that will show speed and give the
illusion of motion Long lenses will
compress the action, giving the
photo a vitality, but when panning,
stick with wide-angle lenses
Following a skier down the moun
tain is one effective method Ryan
uses to capture the feel of skiing
Here a wide-angle lens should be
used, preferably a 24 mm or 28 mm,
which is prefocused to its hyper
focal distance, the place where far
away objects as well as close ob
jects will remain their sharpest
Hold the camera low. at about knee
height, and fire away It helps to
have a motordrive — and plenty of
film Says Ryan, "You may waste a
lot of film, but then, again, you may
get that one great photo, too
time. The time of day you choose to
shoot can make or break your shot
Early mornings and late afternoons
are best The reason is simple, col
ors are richer and deeper, plus the
long shadows that are cast will give
the snow more texture and help de
lineate distance Try to frame your
subject with the sunlight behind
Rim light always makes a subject
look good, and with the light com
ing from the rear, the snow will
sparkle if it's flying
Other goxl times to shoot are on
foggy days, when the colors will be
muted and subtle Rvan himself pre
fers early morning when mist or ice
crystals hang in the air and steam is
rising oil creek beds The most im
portant thing, says Ryan, is to stay
alert "A shot from one place on a
hill can be boring, he says, "but live
hours later, when the light strikes it
lust so. it can be extraordinary
places. The tuck to good ski pho
tography. as in any kind ot photog
raphy, is anticipation, knowing or
sensing when something interesting
is about to happen Ski the course
once and find that ideal spot, then
plant yourself there and wait Things
to look tor include knolls, or a roll
mg terrain, where a skier might be
come airborne for a split second
Also, look for fresh powder, which
will spray gracefully as a skier goes
t>y. or any area where a ->kier will be
making fresh tracks These can pro
duce powerful images
Don't overlook the unusual van
tage point, such as a counter hill, or
even a ski lift Keep your eyes open
for things such as saturation of
color, pieces ot machinery, clothes,
etc
In conclusion Ryan advises to
keep shooting, learn the rules, then
break them Photography is noth
ing but calculated luck. ' he says,
over a long period of time, the
chance of your snapping a great
photo steadily improves
That final 500th of a second
where you actually snap the photo
may be luck, but the fact that you
have put yourself in the position to
snap it is where the real skill comes
in '
i_^_ i i —
Not the Allen - lust a documentary filmmaker caught In action by artist, photographer David Peters.
I**! H * ' Freese Frame can be a picture of yours! We re
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