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Surfer 1.1


Surfer 1.1
Photo Information
Copyright: Matthew Bird (Matt-Bird) Silver Note Writer [C: 6 W: 0 N: 10] (100)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-03-15
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Nikon D70s, CGE-800 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope 203
Exposure: f/0.0
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-03-25 21:38
Viewed: 966
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Here's another surfing shot in a series I will be posting. Using a telescope for a lens can be difficult for 2 reasons.

The first is that a telescope is all manual focusing. The surfers this day were on average about 200 to 300 meters away. I found that I had to try and focus an area between where the surfers were waiting for wave and the point where the waves became unridable. This actually gave me about a 40 meter focal depth. Although this changed depending on the break and where the surfers moved to.

Interchanging a lens for a telescope removed the F stop capability so I was reliant completely on shutter speed. Due to the fact that I started shotting just after sunrise there was very limited light. In result I had to use a very slow shutter speed. My first few photo's were very dark and blurry. Although when I losened up the tripod to give me the ability to track the surfers better it got easier to get a still shot. This was still really hard to get complete stillness or even create the impression of speed as some of the surfers moves were very dynamic. As the light got better I could up the shutter speed, which made the whole process alot easier.

The hardest thing here was just to compensate for the distance between the camera and the subject, combined with the subjects motion. All in all this was a good learning experience and I had an awesome time that day. Some of the most exciting photography I have done.
MLINES, rafelito, Jason_teale has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • MLINES Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1944 W: 171 N: 1922] (8464)
  • [2006-03-25 21:46]

Mathew, Good action photo you have composed. Good realistic colour and excelent description of your techniques.

Hi Matthew
Nice shot exactilly in time for a good composition.
Regards
Rafael

Hello Matthew,

I really like this action shot, you really captured the moment. Really nice photo.

- Halgeir

  • Great 
  • Norok Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 106 W: 35 N: 14] (396)
  • [2006-04-17 3:17]

je préfère celle-la
excelent work

merci pour ta critique

I think what works for this shot is the colors. Though the subject is blury you have a really eye-catching shot here. The body position and colors work well for this style of shot.

  • Great 
  • rhamza (56)
  • [2007-09-04 20:19]

Hi Matthew,
Great shot only possible due to the technical know-how of photography that you posses.
Cheers!
Rashid

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