Beipers Airport pole vaulter.

[rob_x2004]

On the Chinese national squad, and off to some domestic meet. I couldn't believe how slight the women on the team were. This guy was a head taller than me. No idea how he will go in a couple of years. 9x24Elmarit REALA

0004bJ.jpg

[abrewer]

Wow!

Fabulously done with lights and lines Rob!

Thanks for sharing!

Allan

[andybarton]

This is really excellent.

Should be in a magazine.

[rob_x2004]

Thats encouraging. Thanks. I thought I would get a pasting on this one. I didn't have any time and had to jump on between the team and shoot manual exposure at about a fifteenth on the bumpy escalator (or flat conveyor whatever they are called) as we rumbled along between termial one and terminal two. I think it needs cropping top and right but I am going through one of those silly cropping is cheating phases.

[lambroving]

Nice catch! I'd not crop it. Only wish he were a bit sharper.

[stuny]

Rob -

Very nice with the converging lines making it seem to go back for miles. Cropping is allowed if for no other reason that sometimes it is impossible not to get extra bits in a shot.

[andybarton]

How can it be any sharper?

The athlete is sharp and in focus and the focus fades towards the business-end of his pole beautifully.

[rob_x2004]

Kind of raises one of the problems with the 24. The end of the pole is only a foot or so forward of the lens, and only a few inches into frame. Maybe the 28 would have kept the pole end in frame while delivering a larger pole vaulter. The vaulter is only half a pole length away, whatever that is. I mean I was standing in his space. Maybe a 35 would be a better option.

The scan shows the vaulter in focus, but the definitions are softer due to the time of the exposure. If I recall it was after dusk. Sun is below the building line but it is Beijing and there is light scattered by the smog. Cabs had their lights on by the time we reached domestic terminal. If I remember, aperture prioirity in average meter initially wanted something like two seconds. Probably should have moved left but I think I lost his head onto the lights that way, and I was being over run by the rest of the team so there wasn't much time.

[lambroving]

Rob,

That's what I figured. 1/15th or so? The 28 might have worked but with less pictorial effect. This is fine as it stands.

[luciz]

Rob, very nice shot indeed. I also own a 24 asph and I believe it as one of the finest lens ever produced.
Best
Luciano

[michael_boylan]

Excellent stuff.

don't crop!

[fotografr]

How does that pole fit into the overhead bin?

[Hel-Stampes]

@fotografr : not at all : under the copilot seat…