Shirley Pohlman
July 2026 - IN STEP
Original
About the Image(s)
Our next Camera Club digital competition is “Capture Motion.” I’m considering using this one of a high school track meet. I shot with Nikon D-610, 28-300 lens at 112 mm, hand held. It was shot in manual mode, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 200. In Lightroom I cropped and made a few adjustments. Cloned out the ribbon on fence. Would appreciate your comments regarding if you think this shot has much merit in capturing motion.
5 comments posted
Shirley, there is certainly plenty of movement in this image. I like the athletes' hair
I might take the image into Lightroom or camera raw and darken the background slightly, also move the sharpness slider to the left to add a slight amount of blur the background.
Then clone out the white post (replace it with the cyclone fence) as it almost dominates the image and pulls the eye away from the action.
This is a lovely action shot.
Well done!
Posted: 07/01/2026 23:23:52
I might take the image into Lightroom or camera raw and darken the background slightly, also move the sharpness slider to the left to add a slight amount of blur the background.
Then clone out the white post (replace it with the cyclone fence) as it almost dominates the image and pulls the eye away from the action.
This is a lovely action shot.
Well done!
Posted: 07/01/2026 23:23:52
It's a really good capture with expression of confidence in the runners' face and eyes. In a way the posts are part of the normal border for the course and add story as something static in contrast to the motion. Darkening the posts including the fence could help as well as the branch protruding from the green-dressed runner's head. Posted: 07/02/2026 00:24:09
Hi Shirley, I too love the sense of motion with this competition. The swinging hair is the biggest hint of their effort.
I find the people in the background to be distracting. I took the liberty to take your low-res image into Lightroom and delete the people and create a much cleaner background. I was amazed at what the generative remove tool could do with this jpg image. Posted: 07/02/2026 19:47:41
I find the people in the background to be distracting. I took the liberty to take your low-res image into Lightroom and delete the people and create a much cleaner background. I was amazed at what the generative remove tool could do with this jpg image. Posted: 07/02/2026 19:47:41
I like what you and Piers have done relating to removing the corner fence and the people. However, I am a little hesitant about doing so since we are a PSA club, and the rules have gotten pretty strict with AI. I know everything we edit is using some kind of AI, so it becomes a little difficult to discern! Posted: 07/03/2026 19:21:01
Shirley, You accurately captured the dynamic moment of the two athletes sprinting, with their hair flying, their feet rising, and their limbs tense with exertion, perfectly conveying the speed and power of the competition. The timing of the shot was excellent.
The contrasting green and purple tracksuits naturally separate the two distinct subjects. The bright colors of the bibs and running shoes create visual focal points. The foreground grass, midground athletes, and background fence and trees create a good sense of depth. The soft and even natural light ensures clear exposure of the athletes' faces, allowing the audience to directly feel the tense competitive atmosphere of the event.
In my opinion, the white post in the lower left corner is distracting; you could adjust the camera position to avoid it. Of course, you can remove it in post-processing, but be aware that this is not allowed in documentary photography competitions.
Posted: 07/08/2026 04:55:32
The contrasting green and purple tracksuits naturally separate the two distinct subjects. The bright colors of the bibs and running shoes create visual focal points. The foreground grass, midground athletes, and background fence and trees create a good sense of depth. The soft and even natural light ensures clear exposure of the athletes' faces, allowing the audience to directly feel the tense competitive atmosphere of the event.
In my opinion, the white post in the lower left corner is distracting; you could adjust the camera position to avoid it. Of course, you can remove it in post-processing, but be aware that this is not allowed in documentary photography competitions.
Posted: 07/08/2026 04:55:32