Speed/Fast Illusion

cwgrizz

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
This is more of an opinion question than anything else, I guess.

When looking for the best portrayal of speed in a photo which of the two following methods gives the best illusion?

1. I know that panning with the moving object (car, bike, etc) and done correctly the background is blurred and the object is sharp.

2. The second method is to use a slow shutter speed and photograph the object (car, bike, etc) so it is blurred as it passes through the scene and the background is sharp.

When would you use one method over the other and why?

Thanks
 
kevy73

kevy73

Senior Member
I would always want my subject sharp. If you want the subject to be a building with moving things in front, go the slow shutter speed, if you wanted to show a fast car, I would go the panning method.
 
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dennybeall

Senior Member
Like most of the things we try you just have to do both and see which one you like the best at the time. If I had to do just one thing I'd want the subject sharp so would try panning first. That said - what is the subject? Is it the race car or the race track?
 
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Eyelight

Senior Member
I just gotta say, what Don K said.:cool:

Seriously though, the subject will make a difference. Showing speed of a car may not play out well when showing speed of a cheetah or vice versa. Some shots will show movement and speed from dirt or snow or people flying away from the object of speed when there isn't as much background blur. An animals position may scream speed.

There's also the option of blurring and freezing the subject using rear curtain sync for the flash.
 
cwgrizz

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Thanks again, I hear what Don said, Moab Man said and Kevy said (and now Eyelight). Ha! I do understand the desired subject being sharp.

Now for more details. The subject I have in mind is a truck going down a dirt road. The problem with trying various shots is that it only passes by one time each day (and that is about the only reliable traffic out here and it is not so you can set your watch by when it passes). Ha! Some days the dust flies more than others. The idea was to have the truck appear to be going faster than it actually is for the "Speeeeeeed" illusion. My original idea was to shoot in a slow shutter speed for the truck to be blurred and dust and background sharp. Then I started seeing photos of cars racing where they are sharp and the background is blurred. In my mind I am having trouble deciding which scenario will present a better illusion of speed. The only real subject is speed. Hope that helps explain.
 
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Eyelight

Senior Member
Shooting a relatively sharp subject and blurred background, the shutter speed needs to be fast enough to freeze the subject being panned but slow enough that the pan blurs the background. Somewhere I have a calculate gizmo that figures some of this I think. I will look.

Truck would be too big for the flash rear sync trick, but you might be able to blend two shots together.
 
cwgrizz

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Eyelight said:
Truck would be too big for the flash rear sync trick, but you might be able to blend two shots together.
Click to expand...

The Rear Sync Flash did cross my mind, but left for the reason you stated. Ha!

Blending two pictures together would be all but impossible. Like I said, only one pass per day of the vehicle and I have no control over that (when and conditions). Ha! My ideal photo (in my mind anyway) would be for the front of the truck to be sharp and the back 1/2 blurred and tailed by dust flying.

Stay tuned. It may come one day. Ha!
 
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wornish

Senior Member
cwgrizz said:
Thanks again, I hear what Don said, Moab Man said and Kevy said (and now Eyelight). Ha! I do understand the desired subject being sharp.

Now for more details. The subject I have in mind is a truck going down a dirt road. The problem with trying various shots is that it only passes by one time each day (and that is about the only reliable traffic out here and it is not so you can set your watch by when it passes). Ha! Some days the dust flies more than others. The idea was to have the truck appear to be going faster than it actually is for the "Speeeeeeed" illusion. My original idea was to shoot in a slow shutter speed for the truck to be blurred and dust and background sharp. Then I started seeing photos of cars racing where they are sharp and the background is blurred. In my mind I am having trouble deciding which scenario will present a better illusion of speed. The only real subject is speed. Hope that helps explain.
Click to expand...

This is a job for Photoshop to come to the rescue. There are a number of options but this is what I would do.
Take sharp picture of the truck using panning and then in Photoshop create a copy of the shot on a new layer, Add a mask to this new layer. Then select the image on the second layer and apply Filter - Blur - Motion Blur to get the effect you want this will also blur the truck. Then get a soft Brush, set colour to black and select the mask on the second layer paint on this where you want the sharp picture of the truck to re appear this will block out the motion blur on what ever is painted. Don't over do the blur or it looks false. It needs a little patience. You can easily swap the color of the brush between black and white to fine tune the edges.
 
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Lawrence

Senior Member
Yes photoshop could do the trick - just don't ask me how. :)

As an aside take a look at this link.

Scroll down (quite a way down - under "Open A Grade Digital") until you get to the motorbike flying through the air. Its a great shot with nothing in focus but tells the story of speed very well.
 
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sonicbuffalo_RIP

Senior Member
To get all you want in te photo, I would do the pano....but I think you're going to miss getting the rear of the truck blurred going that route. I think I know what you're trying to do (in my mind), but I can't really tell you how to accomplish the rear of the truck being blurred. The slower shutter speed will probably do that, but might not give the overall impression of speed that a panned shot will. I suggest you try the different methods on any old car or truck first and work on your formula, and get it right before taking the shot of the particular truck you want. Trial shots if you will. You'll see the results of those and then be able to decide which will work best for YOUR original idea. Hope this helps. Good luck. Can't wait to see the final result.
 
cwgrizz

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
You all have given me some great ideas on how to handle this. I never gave PP a thought, but that may be the best solution. Pano and then PP to get the blur I am looking for. Now to go stand along the road and wait for a couple of days for someone to pass by. Ha!

Thanks to all for your input!
 
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Eyelight

Senior Member
Two shots. One with the truck froze in place and another as soon as the truck is out of frame.

Cut the truck from the image, layer it onto the other and then blur and/or stretch, skew distort (<< I get these mixed up) the truck as desired.

You could move some of the dust flying and/or clone it where you want it.
 
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wornish

Senior Member
I just Googled - Speeding Truck Images
and came up with these .

Is this the effect you were thinking of.

Screen Shot 2015-03-17 at 16.20.27.jpg
 
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