Highlights from the Hogwarts Derby Cup for Witches 2017

some photo highlights















































all the photos may be found on flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/collections/72157662780661588/

and prints at zenfolio:
http://nocklebeast.zenfolio.com/f1045980916 

highlights of 2017 Hogwarts Jr. Derby Cup

The Santa Cruz Derby Groms hosted the 2017 Hogwarts Jr. Derby Cup.  Some photo highlights.





































all the photos can be found on flickr here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/collections/72157662611167358/

and prints on zenfolio are found here:
http://nocklebeast.zenfolio.com/f1045980916

Monterey Bay Derby Dames vs Derby Republic 20171007

Monterey Bay Derby Dames vs Derby Republic
7 October 2017.  Water City Roller Sports. Marina, CA.

some photo highlights:
















all of the photos can be found on flickr here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/sets/72157689320604826

lil killa and mini mayhem: compelling frame: lesson 1 frame 7

21 February 2016. Angel City vs Santa Cruz Derby Groms.  Craneway Pavilion, Richmond, CA.

 One last derby photo (a feature photo this time).

1. It's just a little quiet moment before the bout. Lil Killa is using a tool to adjust her skate.  Mini Mayhem is using a massage tool on her leg.
2. Horizontal. 3x2.  I purposesly framed Lil Killa to the far right of the frame and to get Mini Mayhem in the frame too. I think it took 3 tries to get the framing the way I liked it.
3. The diagonal of the track and chairs guide the eye between the two principal subjects.
4. This is at the Craneway Pavilion.  It's mostly indirect natural morning light coming in from the far left of the photo and it is gorgeous.  
5. I'm about15-20 feet away. I'm standing (above the sitting skaters) but I may be crouched down a bit.
6. It's a moment of focus on small tasks before the bout. 
7. There are two skaters with similar tasks that are a repeated element.
8. I suppose some of the water bottles "clutter" the photo.
9. Ah, the old balance question.  I think so, yes.

angel city vs emerald city junior jammers at the Big O 2017: compelling frame: lesson 1: frame 6.

Back to derby.



7 May 2017. Lane Community Event Center. Eugene, OR.  Emerald City (black) vs Angel City (white) juniors.

f3.4. 1/180th.  ISO 800. Leica M-240 with a 60mm Konica Minolta Hexanon-- cropped-- shot from center track, turn 1-2 with a little on-camera flash and off-camera flash to the left.

The questions:

1. As with most derby-action phtoos, the intent is to show some sort of sportsy intense roller derby action moment-- this jammer shot has two jammers -- one chasing -- being chased by the other.
2. I always find it easier to shoot horizontal and while gently cropped -- I did keep the same 3x2 aspect ratio.  these sorts of shots-- I almost always leave a bit of room in the frame for the skaters to skate into.
3. lines & shapes:  There's the line of the track boundary -- the line of the sport court and the repeated shape of the 2 jammers-- the dominant "line" is the line if you could connect the head of the white jammer to the tail of the black jammer-- that's what commands the eye's attention.
4. the light-- is a mix of ambient and the strobe-- the background is blurred by the two light sources as well as the faster hands and feet of the near skater.  The off-camera flash to the left make the leading face/shoulders/face mask glow-- which is really quite nice.
5. I'm shooting from center track standing up-- so I'm a little higher than the skaters-- I imagine it might be a stronger image if I was crouching a bit-- but it's hard to do that shooting center track-- I have to keep 1/2 an eye on the inside referees after all.
6. The moment is two jammers chasing. I wonder if the moment was a bit latter-- the black jammer about 2 heads closer to the white jammer with her dark helmet framed by the other jammer's white jersey-- would that image be stronger-- a bit more dramatic if the two jammers were closer together?  yes-- but it's sports photography-- you get the moment that you get-- the moment that is presented to you.
7.  I do like the repeated elements of the two jammers in very similar poses- one black-- one white.
8. The background elements are not so important to the image.  I think the image would work better if the background was of an out-of-focus audience instead of vendor tables.
9. It's a color photograph-- it's red and black and white.  Nothing too clashy -- or noteworthy-- but the red stars work nicely-- the common element of the two jammers.
10. I think the image is balanced.

also the printed glossy version does look nice.

the moss island of the icelandic highlands: compelling frame: lesson 1 frame 5.

18 August 2017. The highlands of Iceland.  Leica Q. f4 1/400 ISO 100.

Yet another quirky out-of-focus landscape.

Let's go. This is some sort of moss-like plant in the highlands of Iceland during summer.

1. My intent.  Is to make a "landscape" of something that is small.
2. It's a landscape -- so landscape orientation and 3x2 because that's what the camera does and I typically don't crop landscapes-- not even lightly
3. Lines and shapes-- we have a bright green out of focus horizon and an out of focus mountain range in the background and a diagonal reflection in the water.  Many of these lines frame the mostly in focus moss island on the left.
4. The light is bright, uniform non-directional light.  If the light had harsh shadows would the photo be different?  Maybe, but what makes the photo/light magical are the soft focus reflections.
5. Again, the camera-- if not my eye-- is low to the ground to see a landscape half an inch above the water.  We got the moss island in-focus to the left in a "rule of thirds" sort of thing going on.  A different perspective might look like a drone shot. 
6. The moment is just the time of day with the light.
7. It's mostly shapes--there's the island shape, the diagonal mountain, the reflection lines, the mostly bright green horizontal line.  The lines guide the eye to and from the island
8. I suppose you can always say that some elements are more important than others, but I don't think there are any weak elements-- imagine any element not being there-- would the frame be stronger?  do we need the sky? Yes the sky adds to the image.
9. The colors are mostly green and grey and a little bit of blue-- more of a "bicolor" than a color photograph.
10. I'm not sure what this question means.  I think the image is balanced even if it isn't symmetrical.