Thoughts on pictures...

[webjunkie401]

Hey,

Finally took my digital camera to kendo practice with me.

I've never really been good at taking pictures, but it seems to be one of those things you get better at with practice.

One of the guys in the club likes to put together promotional videos so he was having me take videos of people doing ji-geiko since I'm not in bogu yet (but I will be very soon, once it arrives). I also took the chance to take some pictures. I was wondering if you guys could tell me what you think, and any pointers or advice you could give me would be great.

I used a Canon PowerShot A60, and the only thing I did to the pictures on my computer was to reduce the image size.

I took a lot more than I'm posting, but I figured four would be enough.

Tony v. Sai (http://www.unc.edu/%7Edtopal/stuff/kendo/kendo1.jpg)

Miura v. Sai (http://www.unc.edu/%7Edtopal/stuff/kendo/kendo2.jpg)

Sai v. Shuji (http://www.unc.edu/%7Edtopal/stuff/kendo/kendo3.jpg)

Miura v. Tony (http://www.unc.edu/%7Edtopal/stuff/kendo/kendo4.jpg)

And yes, Sai was the guy that asked me to take videos and pictures, so that's why he is in a lot of them.

[webjunkie401]

You know, I just now realized this should probably be in the multimedia section instead.... whoops, sorry about that.

[taganahan]

this is the right place for these things. pretty neat pictures. you should check out mingshi's photo journal so you can get some good ideas.

~taganahan

[Yann]

It's a quite good start, I hope you will post more :)
/me likes kendo pictures

[Washington]

nice pics :)

[D'Artagnan]

'Tony' has the same dou as me!

[webjunkie401]

this is the right place for these things. pretty neat pictures. you should check out mingshi's photo journal so you can get some good ideas.

~taganahan
Dude, I've seen her journal, and quite frankly I can say it was awesome.

That and I like the layout of her new site.

[Hai_hai]

'Tony' has the same dou as me!
A half-blue do. How lovely.

[D'Artagnan]

A half-blue do. How lovely.

Certainly is! what kind of rich boy show off would i be without a flashy dou?

[psywarblade]

Excellent photos I would say for someone just starting out. If I had to make any suggestions is once you get use to the functions of the camera play with the zoom and move around the floor. Sometimes the best shots are taken from above or below (depending on the circumstances). For action shots like this make sure that you keep the sun (or any lightsource windows, doors, etc) at your back on bright days. But I will have to admit those turned out pretty good.


lol joke with them that they move to fast for your camera to get a clear shot and you need them to go really really slow.

[frederico]

sweet! its hard to see people here posting photos, i think it should be done more.

about the pictures, love the 3rd one with the guy focused for not being in motion and the other blured, really sweet, the perspective in pic 2 works fine too. The place and the stuff in the backgroud is a bit distracting in pic 4 and the people the the 1st's background too, the colours could be played in photoshop a bit becouse they look a little washed. im critisizing just to help dont take it wrong;) maybe im talking to much but i really like photography.

so i hope you dont mind but ill highjack this topic and post some pictures ive taken too (this one in a local tornament here in lisbon) hope you like it too, and more people post their stuff;)

here:
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k2.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k3.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k4.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k5.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k6.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k7.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k8.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k11.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k12.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k13.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k14.jpg
http://www.innervortex.gamedev-pt.net/kendo/fotos/k20.jpg

[streetcleaner]

frederico

very good shots. what camera do you have?

man on right on shot k7.jpg have very strange kamae. isn't it?

[D'Artagnan]

Nice pictures there fredrico.

However, I feel the 'audience' in the background gives these shots a bit of a messy feel. Next time, try a different angle, missing out the crowd, or use a wider aperture so as to reduce the depth of field and throw them out of focus. I think including the crowd only tends to work if it is a huge crowd (i.e. WKC style). Also, you seem to have fired the shutter just a split second before the blows land, try waiting just a split second longer befor firing. One tip, if you press the shutter, and still see the blow land through the view finder, you missed it. However, they are a great start, keep it up you'll only get even better with practise. Let us see how you go on. :smiley:

[webjunkie401]

so i hope you dont mind but ill highjack this topic and post some pictures ive taken too (this one in a local tornament here in lisbon) hope you like it too, and more people post their stuff;)

Oh feel quite free. Critique, advice, and examples are always welcome.

[moetl]

frederico, i like k13. it has such dynamics.
though i'm not an foto-artist or expert, i agree with D'Artagnan that the crowd does not quite fit. also webjunkie's pictures are a affected by the strange devices in the background. that's the opinion of a mere viewer :).

i would love to see some more pics!

[webjunkie401]

Strange devices is right. Our practices are held in a gym at UNC-CH in NC, USA.... and there are strange things pretty much all around the room, I'll try to see if I can get a better vantage point next time.

[frederico]

streetcleaner i used a praktica l for that one.. about 30 yearold cam, but good lents, without it i couldnt freeze those shoots.
i was really disapointed with most crowded areas, some make even hard to clearly distinguish the kendocas, and i could have avoied it, damn noobness.. now i know! and D'Artagnan i couldnt blut the background, its a 1.8 lents used to the most, and the distances were too small, but as i said, didnt even needed that.. just a better angle:1 ill try better next time;)

and cmon, im sure there are people out there that have shoot some kendo action!

[Haowen]

sweet! its hard to see people here posting photos, i think it should be done more.

...

so i hope you dont mind but ill highjack this topic and post some pictures ive taken too (this one in a local tornament here in lisbon) hope you like it too, and more people post their stuff;)


Absolutely beautiful shots. I love them! I'm trying to choose one to put on my computer desktop but it's so difficult because they're all brilliant! Please keep sending more!

Your framing, timing, and technical skill is just wonderful. Thank you for sharing these shots!