kanai kid

Would like to get some constructive criticism on these. I am looking to try and get the background and foreground out of focus but can't seem to get it. I think that my shutter speed is set to fast but not 100% sure.

TomTomTuning

iTrader: (19)

Nikon D80 and 50mm f1.8, right?

I've never tried using my 50mm prime but using a longer lens wide open will really get the background out of focus. But shooting wide open makes focusing hit or miss.

Most of the time, i shoot Aperture priority & AI Servo focus (not sure what its called on Nikon.
I try to keep my shutter speeds around 1/500, but not to fast that to much actions is frozen.

The best thing to do with side shots like you posted it to pan with it, not sure if your already doing this or not. But it definitely helps.


Heres a few of my recent RC photos.

http://tomjanz.com/Images/xrc/
http://tomjanz.com/Images/richfield/
http://tomjanz.com/Images/pitstop/

I shoot with a 40D, 24-70 f2.8 & 70-200 f2.8IS

kanai kid

Yes I do shoot with the 50mm. I am panning with the car but if i remember correctly i had the f-stop at 1.8 and the iso at 100. I then had to make the shutter very fast so it would not be really bright. I think I was shooting like 1/1000 or quicker.

TomTomTuning

iTrader: (19)

Yea, EXIF data shows the shutter speeds were real fast. 1/1000 +

The images seem a little under exposed, try shooting a few images in "Aperture priority" next time. And just let the camera set your shutter speed for you.

Even though you want the background out of focus, stop down your lens so you have a slower shutter speed. 1/500-1/800 ish.

Saturday i started off shooting F8 ISO100, then by the end of the day i was at F2.8 ISO400. But i was constantly around 1/500 shutter speed.

Do you have any other lenses, besides the 50mm prime?

kanai kid

i have the lens that came with the camera which is the 18-55mm 4.5-5.6. Do you think that I could shoot with that then? I really want to get another higher quality of a lens but don't have the funds right now.

TomTomTuning

iTrader: (19)

You could give it a shot. I use my 24-70 right at a turn and pan. Some of my favorite shots were close up at a turn with a lens like that.

Ive also started filling the frame more with the car, zooming in so more of the car is in the image. It allows you to see more details, and fills empty space. Unless theres some cool action going on between multiple cars, or i want to incorporate part of the track with the image, i try to zoom in the most i can.

Did you check out my galleries?

kanai kid

Yes I did check out your galleries and hope to get pictures like that very soon. I am going up to MN on Labor Day weekend for their X-Fest, formerly known as the R/C X-Games, and hope to take about 1500 pictures through out the weekend. Like I say though, I wish I had a better lens to shoot up there. I guess I will do the best I can with what I have.

Here are a couple others from last weekend also.





I think these turnout a little better but let me know what you think.

TomTomTuning

iTrader: (19)

Action shots are always more interesting then a regular shot of a car.

First one ist blurry. The exposure was 1/2500, F1.8, ISO100.
Your shutter speed was fast enough to "freeze" the subject, so the blurriness is caused by a out of focus image.
Also that object on the right does nothing for the image.

I like the second one, 1/1250, F1.8, ISO100 were the settings.
A chase down is always a great image. Nice!
I think a slower shutter speed would of giving the image more sense of motion.

z50king

iTrader: (14)

you need to sweep along with the car to get the blurry bg and fg look. you can slow the shutter speed as long as you can keep the camera on the car at the same angle while the shutter is open

personally i prefer taking stop-action photos. and i use a 80-300mm lens from far away, gives it that flat look

heres a few i took a couple months ago at the local motocross track. 'the member Pimpin' is driving

this is what you are going for, i believe?


heres a good one of what you are talking about. just sweep the camera with the car as you take the picture. if you do it right the car will stay in focus on the sensor and the fore and back grounds will move across the sensor