X Games 14
12:30 Friday and I’m headed back out soon. The first day of X Games 14 was interesting. First, a fast run to the Home Depot Center, simply to get our credential. This wasn’t news to us, as that happened last year. At least they gave us the coolest USB flash drive, the X Games SkateDrive. I actually needed a new USB drive, so it kinda worked out. So after getting our credential, we had to drive all the way back to downtown LA to the Staples Center.
First up: BMX Freestyle. It was a new venue, the Event Deck, across the street from BMX, but it was also about 4:30pm in direct sun. No dreams about cloudy days offering solace, or at least some beautiful golden hour. I tried a few basic shots, and they came out looking like they were shot in direct sun. But I tried a few different things, and eventually got a few shots I liked.
A basic backlit shot. It’s not new, but the idea is that it doesn’t have that super blaring direct sun look. I adjusted the WB in the camera to 10,000 Kelvin, shot about a billion stops under, and it almost looks sunset-ish. Also, I had to do this shot from the media spot under duress after security told us that no media was allowed in the bleachers, where the fans sit. A fisheye, or a long lens to get a nice clean background woulda been great.
Read on for the link to the gallery, including shots of Skateboard Big Air.
Update on the Airport Security video: It’s been shot and basic edits applied. With X Games underway, and strategizing where to go and what to shoot, it’s been hectic. But it will come out in a few days.
X Games is a great event, but it seems each year that they’re limiting the media access, and trying to herd us all together like sheep. I guess I have romanticized my first X Games, where the security staff paid no attention to us, and we basically made our own spots. Especially with extreme sports, getting different angles and looks can really pay off, because of the dynamics of the event. By limiting us to media spots, it loses some of that dynamicism. The problem in a nutshell is that if media is all herded to one spot, then they can all only get the same shot. From the bleachers, I got this shot, which let me show the height and difficulty of the trick against a fairly clean background. Instead, from the media spot, I woulda had buildings all behind him.
The Staples Center and Skateboard Big Air was the same. Rather than set up camp in the media spots, we tried to find empty areas that would offer nice backgrounds and interesting images. We’d find a spot, but eventually security would ask us to leave. We did our best, but it was disheartening to have to sneak around to get good spots. I should mention that we at no time blocked any paying fans from viewing the events. Not only that, but there weren’t many fans to begin with.
For Skateboard Big Air, I again tried to do something a little different (for me). I will admit right now, that I haven’t really tried panning very much. But I also knew that if I didn’t at least give it a shot, I wouldn’t be too thrilled with the images. So I gave it a go. Sometimes it worked out.
I like this shot of Danny Way, the background is dark, but the panning knocks it out even more, and it shows the speed of the event. I shot this at 1/25th of a second, f/4 and ISO 200. I tried to get settings that would expose well but still be slow enough to get some motion blur. I think I probably could have shot at a higher speed but liked 1/25th to 1/40th the best. Later I tried higher shutters, but to me it looked like someone who had a high aperture lens and was trying to make do at 1/125th.
Another shot I tried was getting the height meter to display a height while a rider was in the air. Kind of a context shot, but it’s more interesting than an isolated rider shot, if the context is right.
I would have liked that 16 to say something like 22, and that AT&T sign just hurts my feelings. But I think I got the point across.
I have to admit one thing. Despite all the hassles from security, and the changes from year to year, I like the challenge of X Games. It’s a series of sports I never shoot, venues I never frequent, and people I don’t know. So I try to rely on my experience, and hopefully some creative ideas, and give it a shot. Whether it works or not is subjective to the people who view the image, but as long as I feel I’ve tried, I am happy.
Cool shots…will you post more shot of these events?
like to see more and swift of inspiration!!!! I really like your shots!!!! great job!!!! speacking of amature and pro sporting events….how do one go about getting credentials to shoot games such College football (UTEP) and such…..any tips?
take care and thank you for the knowledge!!!
Dude! I want that USB flash drive! LOL That’s hilarious. Great shots as usual.
i ahve shot the xgames for a couple years. the trick is to get an all laccess pass form one of the athletes or companies participating in the events. With that credential you can go anywhere. I witnessed very irate media personal yell and scream at security for letting me into areas to shoot and they could not. I found it sad and amusing at the same time. I was in Fiji for the last X-games but i will be there next year.
Eric, you’re right. I had a team pass last year, and it was great to go to some of the more interesting areas in the venues. But this year, all access passes didn’t get much love. My friend had an all access Blue Pass, which basically allowed him anywhere (and he was shooting FOR ESPN), but security was so confused, that they often didn’t know where he could or couldn’t go, and long story short, he was often denied. I actually got into some places he couldn’t by either sheer luck or fast talk.
It’s definitely changes since two years ago and last year. But honestly, I actually like shooting from non-media spots. What sucked this year wasn’t that I wasn’t able to go into the all access sports, it was that I couldn’t even shoot from the fan spots either sometimes. Security really did a bad job.
I’d love to bs with ya sometime about x games. I sort of think of it as kickoff for the fall season to come.