Local Horse Show - Back Button Focussing - C & C Most welcome

[Andybazyoung]

I went to a local gymkhana with the sole purpose of trying to take images using 'Back Button Focussing'. The images below are the best of the day. I was pleased overall, but most of all proved to myself BBF works.

The only disappointing thing was the event photographer took rather a disliking to myself and another photographer. When we said good mooring to him he just growled and walked away!! He proceeded to try & get in our way although we were nowhere near his line of shooting! We moved & enjoyed the show.

Image 1.



Image 2.



IMAGE 3.



IMAGE 4.

[Shadowman]

Nice efforts, that last shot looks like a motorized vehicle.

[Geoff F]

Good real life action shots.

#2 is possibly a bit too 'straight on' which makes the front legs look almost like tiny arms. But it also shows the background scenery which has a nice depth to it.

[Andybazyoung]

Ha ha, now you mention it!!
Thank you for your comment.

[Andybazyoung]

Thank you Geoff.

[Texas Dave]

I use back button focusing on everything these days and I prefer it. If I had been at this event I think I would have been hanging out with the two guys in image #3. They seem to have found the beer.

I like your photos and I feel that you wished you could of crossed over the flagging tape to get closer but I prefer your shots when the horses are quartering to the camera. I would like to see side views or even quartering away shots of the animals and riders too.

Beautiful horses and riders...you need a zoom Andy!

[Andybazyoung]

Thanks David, these were taken with my 70mm - 200mm f4.5. I'm still trying to get the composition right & probably need to change positions more regularly to get that side on view. Easier said than done!
I feel though, if I get too close or zoom in too much & only get part of a rider & horse then I'm possibly loosing something! I suppose the answer is do a a bit of both.
Regards
Andy

[Saorsa]

When I was shooting equestrian shows I would focus on a fixed object manually and not mess with AF jumping around. I don't have any handy for jumps where I would focus on the middle of the top rail. That let me look closely at backgrounds so that I didn't get a lot of confusion. I don't have any jumping but here is a barrel racer where I focussed on the barrel and waited for the horse to dig in at the turn.


With jumpers I would use a low focus point if I was going to use AF.

[Andybazyoung]

Thanks for your thoughts Brian. I will certainly give your routine a good try.
Great shot though

[rpcrowe]

Brian, That's how we shot sports in the years before efficient auto focus came along.

[Saorsa]

Brian, That's how we shot sports in the years before efficient auto focus came along.

How do you think I know it?



Shot with a 4x5 speed graphic and a flash bulb as big as a 100 watt bulb.

It also helped with the flash calculations for exposure.

[DEAN01]

Nice series, Andy. +1 to Richard's comment.

[IzzieK]

+1 to Dave's comment...You should have hanged out with the beer guys...

[John 2]

Back button focussing was a revelation to me on my D7100. It makes action shots so much easier. Strangely though, I'm not nearly as comfortable with it on my Fuji XT-1. To do with the positioning of the available buttons I think. Like your shots. Prefer those where the horses are quartering to the camera. For me, head shots are more effective with a tighter crop so that you concentrate on just the horse and rider.

[bnnrcn]

Nice series