Any Digital Photographers
Discussion
ARGH!
16 year old son has just bought digital SLR and like any teengager is now an instant expert
Well dad when you took photo's it was film blah blah digital is different
Settle an arguement panning shot good light car doing 70+ I'd go for fairly fast shutter to freeze car he is going 1/60 or 1/100th
Comments
16 year old son has just bought digital SLR and like any teengager is now an instant expert
Well dad when you took photo's it was film blah blah digital is different
Settle an arguement panning shot good light car doing 70+ I'd go for fairly fast shutter to freeze car he is going 1/60 or 1/100th
Comments
If you post your question in the photography section you will get more information than you ever dreamed possible. 
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It depends on three variables:
1. Distance to subject. The shorter the distance then the higher the shutter speed
2. the length of the lens. So for EG a 200mm lens if using longer then one up shutter speed; or shorter you use the next slowest when you half the length of the lens
3. depth of filed required and the maximum apperture of the lens.
In simple terms he is wrong. That would be far too slow to freeze a car unless very far away
As an approx, a car at 60mph at 100ft using a 200mm lens then need 1/4000th to freeze
Best advice for budding experts, buy a good photographic book and learn it and put what you learn into practice!
Digital photography is great as you can more easily discard the rubbish you take whereas if like me you started with film, and I mean Colour!! then we had to discard all the rubbish after paying at the printers! Rough rule of thumb; If you can take 5 or more good out of 35 then you are bloody good!
There is no great difference between film and digital for most users. Film gave more latitude in exposure but modern digital photo editing software can compensate like that to a degree. My view is, that if the initial photo isnt good enough, then unless there is something exceptional or unique I wont digitally alter it much and would bin it.
Hope this helps
Paul
1. Distance to subject. The shorter the distance then the higher the shutter speed
2. the length of the lens. So for EG a 200mm lens if using longer then one up shutter speed; or shorter you use the next slowest when you half the length of the lens
3. depth of filed required and the maximum apperture of the lens.
In simple terms he is wrong. That would be far too slow to freeze a car unless very far away
As an approx, a car at 60mph at 100ft using a 200mm lens then need 1/4000th to freeze
Best advice for budding experts, buy a good photographic book and learn it and put what you learn into practice!
Digital photography is great as you can more easily discard the rubbish you take whereas if like me you started with film, and I mean Colour!! then we had to discard all the rubbish after paying at the printers! Rough rule of thumb; If you can take 5 or more good out of 35 then you are bloody good!
There is no great difference between film and digital for most users. Film gave more latitude in exposure but modern digital photo editing software can compensate like that to a degree. My view is, that if the initial photo isnt good enough, then unless there is something exceptional or unique I wont digitally alter it much and would bin it.
Hope this helps
Paul
depends - if you want to capture the action and give the appearance of speed and motion use slower shutter speed:
this one was taken at 1/50 sec
high shutter speed makes it look like the car is parked:
this one was taken at 1/800 sec
this one was taken at 1/50 sec
high shutter speed makes it look like the car is parked:
this one was taken at 1/800 sec
- edit to change slower shutter speed picture for one of similar composition to fast shutter speed and add shutter speed info*
Edited by filski666 on Saturday 4th February 15:46
S2red said:
Think the problems is he has the camera but not done any photography and thinks he knows it all
Good old trial and error comes to mind
Like the Escort picture BTW
we are down at Brands at end of March so he'll get plenty practice
Cheers Good old trial and error comes to mind
Like the Escort picture BTW
we are down at Brands at end of March so he'll get plenty practice
If he has not done any photography before he may struggle with the panning slow shutter speed shots and just end up with a load of blurry pictures and be disheartened - best to start off with faster shutter speeds and gradually slow it down until you get the desired effect without blurring the parts you want crisp.
As others have said, both approaches could be thought of as correct
However the longer the shutter is open the more technique is required to return a decent image. Many people will try and get some sharper, high-shutter-speed shots in the bank before slowing the shutter for lower percentage shots.
It's worth mentioning that just because slower shutter shots are more difficult, it doesn't actually make them better shots. Picking the right shutter speed is a skill of experience and observation as slow shutter panning technique is
Eg: Here is a couple shots of the same car at the same corner:
The first is obviously a much slower shutter speed and is arguably more difficult to take - but also arguably the second shot is more appealing and full of drama.
Again, here are 2 cars going through the same corner:
The first is from the outside of the corner with a high shutter speed, the second from the inside with a longer shutter speed.
It can be as much about deciding on the right shot as it is actually taking them
However the longer the shutter is open the more technique is required to return a decent image. Many people will try and get some sharper, high-shutter-speed shots in the bank before slowing the shutter for lower percentage shots.
It's worth mentioning that just because slower shutter shots are more difficult, it doesn't actually make them better shots. Picking the right shutter speed is a skill of experience and observation as slow shutter panning technique is
Eg: Here is a couple shots of the same car at the same corner:
The first is obviously a much slower shutter speed and is arguably more difficult to take - but also arguably the second shot is more appealing and full of drama.
Again, here are 2 cars going through the same corner:
The first is from the outside of the corner with a high shutter speed, the second from the inside with a longer shutter speed.
It can be as much about deciding on the right shot as it is actually taking them
Edited by flat-planedCrank on Saturday 4th February 20:05
I only tried this once - got decent results at 1/60. (NB I make no claim to above average skill!).
However - it was vintage cars doing 30/40 mph tops so I guess if your targets are going to be doing twice that then 1/60 is probably pretty ambitious!
On though balance I would say his suggested shutter speeds are about right, sorry
However - it was vintage cars doing 30/40 mph tops so I guess if your targets are going to be doing twice that then 1/60 is probably pretty ambitious!
On though balance I would say his suggested shutter speeds are about right, sorry
For a straight forward pan I would agree that your son is about right but I would also underline the earlier advice of starting higher and working his way down to those speeds. At the track his pictures will look fantastic on the screen in the back of his camera but when he gets them on a pc they will likely be awful. Slow speed panning takes a lot of practise as it's all about developing a smooth technique.
I would also make him aware of the joys of parallex shift which will become a problem the slower he shoots. Basically unless he is exactly parallel with the car when he shoots then large sections of the car will turn out blurred.
This was 1/40th and the front is blurred because it is moving away from me, the middle is sharp because it's parallel to me and the rear is blurred because it is moving towards me. You can do nothing to prevent this except exploit it's artistic merit so if he starts getting results like this make sure he doesn't get frustrated and disheartened. Instead he must hone is technique in order to put the sweet spot in the right place.
I would also make him aware of the joys of parallex shift which will become a problem the slower he shoots. Basically unless he is exactly parallel with the car when he shoots then large sections of the car will turn out blurred.
This was 1/40th and the front is blurred because it is moving away from me, the middle is sharp because it's parallel to me and the rear is blurred because it is moving towards me. You can do nothing to prevent this except exploit it's artistic merit so if he starts getting results like this make sure he doesn't get frustrated and disheartened. Instead he must hone is technique in order to put the sweet spot in the right place.
Since he's using digital tell him to start with a faster exposure and then start working down. Start at 1/500 or 1/320 and work towards around 1/125 in decent daylight. Possible to go slower but that will depend on distance to subject and how good his tracking abilities are.
A lot depends on the light on the day.
A lot depends on the light on the day.
Lots of sensible advice guys thank you
I think try try and try again will be what he WILL be doing the benefits if digital no 35mm film costs
One extra question
Anyone point me in direction of one of those shots where front of car is in focus but blurs out to rear
Was trying to explain but could not for life of me fine example
I think try try and try again will be what he WILL be doing the benefits if digital no 35mm film costs
One extra question
Anyone point me in direction of one of those shots where front of car is in focus but blurs out to rear
Was trying to explain but could not for life of me fine example
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