And we're back

 And we're back after a short absence.  The reasons are many and uninteresting.  The good news is we're all more free to roam around.  

I have two money sucking hobbies.  The other one is off-road ATV riding.  Over Labor Day weekend, I was able to get out for a few hours.  First ride in almost two years.  There's a lot of pre-work involved to ensure a successful ride - and not to be 'that guy'.  That took some time.  The paying job took its toll as well.  Now that we can move around again, I have to pay attention to that work/life balance thing.

And the new photography angle.  I came into some bonus buck at the paying job and decided to look into the video game.  I spent a lot of time during the lock down watching all sorts of YouTube productions.  Not that I'm looking into gaining YT celebrity status, but it might be interesting to add a new tool to the box.  So I now have a GoPro 9 - and a bunch of accessories.  I have this idea of mounting the GP9 to the camera to get a video/still shot mix.

So Sunday was out and about the area.  I saw the BMX circuit was back in business - and in a big way.  The park was packed.  The goal quickly became to take less, but better photos.  In truth, I took more photos, but on fewer scenes.  Means, I'm going to throw away more.  And I did.  I wound up keeping about 15 shots out of 120 taken.  

The gear for the day was the D500 and 70/200.  

And if you wait long enough, you can get something new.  Or new to me anyway.  Up until now, the leader of the heat coming over the mound gets the best air.  Not this time.  Second racer over had the best air.  One of those shots where you think you saw what you saw and if that's right you hope then you didn't miss the shot.  Some call that process a nightmare.  I call it signature thought process.

Second Place Air

NIKON D500 Ver.1.30/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED

105 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5, ISO 140 (AUTO)

EV 0, MAUNUAL Mode, Size DX

Good day to get out and about.  And a surprise shot.

D850 Test - in November

With the battery charged, the menu set up and a sunny November day in the 70s, time to take the the D850 out for a test drive.  I couldn't too far away from the house, due to the paying job, but the park a few miles away was in bounds.

I saw these two bikes leaning against a tree.  The riders were off walking around.  And they returned while I was taking the photos.  They were so nice, they asked if the bikes were in the way of something.  There is hope for the world.  Any way, what I saw here was the green on the smaller bike.  That is what doesn't belong.  Just great.

Two Bikes Against a Tree

NIKON D850 Ver.1.11/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED

75 mm, 1/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 (Auto)

EV 0.00, MANUAL Mode

And the first field test with the new lens.  At f/2.8 - pure awesome.  Super sharp against the tree.

And at the park, the BMXers couldn't stay home on such a nice day.  I like the split of focus on this, there is real distance.  Could be the BMX winner for the year.

Head On

NIKON D850 Ver.1.11/NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED

200 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 100 (Auto)

EV 0.00, MANUAL Mode

Can't wait for the airplanes!

Labor Day - 2020 (Covid Style)

This was my last totally free weekend for a while, through the end of October.  Seven to eight weeks.  And end of October is if everything goes well.  Pays the bills.  And funds the hobby.
Non-photography related weekend stuff, put some miles on the truck.  My destination on Saturday was packed with tourists.  I think it was great.  Probably a bad year overall for the tourist industry, but good to see people out and about.  But I was not to be part of it, too many people for me.  No photos or souvenirs on that trip.
Sunday was off to the BMX track for the afternoon.
So this year it has come down to horses and BMX as photography subjects.  And that is OK.  C and I have been safe so far.  And that is what counts.
But a close second would be to continue to grow in this hobby.  With aircraft, I have background knowledge of the subject.  I have interest angles.  With horses and bike, I have to sort of feel my way through it.  What works, and what works a bit less.
So Sunday, found myself at the BMX track.  Third time there.  I should have a much better idea of what to get accomplished.  Prior to going out this weekend, I reached out to the track operator to get permission to access the 'interior' of the track.  Permission granted.  And I met some nice people in the process.
The day started out heavily overcast, threat of rain.  At flag drop, nice and sunny with some winds.  Great day to be out.  
As to the photos, the shots taken before the race are not as bright as the race shots.  The lighting was very different. 
I found some good areas on the inside of the track.  I also found out that a lot of the shots I thought I'd like were into the sun.  So half came out really well, and the rest were into the sun.
I've landed on a minimum shutter speed of 1/1250 sec.  At this point I am OK with 'freezing' the shot.  With aircraft and props, I'd never freezing of the prop as a good photo.  With the bikes, I just don't know any better.  After this outing, I may have experiment more with speeds.

Jump Kick Out

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

85 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600 (AUTO)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

The ISO being that high wasn't too much of an issue.  Yea, it's visible if you look for it.  So don't look.  I did have to clean up the visible face a bit.
I did back into two sort of 'artsy' shots.  Purely mistakes, but in the end the print is all that matters.  And I like these next two shots.  
It should be noted that these were pretty tight because of my position and major cropping was not necessary.  
With this shot, there was no ISO cleanup.  I think this is 'perfectly' framed.  Some of the bike is missing, but that's OK.

One Looking

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

240 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1800 (AUTO)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

This is an example of the focus lock staying with the intended subject.  I locked on tot he rider when he was in the turn.  And it didn't release.  And it works.

One In Focus

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

195 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1400 (AUTO)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

Accidents, the only way we learn.  And, this week I'll be going to a R/C airplane event.  Time to start researching!

More BMX shots

Last few weeks for the paying job have been long.  Lots of hours.  Big project stuff.
I wanted to head south to Ann Arbor to do a horse event the weekend, but just not feeling it.  Saturday was heavy cloud cover.  Today was much better, but still not feeling it enough for an hour drive.  Each way.
So, I went to the BMX races less than 5 minutes from the house.  That I could do.
Nice day out in the sun.
Today's event was not large.  Wasn't very crowded.  But everyone has fun.
I won't get into the popular debate these days of whether or not the National Anthem should be played before events.  I'm old enough that every competitive event I've been to has always started with the National Anthem.  I'm OK with it.  That will not change, for me.
For the BMX races, the Anthem is played while racers can opt to do a lap with an American Flag.  How cool is that?  I think the younger racers really like this.
The Flag lap.

The Flag Lap

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8

75 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 180 (AUTO)

EV +0.33, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This is the first outing with the new 27-70 on the D500.  In the end, I didn't use this combo very long.  It worked in this case because I was right along the track.  But the max reach of 100 mm doesn't work many other places.  The best combo seems to be the D780 and the 70-300.
This time out I staked out a new location.  There are three major turns in the race.  I was going to stake out the exit of the last turn.  Not always the best for sun angle.  But with today's overcast it was livable.
There is good action in this turn.  It is a good chance to get more than one rider in a shot that is not straight on.  The issue can be that since this is the third turn, the field of racers has expanded.  Like in air racing, the front end is often decided by the half way point.  But the action for other positions can be more interesting.
This is the type of shot I like, three subjects in the frame.  I like that with aircraft, I like that with cyclists.

Stars and Bars Turn

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

155 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 (AUTO)

EV +1.0, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

These two were in a higher age bracket.  It was fun to watch them through the race, thinking they might be close when they came to the last turn.  No disappointment.

Two Exiting the Turn

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

155 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320 (AUTO)

EV +1.0, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

And no trip to the park is complete without some air.  And some hair.  This is from a different angle, but not bad.  Wouldn't be a bad position with the monster lens.

Air and Hair

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

300 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1000 (AUTO)

EV +1.0, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

Good day to be out and about.

BMX - Big Air

Back in the early 70's I had my own flirtation with big air.  And maybe a touch of big hair as well.  The big hair stories will have to wait.
First big air was on a dirt bike.  I learned that speed wasn't ans aspect to be ignored.  You had to hit the speed right for the best landing.  And you only learn this by going over the line.  Too fast and miss the landing.  Bounce would be a nice way of describing what happened next.  Aside from jumping dirt bikes, I'd also get big air on the ski slopes.  I would jump the huge mounds of snow beneath the snow makers.  Same laws of physics.  
So I have respect respect for those who go for the big air.
At the BMX track there is a path that one can choose to get what I would call big air.  Most choose go to around the area.  But for those who don't.....

Big Air - One Rider

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

140 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280 (AUTO)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

Big Air - Two Riders

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

165 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280 (AUTO)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

Big Air - In the Race

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

140 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280 (AUTO)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

Richfield Park BMX

As in the 1971 Monty Python film, "And now for something completely different".
Started as kind of a crappy Saturday for me.  Lots of odd hours for the paying job last week, so I slept in a bit.  I wasn't enthused to go to the Refuge,  I missed the early morning feeding activities.  I thought of a road trip, just to get out of the house.  Too nice to stay at home all day, I left for the Refuge around 2:00.  I hadn't seen early afternoon activity there, maybe something would click.  I bundled the D500 and monster lens and headed out the door.  See the mistake yet?
When I head out of the house, I usually (99%of the time) take the back up camera with me.  It would be the D780 with something on the picture taking end.
But I didn't.  Shows the mood I was in.
As I was leaving the home area, I passed Richfield Park, home of my oft photoed local Eagle.  I've known about the BMX park there, but never seen it used.  Today was different.  The BMX park was packed and in use.  And colorful.  This could be fun.
I thought my camera selection for this type of event was bad.  It was, but it was livable for a while.  I really needed something shorter.  The 350 mm on the short end took out about half of the action.  After a few shots, back home quickly to do it right.  
I returned for the last hour or so, the finals for the day, with a much better combo.
The day was a lot of fun.  No research on what to do or what to set.  All the mistakes of the past, home to roost.
I took 388 shots between the two cameras.  Only 21 were unusable due to missed focus point or subject miss.  I'll take that every time out.
I settled on 1600th of a second and f/6.3 for the afternoon.  Nice and sunny.  ISOs went from 110 to 900 with the majority of the shots in the 200 to 400 range.  I also settled on EV +1 after a few of the first shots.  I had some slight blowouts but nothing that was terminal.  The rest of the colors played much nicer.  No big clouds moved though, so the light was very even.  There was a slight breeze on occasion, but there are no camera settings for that.
Trying to select only 4 shots for today's blog was rough.  Like the first time I get a new subject, I shoot a lot.  I am getting better in that I don't have that many duplicates.  I was set up for 7 FPS and managed only 2-3 shots per effort.  Good control for me.  No happy shutter.
There were two shots that instantly stood out for me on reviewing the day's effort.  The first shot was a total mistake for me in that it all worked.  Got the whole subject, very little cropping needed.  And in focus.  Very rare for me.  In the air, just right.

BMX - In the Air Just Right

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

300 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 500 (AUTO)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size FX

At this point, not knowing any better I wasn't sure if the speed is too fast.  Wheels are frozen.  (Prop flashback)  If there was just a slight blur for motion reasons I think I'd be happier.  This is the only shot where the wheels are this visible.  Most other shots are more head on.  But for me, if I'm worried a bout a little tire blur the rest must be OK.
My second favorite shot is a bit different.  For the most part I was located at the top of a 180 degree turn.  Riders would typically come in low and drift up through the turn.  Sound like an easy shot, but I missed many.  In the space of a few seconds, you're going from max to min zoom.  Sounds easy.  But it is not.  I finally settled on just setting up for the turn shots.  And that worked.
To me, this is the best overall turn shot.  There is the elusive 'story' in those faces.

Two into the Turn

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

170 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 220 (AUTO)

EV +0.67, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

First, the miss.  The rider behind is the focus point, not the near rider.  That is not creative license.  If the front rider's helmet was all dark, I wouldn't notice it much.  On the good side, this has more 'subject' than most of my shots.  The faces are GREAT.  The blue sunglasses, awesome.
When the starting gate goes down and releases the riders to the coarse, between 2 and 6 riders head for the first 180 degree turn.  To get there the riders must go over three mounds.  This will separate a few of them, but sometimes you get two or three to crest the last mound at the same time, or close.  Some of the older, more advanced riders will get 'air' over this mound.  And then some just plain show off.

Air Something

NIKON D780 Ver.01.01/70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

135 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 320 (AUTO)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size 16:9

Lots of color in these shots.  I'm so used to lesser options that you would find in nature.  Seeing numbers on the histogram that are new.  It's all good.
The last shot for the day is with the monster lens, and riders coming right at you from the start line.  This was interesting to me, a sense of distance.  And I needed to get something from the D500 in here.

Three at the Start

NIKON D500 Ver.1.20/200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

465 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 220 (AUTO)

EV 0, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

Great day, lots of fun.  Chance to chat with people.  Lots of new types of shots.
There is an event next weekend.  I'll be working the paying job, but may be able to sneak out for a few hours.  Have ideas for different shots.  Looks like people can go almost anywhere to take shots.  Already thinking of what to do next.
I'll have more posts this week.