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Old 12-21-2004, 07:30 AM   #1
dingo
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Default motion photography tips

Does anyone have some tips on how to get the best results when taking pics of moving objects, mainly cars?
I have just bought a new camera which allows the adjustment of some settings, and I would appreciate some help in this. I currently just set the camera to the 'Sports' mode so that I have the quickest possible shutter speed....but most pics still turn out blurred.
Thanks in advance.
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Old 12-21-2004, 07:41 AM   #2
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increase the exposure time .... hit the trigger and follow the object ....
start doin this and u'll gradually master motion pics ..
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Old 12-21-2004, 07:41 AM   #3
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If it is the quickest shutter speed that you camera has... then there are 2 things that may happen...
The first is that your camera is not fast enough to take such pictures. What model is it?
The second is that you mat not have enough light to take a picture in the maximum shutter speed, and your camera automatically compensates by reducing the shutter speed.

But you can take a nice pic of moving objects without blurring the object (the background will stay blurred). It's like this... you follow the object for a few seconds before pressing the shutter, and this way your lens will have the same angular speed has the car, and the car won't (If well done..) blur.

Let me know if it worked!
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Old 12-21-2004, 07:50 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by cooperluke
If it is the quickest shutter speed that you camera has... then there are 2 things that may happen...
The first is that your camera is not fast enough to take such pictures. What model is it?
The second is that you mat not have enough light to take a picture in the maximum shutter speed, and your camera automatically compensates by reducing the shutter speed.

But you can take a nice pic of moving objects without blurring the object (the background will stay blurred). It's like this... you follow the object for a few seconds before pressing the shutter, and this way your lens will have the same angular speed has the car, and the car won't (If well done..) blur.

Let me know if it worked!
Thanks for the advice....I have a Ricoh Caplio R1 which is claimed to be the fastest compact digital camera currently on the market.
The light shouldn't be a problem since the pics are taken during the day in sunny weather.
I'll let you know what happens when I take a few pics tomorrow morning before work.
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Old 12-21-2004, 07:55 AM   #5
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Basically, start playing "Counter Strike" and use the Gun - Magnum (Sniper Rifle). Master that gun, and start killing other players with ONE SHOT! If you can be a good sniper, you can be a good photographer of moving objects!
LOL (but trust me, both have similar rules)..
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Old 12-21-2004, 08:05 AM   #6
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You could also Photoshop the image for motion blur. It's cheating I know but a lot of car mags use the trick when they're pressed for time.
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Old 12-21-2004, 08:11 AM   #7
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This camera also has a continuous shooting mode, which allows me to take photo's as long as I hold the shutter button down. I haven't tried it yet, but maybe if I use that I could take 10 consecutive pics and then a few should be good at least.

Originally Posted by evoWALO
You could also Photoshop the image for motion blur. It's cheating I know but a lot of car mags use the trick when they're pressed for time.
I know about that, but I am not trying to make a car look like its moving....I just want to take a pic of a car that is actually moving.
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Old 12-21-2004, 08:17 AM   #8
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Oh in that case set the shutterspeed to 1/10th to about 1/40th of a second and keep the car in motion in frame & in focused. Depending on your lighting situation keep your camera's ISO/ASA setting to about 200-800. Each camera's different so experiment. Those death defying shots that appear to be taken at ultra high speeds are actually done at very low speeds with very slow shutter speed.
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Old 12-21-2004, 08:18 AM   #9
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these are some pics i took using my technique ...

you sure do have an awsome camera ....
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Old 12-21-2004, 08:33 AM   #10
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Here are two I took with my 'old' camera of a 360 and a 645Ci:



they turned out pretty well, and it was in auto mode and all I did was focus in a particular spot and waited for the car to enter the frame and took the pic. When I do the same with my new camera it turns out like shit.....why? I now have to track along with the car while I never did this with the other (cheaper) camera.
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Old 12-21-2004, 09:16 AM   #11
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As already said, it is actually easy..

here is how I do it:

1. set the focus... since I mainly use auto mode, I point the camera on the road where the car will be when I will take the pic and focus there
2. the car arrived, I point at it, a bit before the focus point
3. I start "following" it, keeping it in the center of the picture if possible
4. I shoot the pic and keep following the car for a while

A little tip, if possible, try to be sure the camera won't have too much vertical movement (for pics like mines for instance, where the car basically follow an orizontal line in front of you.. in any case, no movement on the axis perpendicular to the one the car is following)

That's it... here are some examples taken with shutter set somewhere around 1/80 (automatically set at that speed since I also let the camera judge most of the time)





This was a cloudy day.. in sunny days should be a joke: for the following ones, shutter speed was always 1/640, sometimes even more I think and I didn't even had to move the camera to obtain sharp pics



As for your two pics dingo, do you recall what shutter speed you got there with auto mode?
And the new one in sport mode, what speed did it set the shutter
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Old 12-21-2004, 09:26 AM   #12
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I think many try to explain the same thing, but TT got the best tutorial for you... Follow his advise, and you should take good moving pics..
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Old 12-21-2004, 09:39 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by TT
As for your two pics dingo, do you recall what shutter speed you got there with auto mode?
And the new one in sport mode, what speed did it set the shutter
Thanks for the mini-tutorial.
I can't remember what shutter speed it was on the old camera, and with the new one in the specs it says the speed ranges from 8sec to 1/2000 sec.....but I will let you know the exact figure tomorrow since after you take a pic it shows on the screen the shutter speed used.
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Old 12-21-2004, 09:56 AM   #14
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Ok I guess Im a pervert because when I clicked the thread I swear I read "motion pornography tips"

So I started reading the first post and thought *holly shit we got a porno producer in the making on JW*
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Old 12-21-2004, 10:03 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by SFDMALEX
Ok I guess Im a pervert because when I clicked the thread I swear I read "motion pornography tips"

So I started reading the first post and thought *holly shit we got a porno producer in the making on JW*
Now that you said it, I can admit it was the same for me
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