My Photography Blog

I was thrilled when I got the email from Ski Racing that they were using two of my recent images in the current issue of Ski Racing Magazine.  Not just the online Blog, but the real deal, Print.  When I got me electronic copy yesterday I found they used three of my images to anchor the story.  If you would like to see or read the store click the ski racing link above.

It has been one of my dreams to make the magazine.  My next goal . . . the Cover!

Thanks for following along.  More Later

Tommy

I shared in my last entry my frustration shooting the RMISA Giant Slalom race last week at Northstar.  I could not get the results I wanted. I tried every focus system in the camera with the exception of Manual Focus.

I hurried off the mountain to share my results with a friend of mine, Dan Newton.  We looked over my images and we found that the focus point was jumping around.  So I started doing some research but had another shoot the next day at Sugar Bowl–this time a slalom.

Sofia Smith University of Utah Ski Team 2010 RMISA Invitational Slalom, Sugar Bowl, CA 2/20/2010

I started out the day with a tri-pod and shot in manual focus.  I tried this method for 5 athletes before taking my tri-pod over to the side of the hill and started hand shooting.  Instinctively I set the camera to Auto Focus at 51pts.  I would wait for the skier to approach the gate above me, lock on to their face as best I could, pan with the athlete and start firing a birst of images as their tips came up on the gate in my shooting zone.  I would get 4 frames per gate, 3 were keepers.  See the example above.

So this week I have been doing a lot of reading.  I found one blog entry on SportsShooters.com to be of real interest.  In this article, The Olympics: A True Test for the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV by By Brad Mangin, SportsShooter.com the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV was reviewed as used by the author in the Vancouver Winter Olympics.  He stated that the engineers at Canon were trying to influence his using the 45 focus point system and not the Auto Focus system in the camera.  His experience stated that this focus system is too slow for ski racing photography, the same frustration I was having.

I also shared my question with my fellow N.A.P.P. (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) on the Forum.  I got one key suggestion on the Forum which suggested setting my Focus System lock to Long.  This allows a long delay if the focus is interrupted before the focus point shifts.  In this case I was loosing focus when the athlete disappeared behind the G.S. panel in my shooting zone.

So in wrapping up, I am looking forward to getting out and shooting some more G.S. using this solution.

Thanks for following along,

Tommy

It was quite a weekend.  Weather forecast did not look good, but I was remained hopeful.

I arrived at Northstar around 8am parking my car in the lot closest to the Gondola due to all the gear I was taking to the top.  Walked into registration, got my ticket and headed for the backside of the mountain where the race would be held.

Squaw Valley California from Northstar

I had been looking forward to this race for a year after shooting it last year.  The RMISA Invitational consists of the best three skiers from each of the Division One schools in RMISA as well as F.I.S. level skiers from the Far West Region.

Friday’s race was a Giant Slalom held on Challenger and Follow Me on the backside of Northstar.  It has been awhile since I had shot a G.S. race.  I set up about a third of the way down the first pitch with a clear view of the racers after the first 3 gates.  I had decided to (this is going to get a little techie) shoot in Aperture Priority to keep my depth of field fixed and let the camera adjust the shutter for changes in light.  That solution was a good one considering we had broken clouds and sun all day.  With a clear view of Squaw Valley from where we were I could see it snowing there all day.

My next choice on the Camera was Focus Mode.  I selected Dynamic with the camera using “Predictive Focus” to follow the skier.  This turned out to be a frustration to me.  I would focus on the skier as they were exiting the gate above me coming towards my shooting zone.  The problem was as soon as they came behind the flag where I wanted to start shooting, the camera would loose the focus point and focusing on the flag-not the skier!  Not all the time, but often enough that I had to discard a huge number of my shots.

I tried every focus mode I could with the exception of Manual Focus.  Nothing was working.  I left the mountain extremely frustrated.  Here is an image of Ida Dillingoeen skiing for Denver University.  You can click on the image which will take you to another page.  If you click again you can view the image in full screen.  It is a little fuzzy.  Not as sharp as I want.

Ida Dillingoeen Denver University

Saturday, a new day, a new shoot.  I went to Sugar Bowl hoping to have a better shoot than I did on Friday.  It is my dream and desire to become the best Ski Racing photog out there.

The weather was holding.  Sugar Bowl had laid down 30,000 gallons of water (called water injection) onto the race hill.  There would be no taking the skis off to shoot today.  If I did, I would slide all the way to the bottom of the hill.  I picked my spot about ten gates down from the top of the hill.

Started out shooting in manual focus.  After 5 or 6 racers I bagged that and started hand shooting.  This time I selected 51 point auto focus.  I would focus on the gate above, wait for the skier to enter my view finder, lock on and track with them to my shooting zone.  I would usually get 4 frames and 3 were keepers!  Finally!

The day started out sunny.  The clouds started coming in and by the time we quit for the day it was snowing heavily with a good measure of fog to boot.  It was a treat to watch these athletes ski.  Some of these athletes will go on to race on the World Cup circuit after their college career.  I am going to change topics here from shooting to the athletes.

Imagine traveling from New Mexico or Alaska to the Lake Tahoe area in a van or a plane.  One of the school vans I saw had seats 4 across and 5 rows deep.  Now after the travel you have to make sure your skis are prepped for the race.  This means sharpening edges and waxing.  The athletes show up on the hill about 8am to boot up.  Then jump on the lift and haul your race skis with you while skiing to the race hill on your training skis.  You are going to carry a backpack with extra clothing, wax and base brushes.

Then 8:30 onto the hill for inspection with your coach.  You memorize the course in sections so you can try to be ahead of the course mentally as you ski it.  The coach will make final ski preperation before you enter the start.  Once the athlete makes their run they will usually stay at the bottom to watch the times and cheer their fellow athletes on.  Grab a quick bite of lunch and back on the lift for second run inspection.  Again, memorize the course and wait for your start while trying to remain loose.

If the men are racing the women will carry coats to the bottom and if the women are racing the men will haul coats.  After the race, slip the hill to maintain a race smooth surface.  Grab your gear, ski to the lodge with an extra pair of skis on your shoulder.  Attend awards, pack the van and back to the hotel to wax, analize video of the race, eat, go to bed and be back on the hill at 8am for the next race.

Okay now image a G.S. Friday at Northstar, a Slalom on Saturday and Sunday at Sugar Bowl, then GS on Monday and Tuesday at Northstar, and a G.S. at Squaw on Wednesday.  Pack the van and travel back to your home: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico or Nevada.  That was what these athletes endured this weekend.

By the way, here is our future:

Thanks for following along,

Tommy

Carlonina Nordh GS Winner

I have been looking forward to the 2010 RIMSA Invitational Ski Races since shooting the race last year.  UNR will be hosting the event with a G.S. at Northstar on Friday and Slalom Saturday and Sunday at Sugar Bowl.

The race features the top three athletes from Division One schools in the Western Region.  The schools include: University of Alaska, Anchorage, University of Colorado, University of Denver, Montana State, University of Nevada (go Wolf Pack), University of New Mexico, University of Utah, and the University of Wyoming.  The top athletes from each of these schools will be participating.

This was a fantastic race to photograph as well as a fantastic race to watch.  These athletes are world class caliber and some will go on to race in the World Cup.  I will post images on my Web site early next week ( www.thomascompton.com) as well as journal about my experience.

I hope to share some exciting images with you.  In the meantime, enjoy the Olympics.

More later,

Tommy

In Memory of Dave Phillips

Well this is distinctly different than the Blog I used to write in my Mac based software I Web.  I thought about not adding this to my site but was encouraged by my friend, and fellow shooter Dan Newton to start up again.  Thanks Dan.

I want to share something that happened a couple of weeks back.  I had been working on my web site which was driven by making it easier for my audience to view and purchase my event photos.  When I got to my “About Page” on my site, I took some time to think about what it means to me to be a photographer.

One of the things I mention is that a photographer captures a moment in time.  When you click the shutter, time stops.  You can then go back in time and experience that “moment” time and time again.  I love that.  It is also an awesome responsibility.

I traveled to Sierra at Tahoe with my Best Friend Tom and his daughter Kelly.  Tom was racing that day.  I set up for the shoot about 10 gates down from the start.  During the second run a racer went by followed by another racer and then my friend Tom.  I am so intent on getting the shot I usually don’t have time to stop and watch the skiers after they go by me.

Time stopped, the race went on a “Course Hold” which means no one left the start after Tom.  Over a half hour passed before I heard anything.  One of the Race Dept. Staff skied up to me and asked if I had heard what had happened?  I had not.  He informed me that a racer had experienced a heart attack at the finish.  My first thought was it was Tom.  He was the last racer to go past me.  I asked if he knew who it was.  He mentioned someone named Dave Phillips.  At first I felt relief that is wasn’t Tom but then a great sadness swept over me.  As I thumbed through my images I found Dave’s image.  He had a Giant smile on his face as he skied past me.  The kind of joy only a skier that loves what they are experiencing exhibits.

Several of my ski friends tried for over a half hour to resussitate Dave.  The Ski Patrol came to help and called in a helicopter to evacuate Dave.  Dave passed away that day. It left a profound sadness with all of us, yet Dave was obviously doing what he loved.

It touched me that I had taken the last image of Dave, 30 seconds or so before he passed away.  Remember that “moment in time?”  I captured that moment of Dave.  It made me realize that you never know when you pick up the camera what might happen afterwards.  I am grateful that I was able to share that “moment” with Dave’s family.  I thank God he has given me the talent and passion for photography.

More Later,

Tommy