In line with this month's overarching theme, I took the opportunity to experiment with motion capture on a recent visit to the ocean.
I'd be interested to hear what others feel about these
- do you prefer the more abstract images or ones that have clearer content?
- do you have a favorite or two?
- do you have any general thoughts that may help the group or drive a discussion?
All were taken with an ND6 filter to allow a shutter of around the 1/10 sec area.
As always, I appreciate input from all photographers, whether just starting or seasoned pro.
And of course I respect negative comments as much as those more positive - that is how we learn and push each other to improve.
QUESTION 1: Personally, I value both abstract and concrete images. Each style has unique qualities that make for fascinating viewing. Of course, within each of those categories, I have sub-types that I prefer over others.
QUESTION 2: Within this set, I prefer numbers 6, 7, and 9.
QUESTION 3: Hopefully I can explain this coherently (LOL). In all the images, motion is the obvious theme. In photos 6, 7, and 9, the subject projects a feeling of being a part of the energy of the rest of the photo while in the other photos, the subject feels more like a glitch in the momentum. ALTHOUGH in photos 8 and 10 there's a peaceful feeling of diminishment of that energy.. Apart from that, I enjoy the colors of these photos (I'm always a fan of colors), and the glistening of the highlights add to the energy overall.
Do you recommend using a tripod for these types of photos? Did you use one for these or hand hold?
You did a great job with these, Alan. Thanks for giving us something to think about!
Thanks for the thoughtfulness of your response Jennifer. I think it would be extremely difficult to use a tripod for these as the situation changes in an instance and there has to be an element of anticipation.
The surfers were pretty close to shore, so it was a simple task of watching, waiting and then following/predicting with the hope of capturing movement.
Pretty much the same as panning a high speed object, but with a longer exposure to capture movement within the subject.
IMHO, #3 and #6 have more energy than the others. Were these mine, I suspect I would crop somewhat more severely and play with the color and contrast a bit.
As for participating in this theme, I went back through the archives (50 years, so it took a while) to see if I had anything to contribute to the conversation. In the middle of some thousands of images taken on or near the water's edge, I found a grand total of two images that included surfboards. This one is from Atlantic City in 1969. Not relevant, I'm sorry to say.
This is a really neat image, Andrew! I really like it!