Kite surfing stich

[barabe]

Hello,

I did not know if i should post this one in sports critique or processed photo critique but since i played with Photoshop for a few hours on this one, here it goes.

My camera can take up to 3 images second, so i fired away at this kite surfer jumping, after seeing the images i got , i started thinking about this litle project. the shot is made up of 4 pictures taken RAW on manual mode to have the same exposition and then stiched together mabe the hard way but only way i know on Photoshop. I created a large enough work space, i pasted the first shot on and then the others one at a time making them transparent to align and then croping unnecessary parts of the shot to show what i need to show on the shot behind. I ended making all the parts of the picture opaque and then flatened them to finish witha bit of cloning to erase lines created by the stich.

I don`t know much about PP, I would like to know if i did it right?
Is there an easier way of doing this kind of stuff using Photoshop 7 or GIMP?
Any other comment is more than welcome.

Thank you,



A bigger version is available on my Flickr.


Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/13.0
Focal Length: 263 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off

[Trader]

I think you did a good job in PP and the end result looks fine. I only have one problem with the image. I the title didn't say Kite Surfing I would not have know that is what was going on. I have taken shots of guys kite surfing myself and have always shot vertical to include the kite in the image but I have never been really pleased with they way they came out. It isn't easy to get that kind of shot. Good job.

[JGennuso]

You did an excellent job. I like this!

[ericw]

I think it's pretty sick martin. I've never done any stitching so I don't have any suggestion on that part of it. Sometimes I think action sequences can be a little fruity but what I REALLY like about yours is seeing the spray at take-off and at landing - for some reason I think that looks really cool. I might've cropped a bit off the right side so the positioning of the two sprays are more balanced/symmetrical. Another comment - I think the second frame is excellent timing - he's at or near his maximum height, he's all tweaked out and horizontal, he's looking over his shoulder to keep spinning (and as such you can see his face). Yeah that second frame is a sick one. I also like that he's not into the trees in any of the frames - it keeps the background much cleaner and makes for a pleasing image. Where you cropped it at the top looks real nice as well.

For this trick are these all the frames you got or did you get more and selected these four to stitch?

[barabe]

thank you Trader for taking time to critique, i do have other shots that include the kite but nothing i could do this kind of stuff with.

JGennusso,
Thank you for commenting.

ericw,
thanks for the advice and appreciation. For the shots, this is all i have of this guy jumping, I have a few more comming in and then out of the trick but those were all i shot of the trick.

[bradzo66]

Hey Martin , sorry I missed this , I dont use Photoshop so cant help there I have the gimp but can do about as much as open the program so nothing to offer there , I do however think you've done a great job and other than a slightly blown out sky think the result is pretty cool , by the sounds of what you went through to get there you did extremely well , sorry I couldnt offer the technical advice you were seeking .