Rotterdam streetscene, a photo from Zuid Holland, South

Photographer's Note

Today I was at a sort of playground where BMX-bikers, skaters and skateboarders meet. It's in the centre of Rotterdam, and on the median strip between two roads.
You can find all sorts of street furniture copied in steel, so they can jump and glide on it, all sort of halfpipes and all sorts of railings to jump on.
There is a dynamic atmosphere and it's very funny to look at. I know that these guys (and girls, not so many)keep on practising all the time; a perfectly performed jump might have taken months.
The 'dresscode' is very funny, the trousers have to hang halfway your bum and the way they greet one another, is not for laymen.
The atmosphere is nice, I was there last saturday and wednesday and today for a while, because I wanted to try some panning. Wow, that is a difficult technique, I will keep on practising, usually I moved my camera faster than they were. I liked it there, and I will probably return to practise, maybe my perfect panning shot will also take months.

The technique was explained to me by smael. Thanks very much Terje, I will keep on practising!
Camera was handheld, and underexposed by -5, because there was an enormous reflection on the stainless steel.

PP, rotated, cropped a little bit, cloned out some spots, saturated a bit, and applied USM, and adde a small frame.
This would have actually been a good picture for some grain ;-)

Burnham, torben, hispic, nwoehnl, Michael_Gan, kikvel, Galeota, jhonny_blue, jhm, RGatward, pamastro, Jeppe has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Burnham (2428) 2004-08-06 15:24

I used to be one of them, but on inliners, and you're right it takes ages and tons of bruises to get it right ;o) Very nice shot and your remark on the dresscode is SO accurate, these guys frowning at people in suits, because they want to be different and when you look at them they are such a uniformed crowd, but a lovely crowd ;o) The motion is hard to miss, and you did great!

japioNL (53) 2004-08-06 15:26 [Comment]

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torben (3100) 2004-08-06 15:30

Wow, the combination of a blurred and a sharp skateboarder is very well done, and lines, posture, reflection, it's all very very good!
It would be cool to see a guy in suit on a board though.

elroyie (2750) 2004-08-06 15:37

Very good panning picture, with very good composition as well, you caught him nicely, well done!

Hanssie (11022) 2004-08-06 15:48

Hoe krijg jij dit nu weer voor mekaar ?
Ik rijdt bijna dagelijks tussen de middag kilometers naar "ons" Museumplein, waar ook zo een "springplank" staat....zijn ze er niet !!
Let's See Action ! Great shot, Rinie !

nwoehnl (122) 2004-08-06 16:05

Rinie, you're really good - I think it's an outstanding result for an early attempt at panning. Great to see the guy in the foreground pretty sharp, and the one in the back plus the rest of the background quite blurred. Definitely a cool feeling of movement in this one, well done.

jurgen (2074) 2004-08-06 16:13

I once tried with a friend but on bikes. He drove and I shot, the I drove and he shot me (I lent him my camera). Not bad results I got there. Your results here are very good, I see most details on the pants, and blurred parts in the arms and feet, which give the feeling of movement. Perhaps it's not only practicing but photographing a lot till you get the picture you want. Do you skate also? Perhaps a photo being on a skate would be a nice one.

Michael_Gan (2776) 2004-08-06 16:27

Rinie, congratulations! You are expanding your techniques and your range of subjects very rapidly and this is another very good shot. Full of action and with perfect blur in the background. The second skater is an absolute plus! Well done.

kikvel (4784) 2004-08-06 16:31

HOla Rinie:

Very nice posting...I feel TOO old when loooking at these guys...

If I just try something similar I would end up with a broken leg!!!

So, it is better not to risk much and enjoy taking pics.

This a special one. It has dynamics and two subjects at different speeds in similar positions.

Nicely done...I promise I will try something similar.

Saludos

Kikvel

Galeota (10352) 2004-08-06 17:29

What a dynamic photograph and striking contrast between the sharp guy and the blurred background. Indeed a sense of movement and action. Faster than light!

cgrindahl (6113) 2004-08-06 19:20

Desaturate a bit Rinie and you'll have an real live imitation Torben... ;-) And Torben, put your suit on and head down there right now!

This is great fun Rinie and well executed. I say that as person who has never taken a panning shot, but I certainly enjoy what you've done here. I appreciate all of the creative images that are being tried at TE. No doubt the more risks any of us takes, the more freedom the rest of us have to experiment. That is cause for celebration. Thanks for this fine contribution.

oochappan (4880) 2004-08-07 4:45

As you liked it before you inspired me once more with this most tempting picture, having fun .... !

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jhonny_blue (4956) 2004-08-07 5:22

Very good picture ! The speed sense in great, the colours are great and you didi a very good exposition.
Congratulations

Proxilva (2157) 2004-08-07 5:35

well you did very well here... i always love that technique, i do it with my elbow and upperarm stiff against my body so the camera can't move up/down wards...

this compo removes the speed a bit in my opinion, humble as it is ;D...

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RGatward (20108) 2004-08-07 19:02

Neat use of low speed and panning here, giving a great result.

pamastro (7296) 2004-08-08 1:14

Excellent use of panning here. You really froze this person nicely in a world of motion. Everything seems to be whirling by as we focus on this single person. Again I'm brought to cinema by this. The cemetery scene in Leone's The Good, The Bad and the Ugly when "The Ugly" first finds the place. He really heightened the sense of being overwhelmed. So much going through the head. Stuck in a moment of time but time continues to move on. And before you realize anything has happened the moment and action you were doing is gone. And I really feel that here. And I can see it happening when one has to think as fast as these people do and as far ahead. Excellent, Rinie.

cdewet (0) 2004-08-08 11:18

Rinie, Mooi Panning aksie gevoel hier. Goeie gevoel van beweging. Jou vakansie is nou baie naby, nie waar nie?

Jeppe (18654) 2004-08-08 17:10

Great action shot you got here Rinie - And I can see you got a D70 - I like to watch what this camera can do - not to mention the phographer ;-) Thanks for sharing - the motion blur of the person behind indicates they are moving with different speeds.

pelib (424) 2004-12-23 3:31

Mooie foto Rinie.
Je heb de snelheid goed vastgelegd.
Ik vind het echt kunstig hoe die jongens op die planken kunnen blijven staan

amihay_s (722) 2005-10-01 19:02

Great panning shot, the man in the backgrund give deep to this image, well done Rinie!

Photo Information

Copyright: Rinie Hoff (Rinie_Hoff) (9340)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-08-06
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Nikon D70, Nikkor 18-70mm DX
Exposure: f/29.0, 1/20 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Panning (Technique), Rotterdam People, Your favourites [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-08-06 15:19
Favorites: 1 [view]