Wes Odell
October 2025 - Professional bikers
Original
About the Image(s)
This bicycle race was part of the Tour de Utah held in Park City. It was round and round a few downtown blocks so that I could therefore anticipate action and expressions. I was located on the front row of a 90 degree turn at the bottom of a hill which gave me very good “looks” and various compositions. I cropped this to place emphasis on the facial expressions without caring that I cut some of the Bicycle parts and body parts off.
Conversion was Nik Silver Efex: Full Dynamic Smooth, Lens Falloff #1, Exposure f:4.0, 1/640 of a second, ISO 100 Focal Length 109 mm, a little lightening with the Mid-tone Slider in Levels, and a Canon L 70-200 lens, and of course, a Tripod.
11 comments posted
Great shot. I tried cutting off more according to your stated approach. I think less is more. How does this look? Posted: 10/02/2025 23:55:05
Who needs feet when you have intense faces? Good move. Posted: 10/03/2025 00:55:43
I thought you only needed enough of the bicycles to know what they were, but not needing to see the full wheels. Posted: 10/03/2025 01:22:31
Excellent shot!!! I really like this and I think you do need the feet in the image. It looks like the image you have submitted as the original has had quite a lot of post-processing. I really like how they all have what appears to be exactly the same helmet. Posted: 10/03/2025 17:00:19
Haha! We are so opposite. Makes for active conversations. Posted: 10/04/2025 23:55:16
I like Ed's good point that the helmets all look alike in the monochrome. Posted: 10/07/2025 21:41:21
Great shot with all of the bikes grouped close in a curve. I like the angle of the riders. I like your original crop of the legs and feet in the image. I like that you went to mono, as it simplifies the image and gets rid of all of the contrasting colors. Posted: 10/21/2025 14:55:28
I replied a few days ago, but I don't see it now.
Thanks. Like many others, my first attraction was to the color version, then for the same reasons that you mention, I shifted my efforts to finding a good composition in monochrome. It's scheduled for Round Two of the PSA ICPC ompetition. I'll report on results in Feb '26.
Posted: 10/22/2025 22:39:33
Thanks. Like many others, my first attraction was to the color version, then for the same reasons that you mention, I shifted my efforts to finding a good composition in monochrome. It's scheduled for Round Two of the PSA ICPC ompetition. I'll report on results in Feb '26.
Posted: 10/22/2025 22:39:33
I think this is brilliant! I have once or twice tried taking cyclists and it isn't easy. I like the bottom right corner which just has the foot and pedal and the lean of the group is perfect. They are so sharp -again not easy to do. Well done Wes! Posted: 10/22/2025 15:53:35
Thanks very much, Diane.
FYI, The lens I used was a Canon "L" 70-200 shot at 78mm/f:4.0, which at the time of purchase, they said was their sharpest lens at f4.
Do you think it is bright enough?
Many thanks Posted: 10/22/2025 22:47:05
FYI, The lens I used was a Canon "L" 70-200 shot at 78mm/f:4.0, which at the time of purchase, they said was their sharpest lens at f4.
Do you think it is bright enough?
Many thanks Posted: 10/22/2025 22:47:05
Thanks very much, Diane.
FYI, The lens I used was a Canon "L" 70-200 shot at 78mm/f:4.0, which at the time of purchase, they said was their sharpest lens at f4.
Do you think it is bright enough?
Many thanks Posted: 10/23/2025 21:24:42
FYI, The lens I used was a Canon "L" 70-200 shot at 78mm/f:4.0, which at the time of purchase, they said was their sharpest lens at f4.
Do you think it is bright enough?
Many thanks Posted: 10/23/2025 21:24:42