dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Sony HX1, bridge camera. 20x sony (G) lens.
I have had this camera for about 20mnths and 6000 + photos, however todate I have not pursued any big time action shots. During 55+ years of messing around with photography I never got into sports or action photos.
So that makes me an old dog at the bottom of the learning curve and off to the Rodeo today with the Sony HX1 bridge camera.

I have read here on the hog numerous times that bridge cameras woun't take acceptable fast action shots. So lets see how the old dog did.

NOTE: These are just a small sample. To see many more of the days action Rodeo shots, click on the Flickr link below and when at the Flickr page, on the right hand side, click on the set titled (Action sports: Rodeo).

All shots were taken from the top row of the bleachers with the 20x zoom. Only 2 shots in the set of 49 are cropped.

Time: between 6:oopm and 8:30pm (got to dark).
Weather: heavy overcast which helped limit the shadows.
Temp: 70*
Settings: All @F4.5, 1/250sec., ISO varies between 250 & 640.
No burst: Each photo was taken with it's own button push.

Thanks for looking. All comments welcome.
Dan :thumbup:

The colors


Rodeo Queen


Hang on

photo guy Loc: Chippewa Falls, WI

Very nice set of photo. Nice work.

dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Thank you photo guy.
Dan :thumbup:

dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Here is another of the days shots.
Rodeo is in Shelton Wa.
Dan :thumbup:

OOps

photo guy Loc: Chippewa Falls, WI

Very nicely done!

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

I enjoyed viewing these, too!!!
Thanks for posting!
Pat

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

A pitty you couldn't have a little more shutter speed. These are nice, well framed and good color but all appear a little blurry or out of focus.

colo43 Loc: Eastern Plains of Colorado

all were nice photos.

dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Jimmya, Thank you
I believe the softness or blurry are do to (yes) both shutter speed and focus. Using the zoom limited the apature to f4.5 and with the limited day light on a very dark day and being in the evening at that, the shutter speed was held to 250. I was shooting in advanced sport mode, I let the camera figure it out. All in all, I am not disapointed. I was looking and hoping for some acceptable
shots and in my judgement what I got are acceptable for me, and I am a nit-picker. Not the best but acceptable.
Now I think I am hooked on action shots.
There were a number of big DSLR cameras there, one fellow had 3 cameras all with lenses the size of a rain barrel, he carried them in his arms as they were to big and heavy to hang on ones neck. All the big lens photographers except the official Rodeo photographer left around 7:00pm. To dark out for the long shots they said.
But my little zoom camera kept shooting untill 8:30pm then it was to dark to continue with that.
These Rodeo events are ultra fast. The average time for roping, throughing and hog tying a steer was 5.5 seconds, that includes getting off the horse. Not a lot of time to fiddle with the camera.
On to the next action sport event.
Allso took a lot of vidio. which turned out excellent,IMHO.
Dan :thumbup:

5.5 sec. not a lot of camera fiddling time. But I did get 2 shots off.

dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Thank you.
I do hope to improve the technique.
Dan :thumbup:

dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Thank you Pat.
Dan :thumbup:

dandij Loc: Hoodsport, Washington

Here are a couple more.
Dan :thumbup:

Official sweeper


Hats off please!


A lazy day at the office