Automagisk blog

My buddy Jørgen decided he wanted to do a backflip on his new 197cm Völkl Katana.

D300 with MB-D10, ISO 450, 17-55 f/2.8 at 26mm, 1/1000s, f/5.

I knew I needed at least 1/1000s to freeze Jørgen even when panning, and I wanted a smaller aperture than f/2.8 so I had some depth of field and would manage to keep Jørgen in focus. In this case, that meant f/5 and ISO 450.

About the landing, or lack thereof: I think we can at least try to blame the two persons not jumping or taking pictures for this. We spent quite some time building the jump, but had to hurry at the end because not everybody wanted to stay there any longer. So, instead of having a well-prepared and fast run-in, Jørgen had to do his best on a powdery, slow run-in.

He soon discovered that the skis were about 4cm too long for the speed he was able to achieve. Using my world class Photoshop skillz I created this sequence:

Jørgen suffered no injuries, but landed in a very awkward position in the deep snow – which he told me quite clearly when I continued taking pictures and told him to lay still instead of helping him up.

Notes

• Creating a sequence from a series of panned shots: Not recommended. Note the fake sky in the top left corner, and the fake snow in the lower right. The trees are also a bit weird if viewed in a larger size. If you want to make a sequence (which I wasn’t this time), plan it properly.
• It is a good idea to lock down everything: Focus, exposure, and also use a tripod. If you do not shoot RAW, set the white balance manually too.

This image – not the sequence – was printed on the editorial page of Fri Flyt’s ski guide for 2008/2009.

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