Well we've certainly been getting a lot of snow here in New Jersey this winter. For many enthusiasts, this is a chance to work on their files from over the summer and make some prints. The camera gear stays safely tucked away in the closet until spring rolls around. However, photographing during the winter can be really exciting and invigorating. Unique Photo Rental Superstar Bob Huber (you can also check out his post on last year's event) invited me to tag along to photograph the "Under Armour Third Rail Competition" at Mountain Creek this year. The most important part is staying warm. Depending on how long you plan on staying out, you will want to layer up and be sure to have a good wool hat. Your hands are important for controlling all the dials and buttons on the camera so I recommend a pair of thinner gloves. Under Armour (who also happened to sponsor this event) makes a nice pair. I've already lost one of the gloves in the abyss that is my car, but they're my favorite. Anyway, here is a little write-up I did on how Bob and I shot the Third Rail Competition and what gear we used.
THE GEAR
Having to hike through the packed parking lot was harder than lugging the gear up the mountain to the competition area. Bob and I severely over-packed, as photographers typically do, without considering how far we had to walk. Leaving gear behind in the car is never a good idea, but we had to leave a few light stands, flashes, and a tripod behind. The gear above is mainly what we used. We also brought a couple Nikon/Canon flashes, but didn't end up using them much. I decided to go "bagless" so I didn't have to waddle around a mountain with an annoying camera bag on. The Lowepro S&F Deluxe belt and their various cases (such as the LC2S) have become staples for me. Whenever I'm doing a job on the go, like a wedding, I use the S&F Deluxe belt so I can carry all of my extra lenses and accessories on me without needing to lug a bag around. Both Bob and I are familiar with the Profoto Acute-B system, so that was a no-brainer. The short flash duration and short recycle times worked extremely well for this type of fast paced event. The Magnum reflector helped us direct the light a little bit and it made for a nice helmet while I was walking up/down with the gear. However, in retrospect, it would have been better to bring two batteries and two heads - one for each of us. We took turns using the Pocket Wizard Plus IIs. It wasn't the sharing that bothered us, but it was how quickly we beat the hell out of the battery. I was impressed how it kept up with the 9 frames per second of the D3 for as long as it did. The light was still running strong at the end of the night, but it wasn't keeping up with bursts. Any decent Carbon Fibre tripod would have done just as well, but I happen to own the Nat Geo NGET2. The nylon leg coverings at the top made this easier and more comfortable to carry in the cold.
1. Nikon D3 - This is my favorite camera to bring for almost anything. I am sure if I were a Canon shooter, I'd say the same thing about the 1D Mark IV, but the D3 just gets the job done. It performs so well in low light and the focus system is able to keep up with fast moving subjects. In my short time (only a couple years) shooting digitally, I haven't found a better tool for me than the Nikon D3. However, on this assignment I was shooting at ISO 6400 with the 200-400mm lens. For the telephoto shots I used available light ONLY while Bob shot with a wide-angle and the Acute-B. So in this situation, a D3s would have been nice because of its improved high ISO performance. For the first time, I felt like there may have been a better tool for the job, but that's not bad for a 3.5 year old camera in today's rapidly changing world. The D3 is still a solid choice and puts smaller format cameras to shame when shot at higher ISOs such as 3200 and 6400.
2. 14-24mm f/2.8G - One of my favorite lenses. It's the best ultra-wide angle lens for DSLR cameras. However, it does have its shortcomings; its bulbous front element is difficult to filter and very prone to flare, especially at 14mm. You need to spend hundreds of dollars on a Lee adapter and then hundreds more on the actual filters - yay! But hey, for those serious landscape photographers out there, it's not even a question. Sometimes it was perfect for a couple shots in a sequence at the competition, giving a wide angle of view with a prominent subject. That's the ideal use for a lens like this. Shots taken with this lens that have no interesting foreground subject tend to look very drab. I probably overused this lens for the event, but I find myself saying that a lot about the 14-24 f/2.8G. Oh also, have no fear shooting at f/2.8, it's sharp as a tack and by four feet, almost everything is near infinity focus.
3. 24-70mm f/2.8G - Another easy choice. If I could only have one lens ever, it would either be the 24-70mm f/2.8G. However, for this event, I really didn't use this lens much. I wanted either the extreme wide angle or tight telephoto shot. I should have used this lens more, but I shot mainly with the 14-24mm f/2.8G. Sometimes it is hard to forget just how wide 24mm is on a full-frame camera. If I had used this lens more, I would be doing less cropping in post on some shots. Another choice here would have been the 24-120mm f/4G N VR II.
4. 200-400mm f/4 VR - Props to Nikon for their design on the 200-400mm f/4 VR lens case. I was able to attach my D3 to the lens and still close the bag. In retrospect, I may have left the 200-400 back here at Unique Photo (No, the lens isn't mine, so stop trying to find my house on google earth) and brought along my 70-200. Depending on how I positioned myself, I would have been fine or better off with the 70-200. I also wouldn't have needed a gimbal head and tripod to support it, which would have meant much lighter travels. However, when I did use the big howitzer, it worked quite well. Sample photos will be at the end of the post. The Induro GHB-2 worked extremely well as well. By no means is it an "inexpensive" tripod head, but it served its purpose beautifully with the Nikkor 200-400mm lens. I was able to swing the lens in any direction I wanted and tilt the lens up or down. This helped make composition much faster. I totally understand why people prefer them now.
-Bob Huber
Sample Photos
Here are some sample photos from the night.5 Quick Tips/What We Learned
- Dress for the occasion. Both Bob and I had snow pants, boots, and a proper jacket for snow. It wasn't even that cold, but keeping the moisture of the snow out of our clothes was key to making this a success. Not enjoying yourself while photographing is a recipe for disaster! I also highly recommend some thinner gloves as I mentioned above.
- Learn your camera's AF system inside and out beforehand. Some cameras like the Nikon D3s and Canon 1D Mark IV have extremely complex AF systems with all sorts of bells and whistles. Other cameras, such as the 5D Mark II, have much more pedestrian focusing systems, but will still get the job done. Learn what works best for you. I know some pros who still follow the "Lock-On" to the middle point and track the action.
- When photographing any sort of sports/action on burst mode, it is important to have a fast memory card and at least a few extras. If you haven't shot a lot of sports before, you're bound to take way too many photos and in turn need lots of memory cards! An extra battery may not be a bad idea either. Lower temperatures will drain batteries quicker.
- Start photographing your sequences BEFORE the action happens. For example, when one of the riders was about to jump off of the ramp, I would start shooting at that point and the begin sweeping in the direction he/she was heading. Starting too late will result in missed shots at peak moments.
- Having the right support for your gear is key. If you're going to bring a long telephoto lens like the 300mm f/2.8 or the 200-400mm f/4, you will want to bring at least a monopod to attach to the lens "foot", or more ideally, a tripod (if you have room) with a Gimbal head. The same goes for your lighting equipment. A proper weather sealed bag should be used to hold the battery pack in. If you aren't going to attach the pack to the lightstand, get a sandbag to weigh the light stand down. A stray snowboarder can do a lot of damage, but so can the wind or a person walking by who isn't paying attention.