SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

A few more shots of Dual Slalom racing.
This is what those banked turns are for.
The men go through the banks at about 30 mph.
If you're really close like this you have very little time to shoot and it really taxes your focus system!!

SS

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Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Very nice; low angle works well in the first shot. For these shots you were able to avoid having to pan but I have a feeling you took others where you did have to pan. That's where the sense of speed can really be shown. If you've got any of those to show, I'd like to see those too. For something like the first shot BBF would really come in handy by using a high shutter speed and pre-focusing on the red marker. In fact, I'm betting that's what you did. I just searched for your first set - also very nice. Yes, the eyes really add drama to the photos and you've captured it again in your second shot. may I post a shot from a different sport but with the same eyes? You know, that would make a good topic for a contest - "The Eyes Have It".
Many times, people will look at a photo and say "I like it" without being able to say exactly why. There's a very good chance it's the little details that are seen but don't necessarily register by themselves; they just contribute to the "I like it".

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

Amazing shots both! Love your showcasing of the gravity defying centripetal force in the second capture... No need to pan here, the speed/motion is brutally obvious... that cyclist has to be pulling G's

As mentioned above seeing the intensity in the wide open eyes adds considerable drama to the mix...

Again, excellent framing... wonderful color harmonies...
This must have been super fun to shoots...
btw, I'm surprised to see tripods so close to the athletes here, for soccer etc. any freestanding kit is seriously verboten.
The athlete's safety always comes first and foremost. Tripods typically are only allowed behind safety barriers...
Monopods are germane that close in...

Thanks for sharing SS!

juicesqueezer Loc: Okeechobee, Florida

Nice SS! Having shot some Motocross, it is not easy dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's! lol Low is where it is at and I always forget my knee pads! I now have many pants with worn out knees!

Jules Karney Loc: Las Vegas, Nevada

Great shots. My favorite is no. 2. Face eyes open, doesn't get any better. I have never shot a sport like this one but would get a kick if I could.
Again nice work.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Howard, thanks so much for the reply and for all the great commentary.
No, I did not get any panning shots. I have in the past but it depends on the end use. These guys are going pretty fast and it's pretty obvious that there's speed involved.
Actually I rarely use back button. I miss to many shots with back button. I have no problems at all using a half-press to keep the AF tracking in AI servo going. The problem with BB is that in certain shooting situations where you have to pick up a camera and shot very quickly, like in less than one second, you have to find two buttons simultaneously, to focus AND fire the camera. With the shutter press, only one button to find. I also very rarely use a burst.
Sometimes on finish line shots I use manual focus and prefbcused on the finishline and just use a burst.
Yes, I consider myself a "whites of the eyes" shooter. If you shoot really tight, it can add a lot of drama to a shot.
Feel free to post any shot that might add to a discussion. Don't worry, I'm not a control freak.
I've had several Composition Posts that were just for that!! You should check those out.
Thanks for the feedback!
SS