5-6 rows of people and a lane to walk after that.  That also, unfortunately, takes away so much of the available light.  I tried other positions to get closer to the rink, but security was strict. 

I loved the swimmers start photo a lot too.  I have to say that I too like the original best.  I think it's a matter of taste.  The cropped version is cleaner and does imply action more clearly but it also takes something away from the photo.

Thank you so much, Keith, for guiding us and giving us the confidence to try new things.

[keithsnell]

Thank you for the additional explanation of the challenges you faced Michele.  It's interesting to hear the story behind the photos, and helps us appreciate these awesome shots even more.

Keith