Rugby Union, this guy was amazing

Jacqui O

Jacqui O

Messages
132
Name
Jacqui
Edit My Images
Yes
My eldest son was picked last weekend to play for Castleford RU first team, this Bridlington RU Player just kept running the trys in. He was amazing . It was a real shock to Casteford we got annihilated.

Have a look at the rest,at www.action-photos.net

it was hard to get good ones of Cas

405064_384982864868185_365312720168533_1228323_1423261396_n.jpg
 
I'm sure that this guy was at Dinnigton this weekend Jaqui... Good portrait shot !
 
Nicely timed shot - good luck to your son, you must be very proub
 
This would be a good shot, however, your angle is all wrong. You need to be lower and looking up at the subject and ideally you want him running directly towards you or looking towards you.
 
Jacqui O if you would like the advice of someone who played rugby to quite a good level for many years, I suggest you play full back as if this player was as good as you say it will be the only way to take on board hjwatso1's advice!

Otherwise I think it is a very good action shot full of vitality.
 
Thanks everybody, much appreciate your time.

Basil67 thank you

Helen I see what you say but --- I was sat on the grass - the only way to get lower was to lie down - And with those guys coming at me I need to move quick :nono:

Hi Tug he played for Bridlington, and yes a portrait shot :naughty:

And yes I am really proud of Al

thanks again

Jacqui
 
Last edited:
basil67 said:
Jacqui O if you would like the advice of someone who played rugby to quite a good level for many years, I suggest you play full back as if this player was as good as you say it will be the only way to take on board hjwatso1's advice!

Otherwise I think it is a very good action shot full of vitality.
Click to expand...


Likewise having played at a high level, and like Helen being a professional photographer, I can tell you that her advice is spot on. Whilst you might not be able to get the shot any lower without being in a Twickenham-like pit, you can certainly improve the angle.

The shot's good, but marred by a poor point of view; ie the player is not only facing away, but running off the camera's line.
 
Isn't it ironic? The same folk who have said that the angle of the player is wrong, will be the same folk who will tell you not to chase the game.

Nothing wrong with the angle here, it's provided an almost perfect background. Any lower and you'd have had 3 colours (read: distractions) to contend with. Green, dark green and blue (or more likely, grey).

How's that for a curve ball?
 
Well you're a damn sight better than I am Phil, so I'll bow to your opinion - but I still hold with the thought that it would be improved by the running angle being more directly into camera.

As I said, it's a decent shot - but there's always room for improvement!

I've never said don't chase the game btw. On the contrary -do what you have to to get the shot that you need/want! :)
 
DemiLion said:
Well you're a damn sight better than I am Phil, so I'll bow to your opinion - but I still hold with the thought that it would be improved by the running angle being more directly into camera.

As I said, it's a decent shot - but there's always room for improvement!

I've never said don't chase the game btw. On the contrary -do what you have to to get the shot that you need/want! :)
Click to expand...

I'm not saying it wouldn't have been better had the player been head on (or that you had personally suggested not chasing the game), just generally pointing out how conflicting advice can be at times. Sorry if it came across that way though.

I very rarely post these days, but I can pretty much bet on there being two or three of the same nuggets of advice handed out in every photo sharing thread. I hope people aren't becoming robotic in their sports photography, people should be encouraged to experiment. For example.. not all sports photos look great from a seated/low position. Try getting a birds eye view shot from the top of the club house, maybe. In this example, as the player was running tries through like nobodies business, try and include some of the defence's failings in a wide(r) shot.

Just a thought :)
 
No need to apologise, your spot on about the need to look for different styles to prevent sports ( or any) photography becoming formulaic.

I was lucky enough to be at a talk by Julian Herbert a couple of months back, and a lot of his best (pre-racing & Getty) work challenged conventional shots; ie the wide overview of England v India from over the sniper's shoulder on top of the stadium.
 
I really appreciate the advice but find it confusing, I take sport photos as a hobby but strive always to improve - thus why I post on this site,

It was the expression on the face I liked - so maybe I should of posted in portrait?? As Tugg mentioned it is a portrait shot.

I have improved greatly by all the advice I have been given - though it does conflict ....... ( I have to also go with gut instinct I think)

this is Helens photo off her site - and yes she is a fabulous photographer and I can only strive to be as good as her- (not sure I'm aloud to do this) - would you explain the difference because my untrained eye can't see.

4516183864_05f1dc8da3_z.jpg


405064_384982864868185_365312720168533_1228323_1423261396_n.jpg


would really appreciate advice, though its about how the photo would be improved and having the player running on to the camera would definitely improve the picture and I do have some pictures of this but not with the expression on the face - so do you choose player running on or expression - and just keep striving for that perfect photo??

thanks again for all your advice - and I think I will try other ways, angles, styles and see if they work -


Jacqui
 
Last edited:
Personally, to my untrained eye, I think it is a great photo. The expression on the guys face tells a story by itself.
 
purpleclouds said:
Isn't it ironic? The same folk who have said that the angle of the player is wrong, will be the same folk who will tell you not to chase the game.

Nothing wrong with the angle here, it's provided an almost perfect background. Any lower and you'd have had 3 colours (read: distractions) to contend with. Green, dark green and blue (or more likely, grey).

How's that for a curve ball?
Click to expand...

Thanks purple clouds, If I had shot lower it would of actually brought some houses in to the shot,
Running after the game.... a couple of years ago Cas went to Twickenham for a final - I took the photos for our club. The official photographer was absoloutley brilliant with me and gave me a lot of advice - one point was if you are just taking one team always get them running on towards you - the other thing - he was taking both teams and actually ran the line nearly all the game. I try to take the first half one team and the second half the other team in more or less the same spot - but sometimes if nothing really is happening I find it better to actually go to the game rather than waiting for it to come to me. .. or move as the player comes towards the try line --right or wrong?
thanks for yor comments and advice
Jacqui
 
Hi Jacqui,

I think the situation will dictate how and where you shoot from. Having being at your ground, I understand what you mean about the houses and the lower view point.

Your image looks like you have the correct verticals and also the cropping is correct, in that the player has room to the right of the frame for him to run into. Also there are no distracting objects in the background.

I would have kept this one myself, as the expression is what it is all about.

Did you get any more of him ?
 
Just had a quick look on your site as a good mate of mine plays for Castleford , good to see him appear a few times in your shots.

Nice shot by the way.
 
A little contrast adjustment and sharpen could make this even better. Had a quick play in PS and increased the contrast by 25 and did an unsharp mask increase by 50%. :)
 
4516183864_05f1dc8da3_z.jpg


So what wrong with the above.

1. wonky horizon, it looks like Dan is running down hill
2. the crop is way too tight, there is no space for him to run in to and there is very little head room.
3. the background is cluttered and therefore distracting
4. he's looking away from me, would be better if he was facing me
5. His face is in shadow and therefore you lose the detail

That was taken several years ago and I believe the above feedback is what I would have got from the forum at the time(can't remember if I ever posted this one). I know how I can improve this photograph and this is something that I wouldn't even ingest from the camera now.

Phil I'm not aiming this at you as you know I am a great admirer of your work and your hair. I gave my opinion on the photograph on how it could be improved. I'm not robotic and like a bit of experimentation myself but I often see poor advice given over and over again and no improvement from from repeat posters and it frustrates me when basics are missed or not pointed out. I like to point out the basics and I don't like the angle and think the shot could be improved if the player was running towards the camera. My opinion just like others on here.

It's all personal opinion at the end of the day, I still learn loads from Phil and a group of others who I respect and admire, I am nowhere near an expert.
 
gman said:
A little contrast adjustment and sharpen could make this even better. Had a quick play in PS and increased the contrast by 25 and did an unsharp mask increase by 50%. :)
Click to expand...
WOW :):) that looks miles better, thanks - though it needs cropping - I know

535594_385918681441270_365312720168533_1232089_1215162243_n.jpg

Jacqui
 
Last edited:
hjwatso1 said:
This would be a good shot, however, your angle is all wrong. You need to be lower and looking up at the subject and ideally you want him running directly towards you or looking towards you.
Click to expand...

Hi Helen, I appreciate you taking the time to look at my photo and offer advice, I have learnt so much from everybody doing just that - and I can see exactly what you mean about it would be better if the player had turned and ran towards me. This is about how to create a better photo and that was the advice you gave me.

I think I was wrong to put your photo on as it made it personal to you, I just followed your link (as I do with all who post a reply) and there it was. It was uncanny how the first photo that was there was an image so close to the one I posted.

thanks again Helen for giving me for giving me your honest opinion because without honesty how would we improve.

Jacqui
 
OK just to give an alternative point of view.

1. wonky horizons - it could legitimately be the case that there is a slope as it is at Bedford Blues. I hate 'horizons' being corrected when there is a slope. Use verticals rather than horizontals to correct the problem

2. cropping - you can play it both ways, crop tight and you can get plenty of punch in a shot, give room and it gives a feeling of movement

3. the background is cluttered and therefore distracting - this can be tricky, no matter how hard I try, I can't get the ambulance and the pavilion moved at the north end of Franklin's Gardens;-) I want to shoot Saints attack so I have to live with the clutter - a wide aperture will reduce it but not necessarily remove it

4. he's looking away from me, would be better if he was facing me. I disagree totally - I get really bored of nothing but head on shots. I sit on the 5m line in one half and then behind the posts in the other. Variety is the spice of life:) Here's James Downey against Wasps a couple of weeks ago:

LR3DSC8392001-L.jpg


5. His face is in shadow and therefore you lose the detail - I am one who likes just living with the light I have. You can get some great effects with half shadow faces.

And as for needing to be lower and looking up - who says?;-) Some of the best shots I have taken have been at the same height as me, in half shadow, side on. Others have been from above.

I prefer the original - just marginally sharper. The new version has way too much contrast and in combination with the sharpening makes the players' muscles and shirt look unreal.

You are your best critic - you probably know what you want to achieve and there are many folks here who can help so do ask:)
 
hjwatso1 said:
Phil I'm not aiming this at you as you know I am a great admirer of your work and your hair. I gave my opinion on the photograph on how it could be improved. I'm not robotic and like a bit of experimentation myself but I often see poor advice given over and over again and no improvement from from repeat posters and it frustrates me when basics are missed or not pointed out. I like to point out the basics and I don't like the angle and think the shot could be improved if the player was running towards the camera. My opinion just like others on here.
Click to expand...

:LOL:

I wasn't saying you were wrong in your opinions, indeed, they were valid on the whole for creating the perfect picture in this instance. I was just trying to say that there are two sides to every story as we have since found out (lower angle would have induced housing into the bokeh etc).. hence it being a curve ball rather than bullish correction :)
 
Super shot, super expression, nuff said.:)
 
Jacqui- I think it is great and would have been proud to have taken it, the expression is superb and I am sure its a shot the player himself would cherish.
Good stuff
We can all pick faults in published pictures in the nationals let alone each other' s work, I wonder if anyone could show a picture for which there would be no critisism?
 
hjwatso1 said:
This would be a good shot, however, your angle is all wrong. You need to be lower and looking up at the subject and ideally you want him running directly towards you or looking towards you.
Click to expand...

Would have also been useful for it to be in focus.
 
I love this place
go to my site and follow this link- we loose big style and are going down!!!


http://www.action-photos.net/gallerys/RUGBYS/240312SR/240312SR.shtml

take the time to press play and see the expressions of the players coaches and crowd - and I like my action shots whether there high - low - or in between- or in focus - --
this is about community rugby
and I love the people -- and who have nurtured me xxx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top