When I get the chance (and when I’m not on the tube), I like to ride along in the motor boat to see if I can capture some of those split-second wonders of tubing. I’ve taken thousands of pictures of people tubing, yet the lure for a better shot is always too strong to resist. I had a 200mm lens with me during the last tubing adventure, so it opened up a new horizon of possibilities. Of the 300 pictures I took, here are my favorite three:

Even though the horizon is crooked precisely at the point where it’s hard to tell if it was intentional or not, I like this shot the best because not only does it give incredible emotional impact through displaying tack-sharp action in good lighting, but it also shows the Northwoods Conference Center in the background. I’ve tried to get a shot like this for years, and this is the first one I’ve ever seen that I actually liked.

I love this image. It is the perfect depiction of tension. The reason it works (and unlike most others similar to it) is because it is perfectly in focus. With the sutterspeed at 1/400sec., I’m surprised. And by the way, the tube never flipped and the guy never lost his grip.

No, the lighting isn’t perfect, but it’s such a dynamic image! Perfect positioning, perfect posture, perfect expression!