Windsurfing and Kiting: Nimpkish BC

[Jameson Smith]

So the end of July offered a few days for me to get away from work and head over to Vancouver Island to visit with my Dad and have some "guy" time. Nimpkish is a very well hidden lake in the northern part of Vancouver island and offers consistent big wind... enough for me to break a mast foot and land a mast across both my giving me minor fractures to both feet. I was shooting here and there when I wasn't in the water but needless to say my little accident brought my camera into my hands full time which led to some great shooting with some great athletes. I may post some landscape of the area in another thread and forum. Without further delay here are some of this trip.

Jameson Smith - Windsurfers Sunset Photo Sesh

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[Jameson Smith]

Jameson Smith - Kiter Sunset Photo Sesh

 

[Asher Kelman]

giving me minor fractures to both feet.

Ouch, Jameson! That does not sound minor!

my little accident brought my camera into my hands full time which led to some great shooting with some great athletes.

There usually is some good on the flip side! Good realignment of your energy!

Jameson Smith - Windsurfers Sunset Photo Sesh​

Just looking at one picture at a time, here there's a wake leading our eyes towards the windsurfer. This is an exciting and powerful sports image. But is the wake as strong as it might be? The entire length of this feature that might be worth saving or adding from another picture. As it is the composition has been made with the figure dead center; is this really the best position? What was the sky really like? Surely it was not monotonous grey with such beautifully built water detail? The mans' face could be lightened.

These questions are posed because the picture immediately interests us and the sport is attractive to look at and experience. Can you look at the other pictures, and this one and see if we can actually sense salt water too, somehow by examining features that might be put together or brought out in your series of pictures. Should there be more water in the foreground too? Look at Nicolas Claris' pictures of boats in the water and the use of the wake to show the speed and strength of the vessel ploughing through the water.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

BTW, what does photo Sesh mean?

 

[Jameson Smith]

Last statement first... sesh is session. It's a slang term used commonly by board sport folk. It has other slang term usage but this was my intent.

As for the commented image: much of the spray is actually what is being picked up by the wind as a sailboard tends to ride more atop the water and produce a small wake; notice the flat bottom and the contact point to the water being merely the fin and a small amount out tail section. The position was chosen to show the power compelling the sailor forward from behind and the open water yet to come however I will revisit the image and see whether a different crop may be more appropriate or appealing and get your thoughts. More foreground water may work depending on how close he was getting to shore at this point... I'll revisit the image for this as well.

What you see in the background is not the sky, it is a heavily forested mountain side that is clouded with a haze from a nearby forest fire whose smoke is being carried down the lake by the wind. If you look at the last two kiting photos you will see the background that I am speaking about more clearly.

I agree about the needed lightening of the sailors face. This was a difficult shooting situation due to the time of day, direction of the sun, and attempting to gain a balanced exposure of subject to water surface even with a circular polarizer.

I will check out the images you suggest and see if I can't take some of their aspects into consideration in these.

Thanks for the feedback Asher, it's greatly appreciated. Hopefully this helps answer some of your questions.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Can you selectively lighten the face? Do you need help for this?

 

[Jameson Smith]

I've only played with masking and what not to alter portions of a photo a little bit so I'm not very good at it yet so any help or suggestions you have would be wonderful. Thanks!