At the Spring Show for our local club, a photographer volunteers to take photos that he then posts on his website.

Most of the pictures are of skaters, but this one non-skater picture just grabbed my attention. It kind of said to me "this is what it's all about".

What do you think?

http://www.northcountyphotos.com/pic...asp?picture=15

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

One of the hard thing about photography is determining the right composition of your subject. A tighter crop on just the skates and glove, leaving out the background chairs and cabinets, would have been better.

I don't know, but I don't get any message from the picture. However, I can tell that she works hard on her jumps by the scuff marks on the boots.

I agree that it needs to be cropped - and the focus/depth of field is very lacking. I also think it does not reflect skating as I know it - it is too cutsey, feminine, music/hair clip----I could see the music, gloves, skates as being more powerful. IMHO

Interesting that you'd say that. My first thought was that those were the boots of a synchro skater because of the way the polish is worn off the sides.

As far as cutsie, if you look at my stuff after a skate, you'll see my skates, gloves, cd, and asthma inhaler (plus jacket, Bungas etc) laying around. No hair clip, but only because my hair is too short. Of course, I'm not usually that neat - I take up a whole bench with my stuff

The pic looks like stuff I see every day at the rink.

Edited to add - Hmmmm. I looked at the pic again and the wear is on the outside and toe of the boot. How on earth did she get wear there? Synchro would be on the inside, from lunges and such, right? Jumps shouldn't cause that kind of wear, unless she falls a lot in weird positions. Any ideas?

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"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

I like the picture -- it says it all!! And too feminine? Well, they are white boots!! (Okay, I know that I'm being sexist

The photo wasn't staged. I agree it needs to be cropped. I'm going to send an email to the photographer and have him do it and make me a couple of copies.

Curiously, this photographer doesn't charge to take pictures. He goes to all kinds of events in the North St. Louis County area. Basketball games, hockey, wrestling meets, whatever. He's trying to promote the good things in North County. The local newspaper gives him a half page section every Wednesday to put in selected pictures.

The only money he makes is if you purchase a picture from him online. The prices are cheap enough: 4x6 ($4 ea), 5x7 ($5 ea), 8x10 ($8 ea). He doesn't even stop you from downloading the pictures if you want.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

I enjoyed the link and browsing through the pictures, but that's because I know some of the kids, and share a friendship with Gary and his girlfriend. Some of my favorite kids/skaters in the area were involved in that show, I was glad to see Tiera and Lisa! Also, for anyone going to the ISI Synchro Championships, watch out for North Stars Elite - I have a feeling they are going to be a "wow" factor at the competition this year.

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

Hi!

I'm Kevin Veit, the photographer who took this now famous photo. I spent all of about 10 seconds to think about and take that picture. I was taking pictures of the girls getting ready and the shoes were lying on the table, so I took a quick picture and moved on to the next.

Here is a cropped and sharpened version of the photo:



I enjoyed taking pictures at this event, but realized that skating is one of the more challenging events to photograph (poor lighting, fast movement, etc). I knew one of the girls before (she goes to school with my daughter).

Also, I'd just like to compliment all of the skaters for their dedication and hard work, while all the time keeping a smile on their face. Getting up on Saturday morning for a 6am practice is not easy.

A left inside edge Hydroblade?

Hi Kevin. Glad you joined us on the forum and at the event. I was the blonde guy taking video at the corner of the rink for Susan (my girlfriend).

Susan and I both want a copy of the cropped version. I'll email you my official order.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Actually... I still see that the wear is still mostly on the inside. Look at where the center of the toe box is and then see where most of the wear is. (I see it mostly on the toe box towards the outside. (Though, definitely I wonder where the scuff marks on the outside is too.)

Of course, if you look at MY BOOTS, I don't work hard enough! The guys who sharpen my skates remarked that my black boots are so CLEAN!!! Oh, and same with my blades too! The guy at Harlicks remarked that I probably don't sharpen my blades a lot and that's probably why I got plenty of wear left on my blade. (About 15 more sharpenenings!) My boots are 3 YEARS OLD!!!

I'll dig out my camera and snap my current boots when I could find the camera!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

The boots belong to a young (grad school) coach who skated collegiate synchro and also does freestyle.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Since she does Synchro, maybe she's dyed and cleaned the skates a few times or "rubbed feet" with fellow skaters.

My old freestyle skates looked like that from age and too many cleanings. Not to mention tossing them in the bag to rub against who-knows-what! LOL

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LOL... my boots are also almost 3 years old, and look almost new. Tan Klingbeils. They've got a few nicks and scrapes, but not very many. Just about due to be traded in for a "new improved model" later this spring. I do have newer blades, though. Changed out my MK Dance blades last fall for Ultima Ascends.

I used to get scrapes (not that bad) on the outside of my boots when I was skating with a partner .... I even got a horizontal toe pick mark at one point!! The other thing that could cause them is where you do a drag but with the 'dragging' foot/leg turned in instead of out so that the outside of the boot is near to the ice!

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The best whisper is a click

OMYGOSH! Those look almost exactly like my boots, same brand, soakers and everything. du du du du ( twilight zone music) but they're not 'cause I wasn't there! The wear on the outside of the toebox is from crossing the feet when learning new jumps and as you land, the blade of the other boot steps down with the foot not yet uncrossed on top of the landing foot. Really bad for the laces. Toes get a little sore, too, not to mention the buttushka!! And also the free foot gets all kinds of holes in the heel. Well, at least that's why mine look like that, anyway.
Hey, good luck and have fun at Midwesterns!!
Becca from Alabama

I love that picture!!!!, it portraits what I think about all day
Skating forever!

Sorry to get off-topic, but I was wondering how you like the Ascends?

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~No thinking, breathing, or hesitation!~

Speaking of being hard on your boots, I just discovered today that the heel of that landing boot is coming off! Ush! I guess it's time to break in those new boots that have been sitting in the corner! Yuk!
Becca from Alabama

My coach (40ish) discovered the same problem with her boots last week. She's totally fretting the thought of having to break in new boots.

I told her it would be payback for all of the times she pushed her students when they were breaking in new boots.

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Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Henry David Thoreau

Wow she must of rubbed feet witha quite a few skaters!

High time, if you're coming to the Mountain Cup! (You have sent off your entries, haven't you???). If you start work on those boots this week, they'll be like gloves by the time you get to the MC.....

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

hi! thought it was funny to see what everyone thought about my skates- the ones in the picture are mine. even though everyone had elaborate ideas about what happened, i actually was sitting indian style and a friend draggged me across the carpeted floor- and that's the story of all the rubs on the sides of my skates!

the rubs on the toes though, are from doing double jumps and always falling on the outside of my right foot- i do jump (and fall) hard!

Hi Kevin! The crop you posted works well. As a budding photographer (I made that wonderful major switch from graphic design), I cropped out even more of the photograph so that the focus will be on the skates. Then I cloned the background and foreground (although fast, as to give a general impression of what I was trying to do). I feel this composition works well without the added background image, and with a tighter crop.

Here it is:
http://www.geocities.com/scwny/skates2.jpg

You will have to copy and paste that into the current browser, because geocities is horrible. Keep up the good work!

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Lisa

Wont it be great? Someone else in '08!

Well, I really like that picture. Kevin you did a good job even to my naked eye. I think that would be a good poster for a girls room. It kinda says it all about skating practice.

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Laugh often it is good for your soul.