Cylco-Cross #2

[whiteflyer]

I have taken on board the comments from my first shot, and have found a shot with more of the bike. I do like my first one as it has direct eye contact with the camera.

[DeltaShot]

I agree with you, the direct eye contact in the first shot is excellent and there is movement and drama in the mud splatter patterns.
If you could take the photo again, it would be improved by just a little more of the bike and a bit less of the surroundings on either side of the rider. Since you can't take the very same shot again, you could crop it to remove some of the side bits. This would make it narrower, more focussed on the subject and even more dramatic.
This second photo does have the whole bike, but it doesn't have the same impact as the first photo because it lacks the eye contact and it doesn't have that tight focus on the subject. Again, I think it would look better if you cropped the sides out and and everything below the left pedal.
Interesting photos. Thanks for sharing them, whiteflyer.

[Sid]

Holy crap that guy is intense... and muddy. You get credit for taking a photo of him without him biting out your jugular! A little post processing and it would be an awesome shot.

[jsanders]

Nice post. I think newspapers will like these types of foto's

[clockdoc]

I have not seen the first photo mentioned in some of the critiques but I like this one very much. Your use of flash fill is excellent! Are you familiar with the Strobist site mentioned frequently in DPS?

[siopaopei]

yeah, i like it too. except for the shrubbery on the left side. i agree a closer shot with the subject filling the frame would be better, but that's just me.

[whiteflyer]

Originally Posted by Sid

A little post processing and it would be an awesome shot.

I know that post processing is one of my weaknesses, I just don't know what I should be doing really.

Originally Posted by clockdoc

I have not seen the first photo mentioned in some of the critiques but I like this one very much. Your use of flash fill is excellent! Are you familiar with the Strobist site mentioned frequently in DPS?

Thanks for the comment on fill flash, more luck than skill, I nearly always tend to get to much flash even when I dial down the flash power either using FEC or on the flash itself. Yes I do read Strobist now and again

[A Team]

Great shot! Love the colors. This would be a good entry for the DOF assignment if taken in the correct time frame.