Carter N's Photography Advice Thread.

[s2kchillin]

looking for any tips. i have a d40. im shooting raw+basic jpeg. i try to match the shutter speed to the speed of the car.
i attempted today to shoot on S mode and the lighting was too dark. on M mode it made it better. but still. any advice? thanks guys.

[s2kchillin]

looking for any tips. i have a d40. im shooting raw+basic jpeg. i try to match the shutter speed to the speed of the car.
i attempted today to shoot on S mode and the lighting was too dark. on M mode it made it better. but still. any advice? thanks guys.

[Carter N]

looking for any tips. i have a d40. im shooting raw+basic jpeg. i try to match the shutter speed to the speed of the car.
i attempted today to shoot on S mode and the lighting was too dark. on M mode it made it better. but still. any advice? thanks guys.

From page 1.

Rolling shots

Rolling shots are achieved by moving along side a vehicle (in another car lol) and using a lower shutter speed to capture the motion. There are a variety of opinions on how to properly do a roller and several 'Rules of thumb' on shutter speed versus car speed. I have never followed these rules so I won't even begin to talk about them.

My general approach to rolling shots is a shutter speed range of 1/20-1/40, the slower the shutter speed the more motion blur created but also the high potential for blurry pictures. Your camera will also need to be in the auto focus mode for tracking. This allows your camera to focus on the car while still blurring the background. On a Canon this is call AI Servo, I am not positive about the name for Nikons, so anyone that knows that off the top of their head can chime in. I also put my camera in to High speed continuous; meaning the camera takes multiple pictures while the shutter release is held down. Depending on the speed of your camera (frames per second, buffering time, etc) will dictate how many photos the camera takes before stopping. Obviously the more shots the camera takes the better as there is a better chance at a sharp capture. This is, as far as I know, the most viable way of taking a rolling shot. It really is a matter of "spray and pray" but obviously a steady hand, smooth road surface, slower car speed, more advance camera come into play when dictating how many of your shots will come out good.


Meaniii | Explored #495 by Carter N, on Flickr

Panning

Panning is the process of capturing motion from a fixed position, i.e. the side of the road lol. To accomplish a successful panning shot you follow the same basic camera setting rules as a roller. The only difference is that you are now moving your body with the car which can create much more unwanted movement when trying to produce a sharp picture. Most professionals capturing motion from a fixed position will use a monopod. Again a steady hand can go a long way towards making this work.


Rollin' through the mountain by Carter N, on Flickr

Rig shots

Rig shots refers to building a rig that is mounted to the car from which the camera is attached and then used to capture background motion. There are literally 1000 million ways to build a rig using a variety of materials. You can purchase kits (but they are usually very expensive) and there are plenty of DIY build threads out there on the internet so if you are interested do a quick google search. A rig shot really is the best way to create an intensely motioned filled image while preserving every detail of the car. The standard rig consists of a long pole (usually aluminum for it's light weight and strength) and suction cups mounted to the car. The camera can be attached the pole via DIY clamps, presold rig mounts, etc. A long shutter speed is used and usually the car is pushed (to reduce flexing of the rig) to create the shot. Obviously having a pole coming off the car will show up in the photo so Photoshop or an equivalent will be necessary to edit it out. The quality of that editing, again, comes through practice but usually with a rig built and attached correctly a simple clone stamp will easily remove the rig.


Slow circles by Carter N, on Flickr

[fli]

A light painting i did on the weekend made it out of about 4 shots...

[indy510]

.
Wow.... thanks alot for the help ...........

[B. Aust]

On a Canon this is call AI Servo, I am not positive about the name for Nikons, so anyone that knows that off the top of their head can chime in.

Continuous Servo AF

[fli]

we all taking this light painting to another level now hey lol if i get time on my hands i'll do the body in the way of the light as well need to see if i can get the hang of it...

so what lights work best for this light painting without seeing the light trails?

[I_R_5m4r7]

i wish i had a really dark place to do some light painting. some of those pics are amazing. plus if u can get them without light trails they look astounding

[Carter N]

so what lights work best for this light painting without seeing the light trails?

Soft white light and an indirect beam are best (a.k.a not a flashlight)... I have had the best results with hand held tube lights.

[fli]

A tube light as in those fluresent one?

they work off a 12v batery hey?

[Carter N]

A tube light as in those fluresent one?

they work off a 12v batery hey?

Yes, and I don't know about the battery.

[Carter N]

Some recent light painting of my own


Auto Expectation's LS1 RX-7 by Carter N, on Flickr

[Carter N]

How's it hanging in the world of picture taking everyone?

[I_R_5m4r7]

just got my wife a D3100, then she left for TN to visit her sister, which means i dont even get to play with the camera i just bought for her

on anotehr note though, once she gets back my car will be worthy of having pictures taken

[07NJx355]

hey carter, any advice on this one, I colored the wheels in lightroom out of boredem