Winter is now in full swing and that mean lots of action shots. Skiing and snowboarding are by far my favourite subjects. I guess it's just something about being outside, up on a mountain on an epic day and trying to capture that feeling of charging a powder line, or launching off a natural feature that gets me fired up. The New Year hasn't even started yet, and I feel like I have had a great season already, filled with lots of pow turns and some incredible photo shoots. I managed to squeeze in a trip over to Revelstoke for opening day and a quick trip over to Whistler to visit a close friend from back east...and my home mountain of Sun Peaks has been receiving its healthy share of snowfall.
I am very stoked for this winter for a couple of reasons:
I am shooting for Sun Peaks Resort, which will see me up shooting in the park and all over the mountain.
New camera gear
Shooting the Subaru Freeski World Tour in Revelstoke from January 6-10
My good friend and fellow photographer Dan Stewart scoring an incredible gig shooting for Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing in Revelstoke. I'm super pumped for him and all his success...and I'm crossing my fingers in the hopes that I get the chance to go for a ride in the heli this winter.
Watching Shaun White clinch another gold medal at the Olympics
Recently I have had several people approach me while shooting in the Terrain Park ask me questions about how to take better photographs of their friends and family (skiing and snowboarding). I love it when people do this...usually a parent will ski up to me and say something like “sorry to bother you but...why are you shooting from here or what settings are you using”. I love these questions and I am always happy to answer.
I usually explain to them that it has less to do with your camera and more to do with how you set up the shot (the composition). With a few simple rules to keep in mind, you can easily improve your action shots of friends and family on the slopes this winter.
Try to shoot them from the front. An image always looks better when you can see the front of your subject...instead of their backs. This seems simple enough for skiing, but keep in mind that snowboarders can be either regular or goofy footed. This means that you need to be aware of what stance the rider is, and position yourself properly in order to capture the front of the rider.
Keep the sun behind you. Action shots require a fast shutter speed and without adequate light you will be forced to use a slower shutter speed which will blur the action.
Don't zoom in too close. By giving your subject more space in the frame and including some of the natural features (mountains in the background, a jump, or some trees) you give the image more context. This also extents to taking pictures of jumping. If the subject is hitting a jump, try to include the take-off and landing in the image to help give the viewer a sense of size and space.
Like I said...very simple rules, that have very effective results. But like all rules...don't be afraid to break'em!
That's it for now. I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years and I'll see you on the hill.
Keep shooting,
Andrew