Re: [Leica] Swimming! NOW: How to!

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

Dan wrote and showed:
> I have a few pics to show -- comments and suggestions appreciated!
>
> http://www.drbphoto.com/leica/l2/
>
> I'm especially interested in how other photographers might cover this
event.
> Swim meets are pretty boring - you get cliche pictures (like these) and
they
> all end up looking the same.  The crowd was non-existant, the coaches
> lukewarm, and the other swimmers preoccupied with work (it is, after all,
> MIT).  Without the benefit of an Ikelite housing, how would you spice up
the
> assignment?<<<<,

Hi Dan,
Naw, swim meets aren't boring, they're very exciting and one of the most
challenging sports to make good photographs. And as far as these being
>>>cliche pictures<<<<< I'm not sure what else you might do as swimming
isn't easy to shoot by any means and it takes a far better photographer to
be successful, than someone who can only shoot cliche! ;-)

Crowds don't matter in any event, so don't worry if there's one or a
thousand as it's the folks in the water that count. And it doesn't have
anything to do with.... >>> (it is, after all, MIT). <<<< As every swim meet
is identical whether Olympics or local high school. ;-) The people in the
water.... they're the very important people and the rest are waiting around
for their shot in the pool! :-) No big deal.

>>Without the benefit of an Ikelite housing, how would you spice up the
assignment?<<<<,

Well I'd attempt to shoot the best damn swimming pictures I could possibly
do! Like the kind that make people suck in their breathe from admiration of
what you captured. Besides, what do you think you'd do if you had an under
water housing? Get in the pool?  Not a living mother's hope of that ever
happening during real competition!

Playtime maybe, but not during competition unless it's something for Sports
Illustrated, besides that's been done to death, so it makes it just another
cliche picture! ;-)

Your swim photographs are a start and hopefully you'll find some of my
comments helpful for improvement. Certainly as how I've shot many Olympic
swimming events gaining experience from them all.. It still doesn't ensure
one is coming home with mind blowing images as it's not the easiest sport to
cover.

If it should be your good fortune some day to shoot the Olympics or other
international swimming meets be assured a 300mm or longer will be essential,
otherwise you'll have tiny little images hardly worth looking at. Oh yeah
and be prepared to shoot squashed in-between another 300-400 photogs all
trying to do exactly the same thing as you. Why you might  find a guy with a
500mm over one shoulder and another guy with a 800mm sitting almost on the
side of your head, just stay calm and concentrate on what you're doing and
don't worry about feeling like a sardine in a tiny can! ;-)

Local swim meets are easier, but for effective pictures you'll still need
long glass, 180 should be OK. That's if you can shoot right on the pool deck
and possibly walking along as the swimmers power end to end through the
water..

I'm going to work through your pictures and ad comments:

1:   swimmer going away from you.
This type of position is much stronger while shooting on the side of the
pool as the swimmer goes end to end. You do not want to shoot as the head is
turned away from you at a position about centre of the pool so you can see
which way he turns his head to take a breath.

As soon as they dive in and surface for the first breath it's important to
see which way he turns his head, towards you or away. If it's toward you
that's great as that usually means the next time he'll turn his head exactly
the same way..... not always.... but most times.

Then start to follow focus on the head and counting how many strokes before
he turns his head for the next breath and keeping your fingers crossed it'll
come your way again. Now because you've been follow focusing, your lens is
already pretty sharp and it may or may not require a slight focus tweak to
be right on the mark,,,, then shoot! And this shot should be full face frame
as high a shutter speed as possible to stop the water all sparkly and the
swimmer dead sharp.

Lets say on the first breath he turns his head away from you and each time
thereafter to the turn end of the pool, don't shoot save film because when
he turns and comes back for the next lap he'll be turning his head towards
you and that's your time to make a few shots.  make sure you're always
trying full face right at the head without an angle. Hopefully you can hit
him absolutely parallel to your position..

Forget about shooting on steep angles much like you've done in your first
shot, they rarely have impact like the tight full face.

2:  Start shot.
Forget this angle, not worth the film you'll waste. There's only one
position and that's at the side shooting across the pool as they all dive
for the start, then try to capture them in the air as they leave the
platform.

The end of the pool for the best opportunities? Always the start finish end.
That's where you get the start dive and the finish jubilation pictures. Get
a position about ten feet or so from the very end as being right at the end
officials will cut you off or other swimmers can do the same.

Besides the winner will hit the end of pool and immediately turn to look at
the clock for his time of the event. Then watch for the fists in the air of
jubilation moments and smiles etc. By the same token watch the losers as
there can be dramatic pictures there also. But that has to be tight in the
face!!!

3:  head on shot
No point making a comment other than it should've gone to file 13 waste
basket! Why? Well compare it to the last two frames and the message is quite
clear, it just doesn't cut it with either one.

4: head on frame.
This is much better and you might be surprised for me to say.... "Needs to
be tighter!"  even though you're cutting off the arms Cropping should be
right at the left side where the water is surging up and about the same kind
on the right.  If you're not going to have the complete arms in as in your
last picture, then go tight water and face for a more dramatic look rather
than the chopped off arms look.

5: head on:
Best!!!! with full arms out!!! I might have cropped a bit more off the
bottom to bring the swimmer closer to the viewer and if newspaper or wire
service use, you do not want any more waste space than can be helped.

So there you go, I hope this helps and using long glass is better always as
it puts you right in the pool and in the face of the athlete making for
dramatic expressions than little specs in the water.

ted






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