C&C Kitesurfer, Dollymount

Calina

I too was out with my Bigma lately. From last night.

Borderfox

I commented on your flickr too. Excellent shot I love the texture on the water in the bottom left. Do you find it hard to concentrate on getting the surfer or both the surfer and kite. What I mean is do you have a strategy to what you will shoot and what shots you will try for. Magic lens too.

Fenster

Nice one Calina.

Calina

With a zoom lens, I just completely forget about the kite. There's no point. The lines are generally 30m long which means you're talking seriously wide to get both kitesurfer and kite in the photograph. I don't generally do it at the moment although I have nefarious plans on the subject.

So I concentrate on trying to get the kitesurfer in frame. Mostly I'm looking for some sort of a trick shot, or an expression on their face or something. I keep an eye on the water spray too.

Fenster

I have no idea if this distinction makes any sense, but do you follow the kiter as he moves or select and frame your scene and wait for them to pass through.

Calina

Both depending on what I'm trying to do and what I think they are going to do. Usually I use continuous shooting though and if I'm aiming for a stop action, I try not to follow them too much.

TJM

Lovely crisp shot. I find the frame distracting though.

sineadw

I was out there a while ago and the stunts they were pulling were fascinating. I'd love to have a go, both at shooting it and doing it

Lovely shot Calina. How much of a hit ratio do you get with continuous? I find it daunting wading through hundreds after a day. And that's jpeg..

Calina

Sinead,

I came back with 350 plus photographs on Tuesday night. Out of the continuous, it varies...occasionally I'll get all of them but that's not happening much at the moment. Out of the 350 I put something like 55 on flickr? I don't think it's a bad hit rate in the end, although I've had better days. I don't mind the wading, but I've a poorer hit rate with the 500mm zoom than I had with the 300mm...so...you get used to it.

I've done some lessons at doing it and have lined up more. It's fun although I'm currently useless at it. As for shooting them...just turn up on the beach really.

City-Exile

Calina wrote:

With a zoom lens, I just completely forget about the kite. There's no point.

Exactly! The mind can fill in the rest of the shot. It's not like someone is going to think he's hanging from a tower crane!

Great shot, Calina.