Dr Isaac Vaisman, APSA, PPSA
February 2025 - Finish Line
About the Image(s)
Title: Finish Line
“Finish Line” was created at the BMX track in Okeeheelee in Palm Beach, Florida. BMX stands for bicycle motocross, which are specially designed bikes trying to emulate the motocross motorbikes. It is a track with close curves and bumpy. Some are dirt, but most are with a finished surface (Original 1 borrowed from the site). Here we see the older than 25 riders. It was at the end of the day on a rainy afternoon and very cloudy.
Used a Nikon Z8 (mirrorless) with the Nikkor Z zoom lens 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 330 mm and these settings: ISO 5000 (Auto setting), f/6.3 and 1/2000 sec. The image was PP in LightRoom and cropped slightly.
5 comments posted
Isaac, I like how the first four riders form a triangle and the wavy surface of the track. I also like how you can see the faces of two riders. The spectators and tents on the right side seemed to draw my eye away from the riders so cropped a bit off by making a square composition. Bruce Posted: 02/02/2025 22:15:25
Isaac, sorry I just notice that I did not include my square crop version of your image so here is. For my eye I like to spectators and stands since they add context to the scene, however a little narrower crop seems to emphasize the riders. Bruce Posted: 02/19/2025 19:05:19
Hi Isaac. A well captured shot at the finish line of this BMX event. All about the photo has been well captured, the only issue I have is that the third place getters face is sharp while the first and second racers face cannot be distinguished, unusual. PJ does not allow the blurring of peoples faces but I wonder if the photo was globally sharpened which is allowed and this third guy just came out better. Posted: 02/04/2025 22:46:01
Ronald, I did not sharpen or blurred anything in the image. Please note that it was created using a zoom 100-400 mm @ 330 mm which compresses the elements in the image. It is as is. I left the spectators to add context to the image. Posted: 02/07/2025 18:45:34
Hi Isaac - I like this for a few reasons - one is it's more of an environmental shot, meaning you capture the essence of the race and bikers as well as the crowd. Things are not too blurred out in the background, which helps tell the story. Perhaps you could have cropped slightly more of the right to center the subject and cut out a little of the crowd towards the front of the picture? Just a suggestion, but otherwise great picture and story! Posted: 02/06/2025 03:18:24