Carli Davidson

“Shake Photo Portfolio”

When Did Action Photography Begin? Eadweard Muybridge was the first photographer to use

action photography to achieve a purpose.

In 1872, the governor of California Leland Stanford, a businessman and race-horse owner, had taken a position on a popularly-debated question of the day: whether all four of a horse's hooves are off the ground at the same time during the trot. Up until this time, most paintings of horses at full gallop showed the front legs extended forward and the hind legs extended to the rear.

In his studies Muybridge used a series of large cameras that used glass plates placed in a line, each one being triggered by a thread as the horse passed. Later a clockwork device was used. The images were copied in the form of silhouettes onto a disc and viewed in a machine called a Zoopraxiscope. This in fact became an intermediate stage towards motion pictures or cinematography.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/The_Horse_in_Motion-anim.gif

Shutter Speed: How long the shutter is open

(Length of Time) –usually expressed in seconds or fractions of

seconds.

FAST ( 1/250 sec) MED ( 1/15 sec) SLOW ( 1/2 sec)

How to Catch Action…

Catching the peak of action with a camera is one of the photographer’s greatest pleasures.

Action photography is only partly about freezing images to make time stand still.

As a skilled photographer you decide what is in focus and what isn’t in focus.

How to Determine Shutter Speed Ask Yourself…

Question 1: How fast is your subject moving?

Question 2: How much distance exists between the

camera and the subject?

Question 3: How much motion do you want your

photograph to convey to the viewer?

Fast Shutter Speed

-The faster the shutter speed, the more frozen and non-blurry your subject will be.

-Examples of fast shutter speeds include 1/500 or 1/1000.

If you camera does not have manual settings the automatic setting icon looks like the running person above.

You will know if you have manual setting if you have an M for manual or the word Manual as a option.

For your manual camera settings, choose your shutter speed first to freeze action (fast shutter speed). Then set your F-stop number to the setting your light meter says makes a correct exposure. It is the opposite method used for DOF.

Shooting in manual allows more control over your final result. If you have manual and automatic settings, shoot in manual.

Shooting outside during the day is recommended. Remember, a fast Shutter Speed lets in less light because the shutter opens and closes quickly.

Subject Shutter Speed

Child Sprinting 1/250

Adult Running 1/250

Adult Sprinting 1/500

Car Moving at 40 MPH 1/500

Car Moving at 80 MPH 1/1000

Fast Racing Car 1/2000

Cyclist 1/500

Diver 1/1000

Trotting Horse 1/250

Galloping Horse 1/1000

*Subjects farther away from the camera require slightly slower shutter speeds. This chart is a rough guide to shutter speed.

Fast Shutter Speed Chart

“Shake”

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Slow Shutter Speed

A slow shutter speed will blur objects in motion.

The slower the shutter speed the more blur.

Examples of slow shutter speeds include 1/4 or 1/8. You must use a tripod or put your camera on solid surface when shooting. NEVER handhold camera below 1/60 shutter speed. If you camera does not have manual settings the automatic setting icon looks like the above right image. It will change the settings for you.

For your manual camera settings, choose your shutter speed first to blur action (slow shutter speed). Then set your F-stop number to the setting your light meter says makes a correct exposure. It is the opposite method used for DOF. Shutter Speed takes priority.

Shooting in manual allows more control over your final result. If you have manual and automatic setting shoot in manual.

Blurred Motion

(Slow Shutter Speeds)

Camera Shake Reminder

Do not go below 1/60 Shutter Speed without a tripod or solid surface to place your camera. It causes camera shake; which is when the entire photo is out of focus.

Problem Solving When you slow your shutter speed to blur elements in

your image, there’s a chance that too much light will enter and impact your photograph. It’s a common problem, but there are a couple of ways to resolve it.

First, check the aperture on your camera. The larger it is, the more likely excess light will enter. Try adjusting the settings to reduce its size.

Second, review the setting of your ISO. When it is set high, the image sensor in your camera may be overly-sensitive to light.

Panning

This method is used to freeze moving subject matter and blur the background at the same time. It is different than frozen action because only the main moving subject is in focus and the background is blurry.

Step 1:

-Start with a shutter speed of 1/125. Then set your F-stop number to the setting your light meter says makes a correct exposure. It is the opposite method used for DOF. Shutter Speed takes priority.

I recommend shooting outdoors. If you only have an automatic digital camera put it on the fast shutter speed setting like the icon on the top right of this box.

Step 2:

-Choose a subject matter that is moving horizontally in front of you. Examples include a running subject, a car driving down the road, a bird flying, and etc.

Step 3:

-Before you begin shooting, imagine where the subject will move during its motion. If the action is a repetitive or continuous movement, like running around the track, you can practice by panning with the camera as they move prior to taking the photograph. To pan, point your camera at your subject matter and focus. Then pivot your hips, not moving your feet and following the moving subject in your viewfinder. Do not let the subject move outside of your viewfinder.

Step 4:

-When your subject gets to a point with a desirable background behind them take the photograph. After you have taken the photograph keep pivoting your hips in the direction of the moving subject to ensure there is no image distortion. This is called follow through. You will know if your panning is successful when the moving subject is in focus and the background is out of focus. This process may take multiple attempts.

The Peak of Action

To get maximum impact into an action picture, you need to add a sense of timing to skillfully use your equipment.

Instead of taking a rapid sequence of pictures in hopes of capturing the peak of action, beforehand study the pattern of the action and anticipate when to push the shutter at the peak of action.

Prefocusing The fast pace of action photography makes

maintaining a clearly focused subjects at all times a challenge.

Pre-focusing is a method to solve meet this challenge.

Step 1- Watch the path of you subject’s motion

Step 2- Select the best point in that path to focus.

Step 3- Anticipate when the subject will reach the point

you have focused on and shoot a fraction of a

second before that moment.