Thanks for all the comments! I had really intended to get this picture of him going over the bar, but alas, my timing was off. It has taken me several more tries to figure out exactly how to get my camera to do exactly what I want it to do!
I know that most of you wanted to see a shot from the front or side, but it is not allowed to be in that part of the pit, (too distracting for the valuter and also dangerous!) In fact, I was too close as it was and was asked to move! Plus if I could have gotten the timing perfect, you could have seen the front because as the vaulter goes over the bar they turn and then they are facing this direction.
Now as for composition, I wanted to show the height of the bar, hence the bigger framing. The boys on either side are there for the safety of the vaulter, (like a spotter) and there is no way to get them out of the shot without cropping.
As for cropping, I am limited by my camera on this one, as it takes a max shot of 640x480 and to do any cropping leads to distortion of the pic to get it back to the required size. I am trying to get the compostion to the right size to start off with. That is a challenge in itself!!
Actually I liked the trees in the background, I know many of you said it was too busy, but I thought they gave an interesting look to the pic, rather than just a blue sky.
He actually did make it over the bar, but hit it with his body on the way down.
Thanks again for all the comments, I appreciate them all!
Too many distracting elements - the guy coming into the frame on the right, the head in the lower right, the guy in the white shirt. I think a tighter crop would really benefit this image.
I used to do that. What was I thinking!? Probably more impact from the other side of the pit, and a chance to catch the vaulter's face and get him framed against the sky instead of those trees. Tell him to straighten that left arm and get his head back, too, or he'll never break 10'.
Feels too much like a snap shot...I don't like the head in the lower right corner. And the color is washed out. Overall, it's not compositional interesting.
i would have tried moving the framing down a little so you could see the whole kid in the front, and the mat to boot. it would also make the valut feel higher and more daring!
would be a lot more effective if shot from opposite side, lower angel and tightly framed, that way you might empasive the vaulters objective of clearing the high bar
I think shooting from the other side of the mat would have been more interesting. This is a little passive and confused. It almost looks like he is trying to clear the fence. Good job on meeting the challenge.
This is an interesting photo. I have commented on some other photos similarly. I don't like photos of people from behind. This shot would be more impressive taken from the side of the vaulter rather than from behind possibly. The cropping should have attempted to include or eliminate the person on the right edge rather than splitting him.
The background kills this for me - maybe lying on your back on the blue mat, shooting up would have been better - if you could have talked your way in :)
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
