Camera Angles in Ski Photography......

[deadheadskier]

Mattchuck posted a picture of Rumor from Gore in the name the trail thread. It appears steep for a short bit, but I'm guessing it really doesn't capture how steep the trail truly feels. Over the years, I've taken an average amount of pictures while on the hill; I might bring a camera with once or twice per every 20 days out. None of the pictures I've ever taken capture how steep a trail 'feels' when taking it from an on slope position. Certain distance shots have worked, but on trail seems to fall short. I find it rare to see a shot from such a position that truly captures a trails steepness. Anyone got any tips of how they achieved such a shot? Be great to see some examples here in this thread.


Mind you, I've taken a lot of pictures fishing in my life and I have an equally difficult time capturing how big that monster I caught was too!! :lol:

 

[Greg]

There's really no way to accurately capture pitch (3D) in a 2D pic. Most images flatten it out and make it look less steep than it looks in person. The interesting thing is that pitch of a ski trail when viewing in person sometimes appears steeper than you might expect it to if you knew its actually pitch. Most steep on map runs are around 30 degrees. This is a 30 degree angle:

Some really steep runs look like they should be steeper than that when viewing from above or below.

 

[deadheadskier]

Care for an apple professor Greg? :lol:

 

[Hawkshot99]

If you want to show the angle get some trees in the photo so you can compare there verticalness to the angle of the slope.

 

[cbcbd]

Like Greg said, taking a pic up or down the trail does no good since you "flatten" it by taking it up a straight line.

Only way to capture steepness is off to the side of a trail or directly across from the trail. The classic tips-on-the-edge-before-dropping-in shots also show steepness if you have a trail with a ledge. It works because there you have the skis as a reference to give you the angle.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

That's a really superior example 'cause not only do you have the ski tips, but you have numerous other frames of reference that give a sense of the steepness of the trail (the trees, rocks, clifs, chute).

 

[cbcbd]

That's a really superior example 'cause not only do you have the ski tips, but you have numerous other frames of reference that give a sense of the steepness of the trail (the trees, rocks, clifs, chute).

True. I guess to me it probably looks scarier with the ski tips because that sorta puts me into the picture

Here's a version without...

 

[prisnah]

Like Greg said, taking a pic up or down the trail does no good since you "flatten" it by taking it up a straight line.

Only way to capture steepness is off to the side of a trail or directly across from the trail. The classic tips-on-the-edge-before-dropping-in shots also show steepness if you have a trail with a ledge. It works because there you have the skis as a reference to give you the angle.

I want to ski that so badly right now. Where's it taken? Looks like theres quite a few natural features to play on/off.

 

[cbcbd]

I want to ski that so badly right now. Where's it taken? Looks like theres quite a few natural features to play on/off.

Not my shot... I wish, and it does look sick and nicely steep. Stole the pic from this excellent TR from Utah:
http://noahhowell.com/?p=208

 

[Geoff]

Shooting across the trail with trees to set the horizon gives you a little more sense of pitch. It also helps to get as much contrast as possible in the shot. White snow looks like white snow no matter how steep it is.

 

[skimore]

Shooting across the trail with trees to set the horizon gives you a little more sense of pitch. It also helps to get as much contrast as possible in the shot. White snow looks like white snow no matter how steep it is.

like this

 

[skimore]

here a shot that looks flat

when it actually is a series of small cliffs

 

[gymnast46]

Angles

It is very tough to convey a sense of steepness in a photo.

I took this shot while sitting in the snow at Kirkwood a few years ago. It was VERY steep but looks pretty tame in the photo. You can see a couple of skiers waaaaaaay down there.

Greg is right about things looking steeper from above or below. Have you ever gone off a water ski jump?. Heading for it, it looks frighteningly steep. Viewed from the side it looks pretty gentle.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Here's a version without...

Doesnt look as bad, but I believe that is mostly cause you cut out the first verical tree. The second tree is covered in snow and leaning down the slope making it look more tame.

 

[skidmarks]

Same Chute 2 Angles

Looks real steep then real easy. General rule is, the steeper I remember it, the flater the picture looks.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Here's another example. This is one of the Mary Jane Chutes. Some of my favorite terrain in the world.

First shot is looking up the run. Looks a little steep, but not too bad:

Second shot here is the "skis over the [L]edge." Color balance sort of makes it tough to tell, but look at the rocks and at the "flat" terrain in the upper left-hand corner (which is still decent skiing terrain).

Last shot, I think, captures the pitch the best. This is taken from a distance, looking almost straight on at the line. It's some serious freakin' terrain (55+ degree lines in places)! Fun fun fun!

 

[cbcbd]

Doesnt look as bad, but I believe that is mostly cause you cut out the first verical tree. The second tree is covered in snow and leaning down the slope making it look more tame.

True, I did do a crappy job with the cut


Here is another spot with shots taken from up on a diagonal and from low down. Looks like nothing looking straight up at it. Looks pretty intimidating from the top.