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tabbytom

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Learned a lesson today..a lot of skill and practice needed for motorsport photography. Took hundreds of shots and very few were worth keeping..got a bit more to learn about this camera and predicting good shots, always too late for the best action.
For motor racing, panning shots will provide the speed of cars as compared to shooting them coming down the track or taking from the back. Also a long lens will throw the background out of focus if you are shooting them screaming down the track.
 

Silver Crazy

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I wasnt panning fast enough and getting left behind..had some wonderful photos of exhaust pipes and back tires..lol.
Next time will be way better..it was a good learning curve.
 

tabbytom

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I wasnt panning fast enough and getting left behind..had some wonderful photos of exhaust pipes and back tires..lol.
Next time will be way better..it was a good learning curve.
Panning shots have to be anticipated. You have to pick the subject, put it into frame and shutter speed not too fast and steady hands. Once in frame, follow on subject on a horizontal plane and release the shutter.

This takes practice. I have some street shots of cars I took several tears ago.

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Silver Crazy

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Panning shots have to be anticipated. You have to pick the subject, put it into frame and shutter speed not too fast and steady hands. Once in frame, follow on subject on a horizontal plane and release the shutter.

This takes practice. I have some street shots of cars I took several tears ago.

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Ok ..good shots.
So slow the shutter speed down so get the wheels actually turning and not frozen, get a clean subject shot with a blurred background so everything in movement...great tip...Thanks..cant wait to try but got to wait a month before our next event..grrr.
Steady hands were the problem, getting anxious and the camera was all over the place..might get one of those mono stick things to help.
 

tabbytom

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Ok ..good shots.
So slow the shutter speed down so get the wheels actually turning and not frozen, get a clean subject shot with a blurred background so everything in movement...great tip...Thanks..cant wait to try but got to wait a month before our next event..grrr.
Steady hands were the problem, getting anxious and the camera was all over the place..might get one of those mono stick things to help.
Yes, you just need some practice that's all. Play with the settings a little to achieve the effect you want and also if your camera have multiple focusing points will also help get a sharper photo.

Pan at the speed of the subject. You can get lots of practice on the streets before race day.

Yes, a mono-pod is a great help to relief tired hands but it still needs practicing as mono-pod can move in any directions if you are not use to it. Otherwise a sturdy tripod will do as it is stable to the 3 legs, just loosen the pan head and and attract panning as the panning will be dead right horizontal provided it's a good ball head. Else, hold the camera with your arms pushed tight into your chest, breathe out slowly as you pan as this will help stabilize the camera.
 

Caspers Human

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Jumping spiders are actually cute! Aren't they? :)
They look like little robots.

If you ever get a chance to make a shot like this again, try a smaller aperture (larger ƒ-number) by one or two stops.
You'll need to use a longer exposure (slower shutter speed) by the same number of stops that you closed up by but it will increase your depth of field and you'll get more detail in the spider's body.

You can also use an on-camera, electronic flash or add more ambient light by opening a window or turning on a lamp.
If you can't do that, use a tripod. If you can't get a tripod, put the camera on something solid like a table or a stack of books.

A few years ago, I shot a scene on the wharf where I live at 10:00 p.m. with nothing but streetlights for lighting.
I was using a vintage Rollieflex camera. It's only got a clockwork mechanism and doesn't even have batteries. I didn't have a tripod. I didn't have a flash gun. My aperture was wide open and my shutter speed would have been off the scale. No WAY I could have taken the shot!

I found a stone park bench, nearby so I set the camera down and put some weight on it. I set the camera on "bulb" tripped the shutter and counted "ten-Mississippi" in my head. I developed the film the next day and worked up a print.

What I got was something that looked like it was right out of a Film-Noir movie. You'd half expect Humphrey Bogart to be standing on the dock.

I entered that photo in a local art show and took Best of Show. A local gallery owner was at the opening reception and he invited me to display the photo in his gallery. He sold that picture, practically, right off the wall.

When all was said and done, I ended up with several hundred bucks in my pocket for a shot that I didn't even think would turn out.

I think that, if you tweak your shot a little bit, you could have a money maker with a picture like that! :)
 

tabbytom

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If you ever get a chance to make a shot like this again, try a smaller aperture (larger ƒ-number) by one or two stops.
You'll need to use a longer exposure (slower shutter speed) by the same number of stops that you closed up by but it will increase your depth of field and you'll get more detail in the spider's body.
The intention for this shot is the focus on the eyes, not the spider's body.
 
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