Moving car shots

[jdeg]

Yesterday I went out to an Autocross event and shot some pics using my 55-200. I considered renting a lens that was a bit faster but decided to see what the lens could do. Overall,the pics aren't bad, but I get the feeling they could've been better. I would've liked to get more background blur and bokeh. Here's a sample:

ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/400 sec
Aperture: 13.0
Focal Length: 200mm

(I know the aperture is too low - highest it can go on this lens is 5.6 @ 200, but with the lower shutter speed in shutter priority mode it was being bumped up - at higher shutter speed, I was getting no motion in the pics at all)

 

[Joseph Bautsch]

Re: Car shots

The only thing you could have done was to use a ND filter to take out some or a lot of the sun light intensity. That would have dropped both the shutter speed and the f/stop into a range that would have given you both the bokeh and motion blur you were looking for. A CPL filter would have given you a 1 1/2 stop reduction in light intensity as well as taken out some of the glare coming off the car. Add a one or two stop ND filter to the set up with the CPL and you would have been in business. My lens uses a 67mm filter. I use a step up ring from 67mm to 72mm. That way I buy 72mm filters and can stack two filters together, a ND and a CPL without getting any vignetting around the corners of the shot. BTW I would also crop out the two half people at the top of the shot. Hope this helps.

 

[jdeg]

Re: Car shots

ah, great suggestions - I don't own a nd filter. Maybe I should get one. I own a cpl, but didn't put it on until later in the day.

 

[Joohn]

The thread title is Moving car shot, so i was looking forward to the move on the car. But it just look like the car was not on the move. All i want to say is, you could have tried to do panning photography there. Can try to click something like below image

Above image has been taken from motivemag.com

 

[Joseph Bautsch]

Jdeg - You really need three ND filters, a one stop, a two stop, and a three stop. They are particularly useful in controlling the intensity of the light the camera sensor is seeing. They are often used to bring down the shutter speed for a motion or movement effect in the shot. In your case they will bring down the shutter speed as well as the f/stop for both bokeh and the motion effect.

 

[Essence of Imagery]

Suggestions - if you're not able to grab the ND filters:

1. Lower ISO - go into L1.0 (if your camera has it) to get ISO 100 - making your sensor less sensitive to light
2. CPL filter - definitely good to go with this
3. Shutter speed - slow it down (say 1/80th or so)
4. Stop down the aperture as far as you need to in order to achieve the slower shutter speed.

I believe that the "bokeh" you're looking for is more of the motion blur as you keep the vehicle sharp, and track the vehicle, which will blur the background.

Another example here:

Shot at 1/80th while panning - hence the motion blur, the wheels are turning, but the vehicle is sharp.

 

[jdeg]

I was panning in most of the shots I took, but with anything below 1/200 shutter speed things were really blurry. The cars weren't even traveling that fast either, especially not as fast as the track cars above.

 

[Essence of Imagery]

The Datsun is at the Empire Sports Car Association auto-x a couple of months ago.

Panning is a technique that you have to practice in order to master. Find a location where you can track the vehicle for a few seconds - get the feel for how fast your hands are moving (use both hands to pan properly), and fire the shutter while continuing to track the vehicle. You'll find yourself naturally continuing to track...
...and with practice, you'll get better.

Hope this helps.

 

[Joseph Bautsch]

Jdeg - My hands are not stable enough to get a shot like that without some help. If you can get the shutter speed down to 1/80 sec then set the camera on a tripod with a video panning head or use a monopod. Also turn the viewfinder grid on. The grid will help you track the car.

 

[ohkphoto]

The cars weren't even traveling that fast

Other than what everyone else suggested, I think this is a main reason that panning didn't give you the results you wanted. Subject has to be moving pretty fast to get the nice blur especially if you can't reduce the shutter speed.

 

[nicktynan]

Car photography is all about practice, especially panning, learning to keep the car in the frame is key..
But on the other hand you dont need to panto get good quality moving pics, its all about getting different perspectives..
All of these pictures were shot through a sigma 70-300 at around 1/200-250 shutter speed
Panning

Oncoming

Outside of corner

Inside of corner

Head on

Or you can tilt the camera for more effect..

Hope this helps a bit
Nick