Vladimir Voronin (@actiongrapher) is a professional extreme and adventure sports photographer who works all over the globe. He’s been involved in freerunning since childhood, and alongside those athletic pursuits, has also developed a passion for photography. “That’s why I’ve dedicated more than 12 years of my life to both disciplines,” he says. “In my field, I often have to shoot or set up lighting systems in hard-to-reach locations, so my parkour and climbing skills come in handy. Sports help me see shooting scenes from unique perspectives and think more creatively.”
We came across this absolute scroll-stopper of an image he captured using his Alpha 7R V (Buy Now) and 90mm f/2.8 Macro G (Buy Now) and had to learn more. Keep reading as he shares his story behind the shot, a single exposure, in his own words below.
Photo by Vladimir Voronin. Alpha 7R V. 90mm f/2.8 Macro G. 1/250-sec., f/16, ISO 1600
Getting Creative With Action Sports Photography
The idea was to find a single drop of water on a blade of grass and capture a mountain bike athlete flying in the reflection of it. Since light refraction makes the reflection inside the drop appear upside down, It's as well possible to play around with the final orientation of the frame.
A Super-Sharp Camera Setup: The Alpha 7R V + 90mm f/2.8 Macro G
Because this was a macro shot and I already knew I would crop in even further during post, I needed a camera with a lot of resolution. That’s why I took the Alpha 7R V with the 61-megapixel full-frame sensor, which gave me enough flexibility to zoom in later. For the lens, I chose the 90mm f/2.8 Macro G. The longer focal length helped bring the background athlete visually closer to the foreground drop. This lens is also excellent for macro work. Since the scene required a very narrow aperture (to keep everything in focus), I also needed powerful flashes. So I used two Godox AD600Pro units to light the athlete and an AD300Pro to highlight the water drop.
Creating The Perfect Conditions
Waiting for rain and hoping to find a perfectly placed drop made no sense, so I created my own conditions. I mounted a couple of blades of grass on a stand so they looked natural in the frame. Then, using a syringe filled with water, I carefully placed drops on the grass until I found one that looked large enough.
Multiple Attempts To Capture The Perfect Moment
There were two challenges. First one: even the slightest breeze could move or blow off the drop, forcing me to recreate the setup. And the second: since this was a macro shot, focus was pre-set – which meant the athlete had to perform the trick on the exact path where I had locked focus. If he went even slightly forward or back, he would fall out of focus. Combining these two challenges, it took many attempts before we finally nailed the shot. My settings ended up being 1/250-sec., f/16, ISO 1600, and overall it was a good training session for the athlete.
Yes, It’s A Single Exposure
My credo – no photo manipulations (as collages) and no AI. So for this shot I just used Capture One and Photoshop for color corrections.
See more of Vladimir Voronin’s work on Instagram @actiongrapher.
To step up your resolution game, purchase the Alpha 7R V.
For the best in macro photography, purchase the 90mm f/2.8 Macro G.
