# Taking pics of moving objects (i.e Cars)



## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

Morning Campers  

Just after tips and advice for taking pics of moving cars, fast moving cars though. 

As you all i know im still learning with my DSLR. 

So any tips, advice will be greatfully received.  

Thanks 

Ben


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

If you get yourself over to www.photography-forum.org, there is a member on there called stink who has done some fantastic panning shots from Santa Pod that may be able to help.

Failing that, i think for panning shots, you focus on the car and move the camera keepng the car in the centre of frame. Use a slightly slower shutter speed and the car should remain sharp while the background has motion blur giving the impression of speed.

I think. Never actually done it mind. I'm sure someone who has will be along in a minute though.


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

hi mate, i regular shoot at motorsport events (rallies) 

first and foremost, what + where are you shooting? - on rallies i tend to get do low (knees on the floor inside bend etc) as i prefer the results from this, but at a track would probably be impossible behnd the barrier

stance - always have your feet/legs/whatever pointing towards the direction of exit of the subject, and only rotate your body from the waist upwards - this helps as it doesn't hinder your movement of tracking the subject (rough diagram)

<<<-----------direction of car


...................^
..................\|...<--(photographer, left leg+foot pointing towards subject exit)

trying doing this standing up with feet parallel together and then try it with one foot pointing a certain direction, much easier to move using the latter method

shutter speed

i always try to use slow shutter speed when shooting motorsport (personally i can't stand "parked cars" ) unless it's an ambience shot where you've incorporated the surrounding aswell

personally is use 1/160 ~ 1/200 depending on the speed they pass you at (may be faster, may be slower - in which case drop the shutter speed to suit

corresponding aperture would be about f/8 on a cloudy day (but again alter to suit judging by what your camera is telling you)

you can always use Shutter Priority if you don't fancy going Manual

ISO speed, try to keep as low as possible to reduce noise - unless the light isn't on you side, then increase to find a happy balance with your desired shutter


Now the taking the photo part, lol

set your camera onto continuous shooting/motordrive
set it to AI-Servo or equivalent continuous auto-focus mode
set it the focus point to the middle one rather than all the af points

so you done test shots of where the car will appear, reviewed the shot and levels look fine on the histogram

now, car comes into view 

point the camera at it, hold the shutter half down to engage auto focus, now track the car trying to keep the middle Auto focus point where you want it and at the same time smoothly moving the camera so as not to lose sight of what you're looking at

when the car is where you want it hold down the shutter button and at the same time continuing moving the camera, as the shutter is engaging you'll probably not be able to see through the viewfinder so this is where the initial tracking motion comes into play - if you tracked it correctly and the same speed as the subject then the shots should come out great, if not then practice and don't worry, another car will be along in a minute to try out on

now try doing that with loeb coming towards you on a blind bend in the rain at 120mph  love it

HTH

drew


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

That'll be him then ^^^^^^^^^^^



Gruffs said:


> I'm sure someone who has will be along in a minute though.


*Skulks off feeling like a right *****.

:lol::lol:


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

Gruffs said:


> That'll be him then ^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> *Skulks off feeling like a right *****.
> 
> :lol::lol:


lmao!! :lol:

you weren't _that_ far off!!! :thumb:


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## gt5500 (Aug 6, 2008)

And if you're going to track, take a bloody step ladder as chain link fence doesn't make the best image!


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Dave^ said:


> lmao!! :lol:
> 
> you weren't _that_ far off!!! :thumb:


Ah, but sometimes in life you just have to bow down to a superior talent.

Bet i can shape the end of a 0.080mm glass capillary better than Buckas though! :lol:


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

gt5500 said:


> And if you're going to track, take a bloody step ladder as chain link fence doesn't make the best image!


too true!!! oulton park and croft have elevations where you can get ok pics if you have a longer lens.... silverstone is awful unless you have a really good zoom lens!!!


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

Gruffs said:


> Ah, but sometimes in life you just have to bow down to a superior talent.
> 
> Bet i can shape the end of a 0.080mm glass capillary better than Buckas though! :lol:


yet i can do neither..... 

lol


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Gruffs said:


> That'll be him then ^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> *Skulks off feeling like a right *****.
> 
> :lol::lol:


lol, you were right in what you said tho :thumb:



Gruffs said:


> Bet i can shape the end of a 0.080mm glass capillary better than Buckas though! :lol:


A what? lol 

drew


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## gt5500 (Aug 6, 2008)

Dave^ said:


> too true!!! oulton park and croft have elevations where you can get ok pics if you have a longer lens.... silverstone is awful unless you have a really good zoom lens!!!


Try Brands then, only about two places where you can get by without a ladder unless they are using the full circuit.


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

i want one of those hi-vis 'media' vests!!!! :lol:

seriously tho, do you have to be from a magazine to get a media pass?

i was up at york raceway last weekend, and one of the 'marshalls' did nothing but take pics, and get in the way of everyone else trying to take pics.....

although i did have to chuckle when he got stupidly close to one car as he did an almighty burnout of epic proportions and choked him to death.....


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

drew, 

in the words of the virgin mary, come again? Thats alot to take in and im not sure I understand it all :lol: 

Im going to be taking pics of 80's and 90's F1 cars aswell as old porches.


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

minimadgriff said:


> aswell as old porches.


they don't move very fast 

which bit you having trouble with? 

drew


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

drew, 

what setting should I have the camera on? its currently on "A"


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

minimadgriff said:


> drew,
> 
> what setting should I have the camera on? its currently on "A"


They way Drew has described the above, he is shooting in Manual. However, like he said you can go to Shutter priority (S mode) the 1/150, 1/200 drew is reffering to is the shutter speed in seconds.

The slower the shutter, the more light gets in so the bits that are moving will blur. However, what you are trying to do is get a balance between the movement of the background/wheels and the sharpness of the cars bodywork. Go too long and everything will blur. Go too short and everything will be still.

The f8 in Drew's post refers to the Aperture (A mode) if you use the S mode on your camera, the aperture will be taken care of for you. Manual mode would allow you to control this as well.

I have only recently learned all this theory and the practice takes a long time so don't be disheartened if the first few are rubbish. It will come. SLR photography is a rewarding skill but it's a lot harder than people think. I was on a thread recently where even the Pros throw more away than they keep. That is the beauty of digital.

hope this helps.

Oh, i assumed you have a Nikon. If not, look at your manual for what symbols represent Shutter, Aperture and Manual modes.


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## siphoto (Apr 20, 2009)

Just remember for that one photo you see in the papers of an F1 race or whatever, the paper had a dozen or so photographers at the venue and they probably shot thousands of photos.So just keep at it.
Even practice panning and shooting pics of cars on the street, it is a great way to practice.


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

Just a couple of recent ones from Silverstone [note:- no fences in view]
These were taken from the elevated banking at Abbey.

I really cant add much more to what Drew has already posted. Absolutely spot on advice:thumb:, and pretty much the technique that I usually adopt. Shutter speeds varied from 160th sec to 1/320th sec retaining a decent sense of movement. Focal length surprisingly was around 135mm. Though I must add, because of the short focal length and arc which the cars take coming towards you and then quickly moving away from you, I picked a point on the track where I knew I wanted to shoot, pre-focused manually on that point and tracked the car in the viewfinder til it hit the spot, then pressed the shutter. Some shots were tracked in continuous [centre] AF, but at times it just couldnt keep up.


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Gruffs said:


> They way Drew has described the above, he is shooting in Manual. However, like he said you can go to Shutter priority (S mode) the 1/150, 1/200 drew is reffering to is the shutter speed in seconds.
> 
> The slower the shutter, the more light gets in so the bits that are moving will blur. However, what you are trying to do is get a balance between the movement of the background/wheels and the sharpness of the cars bodywork. Go too long and everything will blur. Go too short and everything will be still.
> 
> ...





James_R said:


> Just a couple of recent ones from Silverstone [note:- no fences in view]
> These were taken from the elevated banking at Abbey.
> 
> I really cant add much more to what Drew has already posted. Absolutely spot on advice:thumb:, and pretty much the technique that I usually adopt. Shutter speeds varied from 160th sec to 1/320th sec retaining a decent sense of movement. Focal length surprisingly was around 135mm. Though I must add, because of the short focal length and arc which the cars take coming towards you and then quickly moving away from you, I picked a point on the track where I knew I wanted to shoot, pre-focused manually on that point and tracked the car in the viewfinder til it hit the spot, then pressed the shutter. Some shots were tracked in continuous [centre] AF, but at times it just couldnt keep up.


:thumb:

covering a rally tomorrow so will practice what i preach, lol

drew


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

Post 'em up.

Loeb is IMO the greatest driver the world has ever seen. His car control and concentration is phenomenal and almost supernatural.

Would love to see him go round the TG test track.


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

thanks for all the help and info guys. Ill see how I fair tomorrow, then im back to brands next weekend as our race cars are out. so ill be able to get alot of practice in. I'll just be alittle dissapointed it they all turn out crap :lol: 


p.s gruff's, Its a Sony A350 with a 18-200mm lense that im useing.


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

do a few with the 'auto' setting first to get warmed up....

at least then if you make a pigs **** of the (semi)manual ones, you'll still have a few that you can keep :thumb:


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

minimadgriff said:


> thanks for all the help and info guys. Ill see how I fair tomorrow, then im back to brands next weekend as our race cars are out. so ill be able to get alot of practice in. I'll just be alittle dissapointed it they all turn out crap :lol:
> 
> p.s gruff's, Its a Sony A350 with a 18-200mm lense that im useing.


In that case, your P,A,S and M settings are the same as i described above for the Nikon.

'A' being Aperture priority and 'S' being Shutter Priority. 'M' is Manual.

Like Dave says. Reel off the first few laps on Auto. Then have a play on the settings.


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

just like to say thanks again to everyone for there help. Im just leaving to go to Brands and hopefully Ill get some better shots than I have ever got with my compact :lol:


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

minimadgriff said:


> just like to say thanks again to everyone for there help. Im just leaving to go to Brands and hopefully Ill get some better shots than I have ever got with my compact :lol:


Hope you had some good luck with your shots Griff. :thumb:

For the record, I shot over 300 photos on my last trip to Silverstone.

Gotta love digital storage.


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## Dave^ (Mar 22, 2007)

300? is that all? :lol:

my first outing with the D40 i came back with 920pics

second outing was 808!!!

i don't think i saw anything both days without taking at least a dozen pics of it!!! lol


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## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

i took over 400 pics. :lol:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=120186


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