Close and involved

4/7/14

This exercise involved using a wide angled lens (28mm or less) to observe what happened and how it felt when using it close to people to put the viewer inside the situation.

I used a mountain bike event I was at to look at 3 different ways of using the wide angled lens to illustrate being in the action.

Stands

1/800 F4 ISO400 35mm

For this image I stood very near to the buckets hoping to capture the feeling of looking at the stand without being a customer. I think it would be more successful if there were more people around it.

Advantages:

• Shows stand and interactions
• Can capture more than one group of activity

Disadvantages:

• Actions captured rather than facial expressions
• Which focusing point to use? In this case I used the centre focus point.
• Very visible - peoples facial expressions may change

The mass start

1/500 F8 ISO400 24mm

Position: Stood at side of rider

Here there is too much space in the foreground (a large patch of empty green grass)

Advantages:

• Rider interaction, facial expression, could almost be part of the ride 

Disadvantages:

•  Properties of the wide angle seem to create space in the foreground.

1/640 f8 ISO400 24mm

 Position: Between these two riders

Advantages:

• Could again be part of the ride
• Viewer is directed to look between the riders

Disadvantages:

• Felt intrusive

1/100 f8 ISO400 24mm

 Position: camera raised in air to obtain a higher viewpoint

Advantages:

• Same position, more people captured - looks busier

Disadvantages:

• Space on grass more visible. Didn't seem to matter where I stood, I found patches of unfilled grass.
• Difficulty with not actually knowing what I was shooting

1/500 f8 ISO400 24mm

Position: Stood behind a group of friends

I should perhaps have been stood between the two bikes to capture facial expressions rather than body language. However, I think this type of image plays its part in telling a story.This shows interaction whereas the others show singularity or riders preparing and focusing themselves.

Advantages:

• Person at front of group facing me was too busy drinking to stop what he was doing and pose, other riders setting mobile phones. (Unseen)
• Interaction in the activity whereas if I took this with a longer focal length, the crowd of bikers would not be so visible
• Space created with lens helps to separate group of riders from the crowd

Disadvantages:

• Have to choose moment carefully to avoid being seen

The ride

1/30 f14 SSO100 24mm

Position: Side of track

Inspired by images in mountain bike magazines which I read from time to time, I had a go at taking the shot as soon as someone came into view on the track. he idea of using a wide angled lens appealed because the scenery is more visible.

Advantages:

• In with the action
• Shows the path the riders will take
• Rider is unaware that you are taking their photograph.

Disadvantages:

• Have to press the shutter at the right moment. Need awareness of who is coming up and what speed they are travelling at.
• A small amount of travel into the frame and the effect is lost.
• In my case - image would be improved by setting focus point to far left. Centre of image is in focus, riders are not. (Change and change back)

1/160 f8 ISO400 24mm

Position: Just in front of water crossing

Advantages: 

• Rider fills third of frame
• Rider aware when passing but I could have been taking an image of anything

Disadvantages:

• Deciding which rider to have in focus (should have had nearest rider in focus. Middle group in in focus so would need the image very large to see that.
• Would have been better to capture rider before he approached rather than when he approached
• Wide angle flattened out the hill
• Distortion at the edge of the frame

Learning points

This was an exercise which I was worried about doing because it involved almost invading peoples personal space to take some images. By using an event in which I knew there would be other photographers and people with cameras, I found it easier to do. Having experimented with different positions and analysed my photos, I think I could improve on these at another MTB event. My one regret is not turning round and taking images from the viewers point of view rather than the rider's point of view.