Both decent shots for me, Paul. Second is technically fine from what I can see but is a tad too boring and doesn't feel dynamic enough (if the attacker was facing head on it would have been much better I think but as you say no control over that).
First one is a belter though. Facial expression and muscle definition just screams effort and aggressiveness (that's a word, right?). Now that is what I'd went in a shot like this, speaking as a former open-side flanker
Hi Paul.
Vast - From my perspective the lighting on R2D2 is what doesn't work.
The obvious light source in teh shot is the doorway (and there are associated shadows), so the fact that the dark side of R2D2 is not more obviously in shadow jars slightly.
Just my opinion. I do love the way you explain how you've taken your shots so that those of us without lighting experience can begin to understand.
Hiya Tim, you're spot on with your crit. It is a fakely lit shot and you're right that as a result it doesn't feel particularly natural. But then my reasoning was a space robot walking out to a door into empty space isn't hugely natural anyway
It's really helpful to have your take on it though because if I were shooting (say) a person then this would just look plain weird - for the reasons you mention. Thanks for the constructive feedback and I appreciate it
You've caught the action very well there Paul, it's the second shot for me for the topic, that tackle certainly looks Rough .....ouch
I have to say I hate rugby and I mean really hate it so I am biased straight away but never the less well done for trying some and I use the term loosely, sport photography, not something I have ever tried both pics are well caught though BGs are an obvious problem, so out of the two I think the second one works well for the theme title
Hi Paul. Blooming good shots as far as I'm concerned ... and first time out as well. Wonder if it helps being a player ... anticipating the tackle maybe. With the expression on the player's face in the first, that one would have been great for Effort but definitely the second is the one for Rough - conveys the theme excellently.
Thanks Ian, Tim, Susie, Allan and Carl
I struggled to find one which was a good shot (as far as I was concerned) and on theme, so I decided to post one where I liked the expression (and had exactly the thoughts you had, Ian, although I might have called it "aggression"
) and then a second which was less interesting but definitely on theme.
Allan, good spot on the BG. The BG on the first is the reason I decided to swap ends after I chimped the first handful of shots - a really ugly block of flats. Unfortunately, the location of the rugby ground isn't particularly moveable (As Ian may appreciate, if I had shot it at my local village club, Birkmyre, it'd have been a bit more picturesque although the rugby wouldn't have been as good!) The second one I had the benefit of the Argyll hills in the background, which was an improvement!
Hi Carl, I think having played is a huge plus if you want to capture the moment. I managed to get some decent lineout shots as well, the only problem being there was even more of the background because of the angle I was shooting up at. Oh, and they kept messing up their lineouts with overthrows so I never managed a catch - not because I failed to time it right, but simply because they kept failing to catch it!
If I want to do more of this I definitely need a longer lens but I'm not sure even a second-hand £250 80-200 f/2.8 is a sensible investment for the handful of times I might be using it - I don't bird or do wildlife, or motorsports!
Thanks for the comments - I might just throw in another idea I've had for rough to make sure it's definitely on theme but we'll see - depends whether I get time today.
