SI sports comments by Calvin Sambrook
Calvin Sambrook
With that many good shots there'd have been no way I could have resisted
commenting straight away if I'd been up.
Games_Alan_Browne_2.jpg: I want to like this, I really do, and I can see
what was being attempted but it just doesn't quite do it for me. I think
maybe the subject is just a bit too blurred. The composition is great btw,
the position of the subject in the frame combined with the direction the
head is looking in work really well.
SI sports - Cycling by Calvin Sambrook.jpg: Mine obviously. For once this
is the shot I set out to take. Anna has been developing her Triathlon mount
technique all season and at this event I was able to get in just the right
place to shoot it. I chose a 300mm focal length and maximum aperture in
order to defocus the background as much as I could as I knew it was going to
be messy. I lay on the floor to get a powerful angle and to try to put the
subject into the clear sky area. With lots of megapixels available I shot
wide and cropped later as I knew I had only one chance and I got lucky that
she came through transition alone. The action isn't as fast as it appears
as the bike is not really moving forward much at this point but ultimately
it's just luck as to the exact pose when the shutter fires.
SI sports - Diving by Calvin Sambrook.jpg: I took this along with 6Gb more
last summer and it didn't stand out as anything special at all. The
original has too much detail in the foreground and the background is washed
out. The mandate had me going back through my diving shots and although
there are quite a few good action photos I wanted something a bit different.
I played with the tone curve on this and managed to get a decent contrast in
the background at which point the divers just popped out at me. I love the
way there's a chaos of things going on but with one diver putting in a
decent armstand in the middle. In a way I like it because it also shows how
you can break some rules and improve the photo, there's chopped off heads,
cluttered background, off verticals but none of them matter to my eye as I'm
being pulled back to that one guy in the middle (who happens to be my son by
the way).
SI sports - Swimming by Calvin Sambrook.jpg. For me indoor action shots are
a nightmare and I was torn between a whole raft of grainy, cluttered shots
which had potential but weren't quite there. A couple of fencing shots
which I'd really like to have used got abandoned as I just couldn't get them
good enough, this swimming one however just about made it with some serious
cropping and careful adjustment of contrast and saturation. Ideally I'd
have preferred to use a much faster shutter and freeze the water but the
grain was dismal enough anyway so I settled for this.
SI_Games_Alan_Browne_I.jpg: I really like this. The composition is
wonderful and the execution superb. The choice of focus and DoF works well
and the control of reflections in the clock face picks up nicely on the
white pieces. The only thing I'd maybe criticize is the strong highlight on
the shoulder surface of the clock, it's slightly distracting.
SPO_TimConway2_old.jpg: A good study and very well executed, I like this.
There are lots of little things which help this shot, composition of course,
good soft lighting but with enough shadow to be interesting, texture.
Having the puzzle upside down avoids it being the focus of attention and
forces the viewer back onto the people, very clever.
SPO_TimConway3_old.jpg: I don't get this at all I'm afraid. The subject
doesn't "talk" to me and there are too many technical problems getting in
the way as well, composition, grain, lack of contrast.
SPO_TimConway_old.jpg: A nice corporate brochure shot but I don't
particularly find this works for me. I'm finding it hard to analyse what it
is that doesn't work, maybe the inclusion of too many distracting features
like parts of trees in the TL and the sand pit TR, maybe the fact that the
golfers are all looking in different places.
Sport01_RussellDurtschi.jpg: There's lots to like here but somehow it just
doesn't quite have the punch it should do. I like the composition and of
course the action but it needs the subject to stand out more, just a
slightly lower camera angle would have had him totally in the sky and would
also have made that bench more of a feature (as it is it's more of a
distraction). Alternatively a more camera based solution might have been
less DoF to soften the hills or a wide angle lens to make them smaller.
Sport02_RussellDurtschi.jpg: I quite like this although I can't help feeling
I shouldn't, technically that is! Somehow the composition, with the two
distinct areas of interest between the two groups of people, manages to
overcome the clutter and distraction and pull my eye back into the shot.
Well done for picking a camera angle which made this work.
Sport_Troy_Piggins_1.jpg: This is nicely executed and manages to keep the
relaxed feel of a casual knockabout while having the precision and tension
of a formal game. I particularly like the composition, with the action
moving into the frame as well as the defocus of the background which I think
adds to the shot.
Sports-Bullseye-TonyCooper.jpg This is a shot where the subject just doesn't
grab the attention the way it could. For me the impact is lost because of
the relatively sharp focus of the background. The subject naturally
generates two conflicting attention points as well which doesn't help.
Sports-Checkers-TonyCooper.jpg: Wonderful. The post processing (at least
that's what I assume it is) adds so much to this. The textures are
fantastic and the lighting great too. It takes real artistic flair to see
this final result in a raw photo and then to make it happen. One of my
favourites.
Sports-Games_Savageduck-01.jpg: I quite like the way the tension is built by
the composition and the strange posture of the boy, either of these on their
own would have looked wrong but together they seem to work. The tonal range
is a bit strange although I guess that adds tension too.
Sports-Games_Savageduck-02.jpg: No. A postcard shot but in my opinion
nothing to grab the attention and hold it. Sorry.
Sports-LawnBowling-TonyCooper.jpg: I love this. The composition just forces
my attention to the balls and their tracks while the mass of detail in the
background conceals the players almost completely. Superb.
Sports-OldFarts-TonyCooper.jpg: The interesting textures and look of these
subjects is lost here because of a confusing background. I'd love to see
this again but with a really short DoF. Given that the shot is what it is
maybe a much tighter composition in post would have helped, I think it
might.
bowser_sg-1.jpg: It these guys were wearing any other colour this would be a
disaster of a shot. As it is it's great. The inclusion of lots of autumn
tree colour set against the red kit works really well and the blokes on the
right work really well compositionally too, adding a boundary to the shot,
without them it would just fade away on both edges.
bowser_sg-2.jpg: This is another shot which demonstrates one of the common
problems with sports action photography, making the subject stand out from
the background. It's really hard to do and I feel that this shot is just
the wrong side of the line, the arms and ball especially are lost in the
visual clutter. I'd definitely have photoshopped that post out too, it just
chops the shot in half.
bowser_sg-3.jpg: It actually took me a second look before I even noticed the
player here, he's so lost in the background. If the original has enough
resolution there's actually quite a good shot to be rescued by cropping in
tight on the player and the two officials behind him although a good bit of
photoshop would be needed to make it work, not least removing that post he's
about to impale himself on.
sports-dudley-hanks.JPG: I've never been to an ice hockey game but I've been
to ice rinks and they're not that cold so how come this shot makes it look
like an Arctic wilderness? I guess it's the overexposure and uplift off
black which do that. This shot has power and tension. The composition and
the use of off vertical (that was intentional right?) as well as the posture
of the player make everything so immediate. The shutter speed adds just the
right amount of action blur. I look at this and realise I'd have mucked
this shot up in so many ways! Great.
Once again thank you all for sharing your photos. I think this was one of
the best collections for a long while.
Troy Piggins
<snip />
> sports-dudley-hanks.JPG: I've never been to an ice hockey game but I've been
> to ice rinks and they're not that cold so how come this shot makes it look
Off-topic:
Being from Australia, I had never been to an ice hockey game in
my life. Few years ago I was travelling around Europe with a
mate. We were in Prague, Czech Republic, and there was an ice
hockey stadium over the road from the Backpackers we were staying
in. By pure coincidence there was a "big" game on that night, so
we decided to go along and watch.
Had to go through metal detectors and were frisked by
security/cops just to get into the stadium. Never had that
before - been to many sporting events like rugby, AFL, soccer,
tennis, basketball, never been frisked etc. Talked to another
spectator who said the previous game between these 2 teams ended
in riots, people stabbed. Great. Which side do we barrack for?
Decided to barrack for both. We got pretty drunk and just
cheered when anyone scored. Seemed to keep the locals happy :)
Remember part way through the game one player lost his stick, so
just skated around without it smashing people. That was fun.
Aah, good times.
--
Troy Piggins
tony cooper
<usene...@piggo.com> wrote:
>Being from Australia, I had never been to an ice hockey game in
>my life. Few years ago I was travelling around Europe with a
>mate. We were in Prague, Czech Republic, and there was an ice
>hockey stadium over the road from the Backpackers we were staying
>in. By pure coincidence there was a "big" game on that night, so
>we decided to go along and watch.
I am not a hockey fan, and I really don't understand a lot of the
nuances of the game. However, a few years ago I was in Boston so I
went to the fabled Boston Gardens to see a hockey game.
I really didn't appreciate much of what went on down on the ice, but I
enjoyed myself immensely watching the spectators. Boston fans really
get into a game.
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
Bowser
Yes, we do! Sometimes we're sober enough to see the end of the game,
too. Bruins fans are a much rowdier bunch than Celtics fans, though.
Bowser
<csam...@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>A special thank you to Bowser for posting this lot after I'd gone to bed.
>With that many good shots there'd have been no way I could have resisted
>commenting straight away if I'd been up.
>
I'm here for you.
>
>bowser_sg-1.jpg: It these guys were wearing any other colour this would be a
>disaster of a shot. As it is it's great. The inclusion of lots of autumn
>tree colour set against the red kit works really well and the blokes on the
>right work really well compositionally too, adding a boundary to the shot,
>without them it would just fade away on both edges.
I'd like to say I chose the colors, but, well, you know. This is the
second time I submitted this shot. I was at a meet a couple of years
ago and took the same type of picture. Check the Competition
gallery...yes, I plagerized myself.
>
>bowser_sg-2.jpg: This is another shot which demonstrates one of the common
>problems with sports action photography, making the subject stand out from
>the background. It's really hard to do and I feel that this shot is just
>the wrong side of the line, the arms and ball especially are lost in the
>visual clutter. I'd definitely have photoshopped that post out too, it just
>chops the shot in half.
Agreed, but I'm opposed to retouching except for color, contrast, etc.
I want to submit shots that are as taken and let the critics have
their day. This is a pure reaction shot and when taking the shot you
have little time to compose and just need to find the receiver, center
him, and get the shot. His mom loves me.
>
>bowser_sg-3.jpg: It actually took me a second look before I even noticed the
>player here, he's so lost in the background. If the original has enough
>resolution there's actually quite a good shot to be rescued by cropping in
>tight on the player and the two officials behind him although a good bit of
>photoshop would be needed to make it work, not least removing that post he's
>about to impale himself on.
Not to worry, the orange marker is a foam-filled pylon at the leading
corner of the end zone that won't hurt. My comments about excessive
retouching apply here, too. This shot is cropped, but I wanted to
include the spectators since I liked the expressions on their faces.
And yes, I can soften the background easily, but to me that's
essentially submitting a painting, not a real photo.
Oh, one more thing; thanks for taking the time to look and offer some
honest comments!
John McWilliams
I think Detroit takes the cake on that one, though I've never been to a
hockey game in the Red Wings' home palace. Too many squid.....
As to hockey in Oz, one day, I am sure, if the game increases in
popularity. Now in the U.S., we have teams from places like Florida and
Arizona where there's never been natural ice. It just doesn't seem
right.....remembering the original 6 or 8....when 95% of the players
were from Canada.
--
john mcwilliams
tony cooper
I was seated next to a young, well-dressed couple. He looked like a
bond trader. The referee called "icing the puck", and I had no idea
what that meant, so I asked the guy what it meant.
He turned to me and snarled, "If you don't understand the fucking
game, read a fucking book". This was in the 70s when such language
was not heard in polite company.
John McWilliams
Well, what'd you expect from a fucking bond trader??
:-)
There's a lot less icing in today's game than of old, and goals scored
off faceoffs are rare as hen's teeth, not that they were common 40 years
ago.
--
john mcwilliams
Savageduck
>
>
> SI sports - Cycling by Calvin Sambrook.jpg: Mine obviously. For once
> this is the shot I set out to take. Anna has been developing her
> Triathlon mount technique all season and at this event I was able to
> get in just the right place to shoot it. I chose a 300mm focal length
> and maximum aperture in order to defocus the background as much as I
> could as I knew it was going to be messy. I lay on the floor to get a
> powerful angle and to try to put the subject into the clear sky area.
> With lots of megapixels available I shot wide and cropped later as I
> knew I had only one chance and I got lucky that she came through
> transition alone. The action isn't as fast as it appears as the bike
> is not really moving forward much at this point but ultimately it's
> just luck as to the exact pose when the shutter fires.
Personally I think this is the best of the lot. A great capture.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports-Games_Savageduck-01.jpg:
>
> I quite like the way the tension is built by the composition and the
> strange posture of the boy, either of these on their own would have
> looked wrong but together they seem to work. The tonal range is a bit
> strange although I guess that adds tension too.
The neighbor's kids playing their game of tag seemed to meet the
mandate. As far as tonal range goes, I had some problems with
highlights off the concrete driveway, so there it is. I'll work on
something better for the next SI.
>
> Sports-Games_Savageduck-02.jpg: No. A postcard shot but in my opinion
> nothing to grab the attention and hold it. Sorry.
No problem. It was very much a postcard shot. I am currently in South
Africa and not exactly here for any sporting events, so it was another
way to marginally meet the mandate criteria
--
Regards,
Savageduck
Savageduck
Sports-Games_Savageduck-01.jpg:
BTW here is an African athlete who doesn't play engage in sports or
play games, http://homepage.mac.com/lco/filechute/DSC_3633w.jpg
--
Regards,
Savageduck
Troy Piggins
<snip />
> BTW here is an African athlete who doesn't play engage in sports or
> play games, http://homepage.mac.com/lco/filechute/DSC_3633w.jpg
RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!...
--
Troy Piggins
John McWilliams
Or freeze in place and think "I am not food, I am not food, I am not...."
Nice shot. Yours? When?
--
john mcwilliams
Savageduck
> Troy Piggins wrote:
>> * Savageduck wrote :
>> <snip />
>>> BTW here is an African athlete who doesn't engage in sports or play
>>> games, http://homepage.mac.com/lco/filechute/DSC_3633w.jpg
>>
>> RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!...
>
> Or freeze in place and think "I am not food, I am not food, I am not...."
>
> Nice shot. Yours? When?
Yup. In South Africa last Saturday at the DeWildt Cheetah & Wildlife
Sanctuary in the Magaliesberg.
--
Regards,
Savageduck
Robert Coe
: nuances of the game. However, a few years ago I was in Boston so I
: went to the fabled Boston Gardens to see a hockey game.
:
: I really didn't appreciate much of what went on down on the ice, but I
: enjoyed myself immensely watching the spectators. Boston fans really
: get into a game.
The next time you're in Boston in the winter, try to go to a college hockey
game. We have three of the best college teams in the country (Boston
University, Boston College, and Northeastern University), and some years
Harvard is pretty good as well. College hockey doesn't rely on fistfights the
way professional hockey does, so you get to see the game the way it's intended
to be played.
A tip: In the Harvard arena, which isn't very big and where almost all the
seats are good, I like to sit behind one of the goals. It seems
counterintuitive, but you get a great view of the action because the players
are coming toward you as they attack the goal.
Bob
Robert Coe
wrote:
Translation: He didn't know the answer either. He probably *was* a bond
trader.
Suppose a player shoots the puck from his own end of the ice, and it goes all
the way across the other team's goal line. If it happens to go in the net, it
counts as a goal. If it doesn't, it's called icing, and they then have a
face-off back in the shooter's end of the ice. You're allowed to ice the puck
if your team is shorthanded (one or more players in the penalty box), but not
otherwise.
Bob
Alan Browne
> Suppose a player shoots the puck from his own end of the ice, and it goes all
> the way across the other team's goal line. If it happens to go in the net, it
> counts as a goal. If it doesn't, it's called icing, and they then have a
> face-off back in the shooter's end of the ice. You're allowed to ice the puck
> if your team is shorthanded (one or more players in the penalty box), but not
> otherwise.
Further, if, having iced, one of your own players reaches the puck
before a player of the defending team (the goalie is not allowed) and of
course w/o violating the blue line (offside) rule, then the puck remains
in play.
John McWilliams
> Suppose a player shoots the puck from his own end of the ice, and it goes all
> the way across the other team's goal line. If it happens to go in the net, it
> counts as a goal. If it doesn't, it's called icing, and they then have a
> face-off back in the shooter's end of the ice. You're allowed to ice the puck
> if your team is shorthanded (one or more players in the penalty box), but not
> otherwise.
Icing is waived off more often than not: If a Defenseman could have
reasonably intercepted the puck before it crosses the last line (GLE),
or if the Offense can touch it first in the icing zone, play goes on.
I think one reason there's less icing now than a long time ago is the
skill levels are higher, and stick technology is better; players are
able to lift the puck - lofting it into the far end but softly enough
that it doesn't enter the icing zone when they need a desperate clear.
--
John McWilliams
Frank ess
You guys should write a f*****g book.
John McWilliams
Waiting on the fucking advance.....
--
John McWilliams
Bowser
Now you're talking. My wife is a UNH grad. I'm a grad of Merrimack,
Wentworth, and Umass Lowell. The arguments never end. And I get good
seats at some really fine college hockey games, too. Love the college
game.
Russell D.
> A special thank you to Bowser for posting this
> just doesn't quite have the punch it should do. I like the composition
> and of course the action but it needs the subject to stand out more,
> just a slightly lower camera angle would have had him totally in the sky
> and would also have made that bench more of a feature (as it is it's
> more of a distraction). Alternatively a more camera based solution might
> have been less DoF to soften the hills or a wide angle lens to make them
> smaller.
>
explain a couple of things. When I saw what my two nephews were doing on
their snowboards, I grabbed my camera and ran out to capture the action.
One nephew would strap on his snowboard and the other would pull him,
with a rope attached to a motorcycle, towards the jump they had built.
When the snowboarder reached the jump he let go of the rope and flew off
the jump and then land on the picnic table and then off that and on to
the lawn. The nephew pictured is in the middle of a 180 he does before
landing on the table. They would take turns doing this. It was all very
entertaining.
I took the pictures squatting. I wanted to get lower but I was wearing
nice clothes and my wife would have skinned me had I spoiled them so I
refrained from bellying down in the snow. Maybe I should have.
As for the mountains--this photo is as much a retrospective as anything.
I know and have lived what is going on in these two kids. They can't
wait to get back on the snow. In fact they have been praying for snow
since July. I know--I was the same way when I was their age. And the
object of their love/lust is that white domed hill on the left border of
the picture. I lusted after the same mountain. My vice was skiing; not
snowboarding, but the lust is the same. So the mountain had to stay in
focus. It was a conscious decision.
While I'm babbling--this photo was taken in Idaho. The fence across the
road is in Wyoming. (The road is the state line.) The snow covered hill
is Fred's Mountain and is the main hill of Grand Targhee ski resort,
home of possibly the greatest powder skiing on earth. I practically
lived there in the winter when I was in high school.
> Sport02_RussellDurtschi.jpg: I quite like this although I can't help
> feeling I shouldn't, technically that is! Somehow the composition, with
> the two distinct areas of interest between the two groups of people,
> manages to overcome the clutter and distraction and pull my eye back
> into the shot. Well done for picking a camera angle which made this work.
>
That is why I decided to submit it--it was interesting. As I mentioned
before, it is only lit with the pop-up flash on my 40D. I was just
trying to get some shot of the after Thanksgiving dinner games that were
going on and the balcony of my sister's house was the perfect spot. We
had just fed 45 people in that and the adjoining room.
These pictures will always be family treasures.
Sorry for the long windedness.
Russell