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Submit Your Best "Action" Photo

Critique of Action Themed Photos
  • Submission Deadline: Sat, 25 Jan 20 03:00:00 +0000

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2.32 - "Needs Work" 

This photo took a small team, some luck, and a whole lot of shoveling to make happen. We had driven past this abandoned gas station earlier in the year, and knew we wanted to try for this trick and this shot long before we got the snow to do it. Once the snow did fall, we aimed for a night session so we could light up the building with a gel. Halfway through the build, we noticed a city truck parked across the street watching us. This made us nervous, but nothing was happening so we kept building. 30 minutes later, low and behold, a cruiser showed up. Thinking this was the end, and we were about to get kicked out and leave 4 hours of shoveling to rot, we talked to the cop. Turns out, the city worker called him worried we were breaking into the building. When the officer realized what we were doing, he didn't have much to say. He made a point to say "I'm not saying you can keep doing this, but I came to make sure you weren't vandalizing or breaking into the building, which you are not, so I am going to leave". After he pulled away, we talked to the city guy across the street, filled him in on our conversation with the officer, and he left too! All that was left to do was finish shoveling, set the winch and lights up, and have a party! I think Will got this trick on the 3rd try, which is always nice after you've been setting up for 6+ hours!!
This is technically a composite image, as I only had two flashes. One on the rider, and the gelled flash I had to shoot off twice to light the entire underside of the roof and the side of the building.

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2 Comments

I'd like to apologize for rating this only 2 stars, given the work you put into making it happen, but the picture just doesn't make sense to me.
the snowboarder is almost invisible at first sight and in your place, I'd have shot the wall with the Getty logo with the gel flash just to give it the same color as the gas station and cut it out in Photoshop so the rest remains well lit. as a former snowboarder myself, I am dying to know how he gets the speed ?? dragged by a car or from some kind of ramp outside of the frame ? if the first, it would be a killer shot if the car were in it with motion blur!

Personally I think this photo is spot on. The location is cool and interesting. I know what's going on andthe photo looks to be un tainted by photoshop. Awesome photo