Whale and SF Grand Prix Pictures

[photobiker]

I love the 20d. The pictures are such an improvment over my last camera. This past weekend I took a bunch of picures of whales on Monterey Bay and pictures of the San Francisco Grand Prix bike race. Pictures can be found at the bottom of http://www.pbase.com/bakers . Here are 2 pictures that I liked, one of a breaching humpback and the other George Hincapie
stu

http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48663491
http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48720106

 

[Barnsie]

Stu,

While the weather looks like it made it difficult to get the breach photos "technically perfect", it looks like the experience was incredible. #2634 is great, the whale is almost completely out of the water! If only they'd behave the same way when the light is perfect and there are nice fluffy clouds in the sky...

Here's one from Cape Cod a number of years back when I was shooting manual focus film. They kept us boxed in for a long while, actually touching the handrails on the lower level of the boat with their fins, before giving us a spectacular series of breaches 150 or so yards out. I wasn't as quick with my zoom and focusing as you managed to be. Congrats on the shots.



Barnsie

 

[gottria]

Great shots Stu. But I'm wondering why iso 400 for the whale shots? Was it that overcast and you needed to bump it up for faster shutters?

--
Greg
Castro Valley, CA
Still learning...

 

[KT_at_SF]

Can you find yourself in this shot?

I love the 20d. The pictures are such an improvment over my last
camera. This past weekend I took a bunch of picures of whales on
Monterey Bay and pictures of the San Francisco Grand Prix bike
race. Pictures can be found at the bottom of http://www.pbase.com/bakers .
Here are 2 pictures that I liked, one of a breaching humpback and
the other George Hincapie
stu

http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48663491
http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48720106

 

[photobiker]

I can't see myself when I blow up the picture. However I am on the right side near the top. I think that I was about 30-40 people down from the top. It is fun to see the hill from the other perspective.

Also, could you let me know what i need to do to embed the pictures in my post instead of just posting a url. Thanks very much.
stu

I love the 20d. The pictures are such an improvment over my last
camera. This past weekend I took a bunch of picures of whales on
Monterey Bay and pictures of the San Francisco Grand Prix bike
race. Pictures can be found at the bottom of http://www.pbase.com/bakers .
Here are 2 pictures that I liked, one of a breaching humpback and
the other George Hincapie
stu

http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48663491
http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48720106

 

[photobiker]

Barnsie,

Thanks very much. I love your picture. This was the 4th time that I've been whale watching and it was by far the best. There were about 10 breaches so it was a bit easier to catch a few. It was overcast and foggy, which didn't make for great pictures, but the whales definately made up for it .
stu

Stu,

While the weather looks like it made it difficult to get the breach
photos "technically perfect", it looks like the experience was
incredible. #2634 is great, the whale is almost completely out of
the water! If only they'd behave the same way when the light is
perfect and there are nice fluffy clouds in the sky...

Here's one from Cape Cod a number of years back when I was shooting
manual focus film. They kept us boxed in for a long while,
actually touching the handrails on the lower level of the boat with
their fins, before giving us a spectacular series of breaches 150
or so yards out. I wasn't as quick with my zoom and focusing as
you managed to be. Congrats on the shots.



Barnsie

 

[Robert Marshall]

Was that taken on Filmore St. or Polk St.? Doesn't look like Taylor St, where I was.

First time I'd been to a bike race. Was interesting, but VERY trying when it came to taking pictures. I'd lean out on the barrier to get a shot and then the person in front of me would lean out too. Or I'd try going over the top of him and he'd stand up. ARGH!! What I wouldn't give to have one of those pretty red Velo Sports sponsored press bibs.

Robert
--
Lux et Veritas!

 

[dellgonzales]

just add .jpg to the end of the url

Conversely you can right click on the image (on Pbase) and select properties. then just copy and paste the link info. BTW if you triple click on the link info, it selects the entire url. after that, do your copy and paste
--

 

[photobiker]

Hi Robert,

The hill pictures were taken at Fillmore. The rest were around the corner down Broadway. I was only able to get to the front on 3 of the laps up Fillmore. The rest were shot with the camera above my head or shooting between people's heads (cropping really helps). I worked out the angle to hold the camera when the riders were going past you and then got a number of riders when they came past.

I'm told that a lot of people were lining up on Fillmore before 7am. When I got there at 9am, there was no railing left. It worked out well. I was able to squeeze in for a few laps. The race was very fun.
stu

Was that taken on Filmore St. or Polk St.? Doesn't look like Taylor
St, where I was.

First time I'd been to a bike race. Was interesting, but VERY
trying when it came to taking pictures. I'd lean out on the barrier
to get a shot and then the person in front of me would lean out
too. Or I'd try going over the top of him and he'd stand up. ARGH!!
What I wouldn't give to have one of those pretty red Velo Sports
sponsored press bibs.

Robert
--
Lux et Veritas!

 

[photobiker]

Now with the photos embedded





stu

I love the 20d. The pictures are such an improvment over my last
camera. This past weekend I took a bunch of picures of whales on
Monterey Bay and pictures of the San Francisco Grand Prix bike
race. Pictures can be found at the bottom of http://www.pbase.com/bakers .
Here are 2 pictures that I liked, one of a breaching humpback and
the other George Hincapie
stu

http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48663491
http://www.pbase.com/bakers/image/48720106

 

[photobiker]

Hi Greg,

Originally it was extremely overcast and I needed the ISO 400 to get enough speed to capture the sealife and handle the ship movement, holding a Sigma F4 100-300 lens (with the 1.6 multiplier) and my cold hands . As the day improved, I could have switched the camera to ISO 200. One more thing to remember for betther pictures. Thanks very much.

This was the best day watching whales as we caught these whales pretty close to shore and followed them for a long time. Luckily the 20d has reasonably low noise. I wish that there was some light for these pictures, but of course then perhaps the whales would have behaved differently. This is a day that I will always remember.
stu

Great shots Stu. But I'm wondering why iso 400 for the whale shots?
Was it that overcast and you needed to bump it up for faster
shutters?

--
Greg
Castro Valley, CA
Still learning...