10 Tips for Better Camera Panning

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "10 Tips for Better Camera Panning"

Transcription

1 OCTOBER 15, 2018 INTERMEDIATE 10 Tips for Better Camera Panning Perfecting the technique of panning to show motion Featuring NIKON AMBASSADOR DAVE BLACK Okay, no one can guarantee perfect pans, but with practice, patience and a grasp of the basics, dramatic images of subjects in motion are certainly well within reach. Panning is not about movement, it is movement, and that's what makes it challenging: it's the following of a moving subject along its plane of motion. Most often it's a horizontal plane with the subject a runner, a rider, a motorcyclist, a race car. But it could be motion along a vertical plane; think of panning with a diver as she goes from the board to the water. In concept, panning is easy: set your shutter speed to freeze motion or blur it, move your camera with the action and snap the shutter. But it's how you handle the details of the concept that will determine the success of your images. To get to the finer points of those details, we talked with pro shooter, and Nikon Ambassador, Dave Black. Primarily a sports photographer, Dave is always looking for a variety of ways to photograph action, and, he says, "Most of the time following and capturing action means panning." In their general order of importance, here's what Dave has to say about his panning methods and techniques.

2 Dave panned with the surfer's movement and froze the action with a 1/2000 second shutter speed. "He was basically riding a similar style wave every time; he'd paddle out, the wave would break and then he'd do it again." This image and the following surfer photo are examples of situations for which Dave used continuous servo autofocus. D3, AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR mm f/4g IF- ED, 1/2000 second, f/6.3, ISO 1000, manual exposure, Matrix metering. Choosing the Shutter Speed. The first thing workshop students ask Dave is what shutter speed should they use to make their pans. "That depends on how fast your subject is moving," he replies, "and how much motion or speed you want him to appear to have." First, realize that panning with a subject applies even when the desired result is a subject frozen in the midst of motion. "When you've got a subject flashing through the frame, you can't stand still and hope to catch him and freeze him," Dave says. "Pan with him and stop his motion with a fast shutter speed." Slow that shutter speed and his motion isn't stopped, it's evident. But how slow is "slow"? Some guidelines suggest starting at 1/30 or 1/20 second and moving up or down from there. Dave's photos here show those speeds as well as 1/15, 1/6 and 1/4 seconds. As you've probably guessed, experimentation and experience have a lot to do with your shutter speed choices, and there's no substitute for a lot of shooting to build a memory database of what works best in various situations. "My experience allows me to go way down in shutter speed, lower than a lot of people go," Dave says. Regardless of the shutter speed you choose, take this tip with you: "Start moving with your subject before you press the shutter, and continue to move with him after you've pressed it. You want to follow through, just as you would with a golf swing."

3 Simulating the sun, Dave had placed Speedlights to the right side of the track, while sunshine streamed in from the left, behind the rider. "He's coming around a corner and not moving very fast at all, probably not even ten miles an hour." D3X, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8g ED, 1/60 second, f/8, ISO 100, manual exposure, Matrix metering; three Nikon SB-900 Speedlights, SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander. Keeping Something Sharp. "You're striving to have something in the picture sharp," Dave says. "A pan with everything blurry is annoying to people; something has to be sharp to hold their eyes in the picture." If you're photographing, say, track-and-field sprinters, panning with them and shooting at 1/1000 second will freeze them. Choose 1/125 second, though, and focus on one sprinter, and his face will likely be pretty sharp, but his arms and legs will be a blur of motion, as will the background. "If you get two or three elements sharp, chances are you have a keeper," Dave says. No Speedlights for this pan, but there's enough sharpness to almost have a flash look to it. D2X, AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8g IF-ED, 1/5 second, f/13, ISO 250, aperture priority, Matrix metering.

4 Using Flash. To guarantee that something will be sharp, use flash, and set your Speedlight for rear curtain sync, a technique in which the flash fires at the end of the exposure. When you combine rear curtain sync with low shutter speeds, a blur effect resulting from the scene's ambient light combining with the flash gives you flowing-light patterns following your moving subject; the subject's movement will be frozen at the end of the light flow. Dave used rear curtain sync for all the flash photos you see here. He also used three or four Nikon Speedlights for each flash image, but it's important to note that in all instances, only one was needed. Because he had multiple units in a FourSquare softbox already set up for other applications, it was a lot easier for him to simply dial down the power output of each Speedlight rather than remove units from the FourSquare. "In every case where flash was used, one Speedlight would have done the job just fine," Dave says. A final flash note: Dave sets his Speedlights for manual operation and controls their output by increasing or decreasing their power. Rear curtain sync came into play for this shot. Dave used four Speedlights, each set for one-quarter power, in a FourSquare softbox at camera right at the side of the road toward the front of the rider, forming a triangle with Dave and the rider. "I knew where to focus because I watched him drive through several times and locked my focus on the tire tracks on the ground. I knew he'd be within a foot of those tracks." D700, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8g ED, 1/1000 second, Auto FP High Speed Sync, f/4.5, ISO 800, manual exposure, Matrix metering; four SB- 800 Speedlights, SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander. Making a Focus Choice. "I tell people to use whatever autofocus mode or method they feel most comfortable with," Dave says. "When my subject has a consistent line of movement through a specific area, I will sometimes use what sports photographers call zone focus, which is an old photography term that simply means the photographer will pre-focus on a specific area, lock focus on that area and then press the shutter as the subject arrives in that area."

5 For this technique, Dave uses the AF-ON button on the back of his Nikon D-SLR. He touches the button, achieves focus and then by taking his thumb off the button, locks the focus. "This technique allows me to compositionally place the subject anywhere in the frame," he says. And with small aperture f/stops, he's got some depth-of-field insurance coverage. "With my focus locked, all I have to concentrate on is keeping very level and steady and moving smoothly with the subject." For subjects moving in unpredictable ways, he'll choose to track them using AF-C, continuous servo autofocus. Finally, his focus choice has an effect on his framing rate. "Using zone focus I'll generally shoot two frames as my subject passes through the zone. If I'm using continuous focus, I might shoot a burst of five frames." A basic subject, background, tripod-mounted camera setup that's ideal for first efforts at panning. "He's pretty close to the wall and you can see the speed effect of that short distance. If I know where a motorcycle rider is going to be, I prefocus right on the pavement and lock the focus in. If I have control of a subject, I'll set him in the spot I want and then lock focus on him." D3, AF-S NIKKOR mm f/2.8g ED VR II, 1/15 second, f/10, ISO 200, manual exposure, Matrix metering. Hand-Held or Tripod-Mounted? If your subject is on a predictable, "near perfect" plane, a tripod is probably a good idea, and Dave uses a 30-year old Wimberley head on his. But because sports and action events often aren't predictable, he says hand-held is "really good for people to learn." He suggests a solid stance with elbows and arms in, then a flexing of knees and a smooth swing of the body to follow the subject. "It's not a pivot at the waist, but you should try that, too or whatever else you like. Most things involved in panning are a case of whatever works for you, and the more you work at it, the more you'll discover what that is."

6 "You can run faster than he's going, but he's coming at an angle toward the camera and I'm very close to him." D700, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8g ED, 1/25 second, f/11, ISO 200, manual exposure, Matrix metering; three SB-900 Speedlights, SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander. Speedlights at one-eighth power lit the side of his face." The Matter of Distance... The farther the subject is from you, the slower it will appear to be going and the easier it'll be to stay with during your pan. But the closer it is to the background, the more pronounced the appearance, the visual sensation, of speed. These distance calculations will have also have an effect on your lens choices. "If you try to pan a sprinter from a spot near the track with a 50mm lens, it's going to be hard," Dave says. "It's better to get farther away, even up in the grandstand a little bit, and use a mm lens. That way it will appear that he's moving slower, making it easier to pan." The background here is a forest, and you're seeing bits of daylight sky between branches and leaves. There's a curve to the track and the railing, which accounts for the sharp-to-soft look to the railing. "Everything moves here except the stirrup, the saddle and a bit of white design on his helmet; all the rest is motion. I wanted the trees to be the dominating blurred factor."

7 D3X, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8g ED, 1/4 second, f/7.1, ISO 100 manual exposure, Matrix metering....and Background. "The usual idea of needing a clean background when you're shooting sports action doesn't apply when you're panning. It doesn't matter if there's stuff back there it's going to be in motion. And the more stuff, the more motion." "At a Nikon-sponsored Mentor Trek workshop, I had two guys riding back and forth for me. This is a good example of how the subject-to-background and photographer-to-subject distance relationship works. I'm far enough from him to be able to pan with him, and he's close enough to the background to make it appear that he's moving really quickly. For this photo I used Active VR because of the up and down movement of the horse and rider." D800, AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR mm f/2.8g IF-ED, 1/15 second, f/22, ISO 200, manual exposure, Matrix metering. The VR Edge. "The VR [Vibration Reduction] feature in various NIKKOR lenses makes panning a lot more consistent and much easier to accomplish," Dave says, "and your percentage of good pan pictures increases greatly when you use it." The VR function offers two setting choices: Normal and Active. Dave uses Normal for most panning circumstances. Active VR is recommended when a photographer is shooting from a moving vehicle boat, bus, helicopter but Dave often uses the Active mode when he's photographing horses. "Even though I'm just standing there, the horse and rider are kind of moving up and down as they gallop. There's a vertical change in the subject's plane, and I find that in cases like that, Active VR works better for me. I'd say that if there are a lot of moving parts to the subject, like a merry-go-round, try Active, but with a motorcycle rider, a guy running, a race car, Normal is best."

8 For this image Dave chose continuous servo autofocus because he couldn't predict the positions of the riders as they raced around the velodrome. Four Speedlights in a FourSquare softbox, each at one-eighth power, were positioned upper left of the camera. "To create this pan-zoom image I zoomed the lens from 400mm to 200mm as fast as I could, handholding the camera, panning and zooming as I took the shot. With rear curtain sync, I knew some elements were going to be sharp." D3S, AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR mm f/4g IF-ED, 1/6 second, f/13, ISO 640, manual exposure, Matrix metering; four SB-900 Speedlights, SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander. Practice... "It's always best to practice these techniques and choices shutter speed, tripod versus hand-held, Normal and Active VR," Dave says. "I'd start with something fairly slow and manageable. It might be a nice idea to pan with some cars out on the highway, or shoot some track-and-field events; even get somebody to run or ride a bike by you 20 times on the street so you can get a feel for it." Panning needn't be applied only to sports; it can work for nature subjects as well. In this case persistence paid off, as Dave estimates he shot 30 to 40 tripod-

9 assisted images before getting a keeper. "There's just enough beautiful motion from me panning right to left with the water. None of the other photos panning left to right, right to left, with the waves, opposite to them looked like this. With all the techniques there are to help you get a better pan, there are still often mysteries as to why the pictures look the way they do. This is one of those." D3, AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR mm f/4g IF-ED, 1/30 second, f/18, ISO 200, manual exposure, Matrix metering....and Persevere. Don't be surprised if you take ten, 20 or 30 pan pictures to get one really satisfying result. Even with all his experience, Dave didn't accomplish any of the photos here on the first try. One of the motorcyclists rode through the scene ten times; one of the cowboys, 20 times. "Find an opportunity where you can do a lot of repetitions, like a bicycle race," Dave suggests. "They'll go around the track for an hour, and that's a lot of time to practice and perfect your technique. That's how you learn what shutter speeds work for what effects. A slow shutter speed pan with action can be one of the toughest pictures to achieve. Don't give up." [Try this at home: practice panning as cars or bicycles ride by Editor]

10 Recap: Panning Essentials SPEED. Use slow shutter speeds to depict motion. How slow? Check Dave's choices in the file data, but experiment and practice to see what works best for you. SHARPNESS. Something almost anything in the photo should be sharp; more than one element doesn't hurt. Blur means motion, but all blur might be interpreted as a mistake. FLASH. Using your Speedlight guarantees a point of sharpness. Use it with rear curtain sync for a dramatic depiction of motion. FOCUS. Dave likes to lock focus on a zone through which his subject will pass, or use continuous servo autofocus when his subject or subjects are moving in unpredictable ways but it's best to experiment with all focus methods to find your comfort zone. STEADINESS. If there's a predictable path for your subject, a tripod's a good choice. When there's random or unpredictable movement, hand-held is the way to go. Practice to perfect steady, smooth moves. DISTANCE. Subjects far away will appear to be moving more slowly than those close up, thus making them easier to pan with. The closer your subject is to the background, the greater the visual sensation of speed. VR. Use it. PREPARATION. Practice on easy subjects to get started: cars on the road, joggers, skateboarders, bike riders, your dog chasing a ball. It's the best way to determine the shutter speeds, focusing method(s) and pan movement that will do the job for you. There's a treasure trove of tips, techniques and images at Dave's website,

11 Featuring DAVE BLACK As a freelance photographer for over 30 years Dave s work has primarily centered on the sports industry for such publications as Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, ESPN, Olympian Magazine, Parade and The Wall Street Journal. The list of events he has covered includes the Masters, Kentucky Derby, NASCAR, National Football League, and 12 Olympic Games. Known for his creative use of Speedlights and in particular with the artistic technique of Lightpainting, Dave s portfolio continues to broaden into the commercial and advertising industry, Learn more about his work at and view his ambassador page. MORE ARTICLES BY THIS CONTRIBUTOR

Using Auto FP High-Speed Sync to Illuminate Fast Sports Action

Using Auto FP High-Speed Sync to Illuminate Fast Sports Action JANUARY 18, 2018 ADVANCED Using Auto FP High-Speed Sync to Illuminate Fast Sports Action Featuring DAVE BLACK Today s sports photographer not only needs to capture the action, but oftentimes produce a

More information

Chapter 11-Shooting Action

Chapter 11-Shooting Action Chapter 11-Shooting Action Interpreting Action There are three basic ways of interpreting action in a still photograph: Stopping action (42) Blurring movement Combining both in the same image Any

More information

High Speed Sync: A Flash Technique To Add a Pro Touch to Your Photographs

High Speed Sync: A Flash Technique To Add a Pro Touch to Your Photographs DECEMBER 6, 2017 ADVANCED High Speed Sync: A Flash Technique To Add a Pro Touch to Your Photographs Featuring KEVIN KUBOTA Kevin Kubota Kevin needed a fast shutter speed to balance the scene's ambient

More information

Using Auto FP High-Speed Sync to Illuminate Fast Sports Action

Using Auto FP High-Speed Sync to Illuminate Fast Sports Action Using Auto FP High-Speed Sync to Illuminate Fast Sports Action by Today s sports photographer not only needs to capture the action, but oftentimes produce a unique feature image for a client. Using Nikon

More information

As can be seen in the example pictures below showing over exposure (too much light) to under exposure (too little light):

As can be seen in the example pictures below showing over exposure (too much light) to under exposure (too little light): Hopefully after we are done with this you will resist any temptations you may have to use the automatic settings provided by your camera. Once you understand exposure, especially f-stops and shutter speeds,

More information

Camera controls. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority & Manual

Camera controls. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority & Manual Camera controls Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority & Manual Aperture Priority In aperture priority mode, the camera automatically selects the shutter speed while you select the f-stop, f remember the

More information

Quick Tips for Taking Better Portraits

Quick Tips for Taking Better Portraits JANUARY 5, 2019 BEGINNER Quick Tips for Taking Better Portraits Suggested Lens choices, exposure settings and focus modes Featuring GARY SMALL D300, AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/2.8-4d IF lens, 1/30 sec., f/2.8,

More information

Panoramas. Featuring ROD PLANCK. Rod Planck DECEMBER 29, 2017 ADVANCED

Panoramas. Featuring ROD PLANCK. Rod Planck DECEMBER 29, 2017 ADVANCED DECEMBER 29, 2017 ADVANCED Panoramas Featuring ROD PLANCK Rod Planck D700, PC-E Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8d, 1/8 second, f/16, ISO 200, manual exposure, Matrix metering. When we asked the noted outdoor and

More information

Shooting Long Exposures:

Shooting Long Exposures: JULY 4, 2018 INTERMEDIATE Shooting Long Exposures: Slow down your shutter speed for creative, expressive images Featuring NIKON AMBASSADOR DEBORAH SANDIDGE Deborah Sandidge Old Naples Pier, Naples, FL.

More information

Name Digital Imaging I Chapters 9 12 Review Material

Name Digital Imaging I Chapters 9 12 Review Material Name Digital Imaging I Chapters 9 12 Review Material Chapter 9 Filters A filter is a glass or plastic lens attachment that you put on the front of your lens to protect the lens or alter the image as you

More information

Using Your Camera's Settings: Program Mode, Shutter Speed, and More

Using Your Camera's Settings: Program Mode, Shutter Speed, and More Using Your Camera's Settings: Program Mode, Shutter Speed, and More Here's how to get the most from Program mode and use an online digital SLR simulator to learn how shutter speed, aperture, and other

More information

Reach for the Sky: A Breakthrough Telephoto is a Perfect Fit for the Fast Action of Bird Photography

Reach for the Sky: A Breakthrough Telephoto is a Perfect Fit for the Fast Action of Bird Photography JANUARY 20, 2019 INTERMEDIATE Reach for the Sky: A Breakthrough Telephoto is a Perfect Fit for the Fast Action of Bird Photography Featuring NIKON AMBASSADOR KEITH LADZINSKI Keith Ladzinski "There were

More information

Understanding Auto ISO

Understanding Auto ISO FEBRUARY 16, 2018 BEGINNER Understanding Auto ISO Changing ISO on the fly Featuring DIANE BERKENFELD Diane Berkenfeld COOLPIX P510, 1/1000 sec., f/3.1, ISO 100, matrix metering, program. A photographic

More information

Want Better Landscape Photos? First Check Your Definition of "Landscape"

Want Better Landscape Photos? First Check Your Definition of Landscape JUNE 14, 2018 BEGINNER Want Better Landscape Photos? First Check Your Definition of "Landscape" Featuring TONY SWEET Tony Sweet Flatey Island, Iceland. "The further north, the longer the good light lasts,"

More information

JULY 6, Creating A Long Exposure Look Without The Wait or ND Filter

JULY 6, Creating A Long Exposure Look Without The Wait or ND Filter JULY 6, 2018 INTERMEDIATE Creating A Long Exposure Look Without The Wait or ND Filter Featuring NIKON AMBASSADOR MOOSE PETERSON Water has a life, rhythm and romance which, when trying to capture it in

More information

High Dynamic Range Photography

High Dynamic Range Photography JUNE 13, 2018 ADVANCED High Dynamic Range Photography Featuring TONY SWEET Tony Sweet D3, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8g ED. f/22, ISO 200, aperture priority, Matrix metering. Basically there are two reasons

More information

Awesome Skies: Tips and Techniques for Photographing the Northern Lights

Awesome Skies: Tips and Techniques for Photographing the Northern Lights JUNE 29, 2018 INTERMEDIATE Awesome Skies: Tips and Techniques for Photographing the Northern Lights Featuring TOM BOL & ADAM WOODWORTH Tom Bol Tom Bol captured the Aurora coming down like a waterfall as

More information

Mastering Y our Your Digital Camera

Mastering Y our Your Digital Camera Mastering Your Digital Camera The Exposure Triangle The ISO setting on your camera defines how sensitive it is to light. Normally ISO 100 is the least sensitive setting on your camera and as the ISO numbers

More information

NOVEMBER 22, that's going to make the difference between photos you'll want to share and those you'll probably delete.

NOVEMBER 22, that's going to make the difference between photos you'll want to share and those you'll probably delete. NOVEMBER 22, 2018 BEGINNER Best Tips for Sunrise and Sunset Photos Featuring NIKON AMBASSADOR DEBORAH SANDIDGE Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Deb arrived before dawn, and got the shot when the sun

More information

Take Better Portraits

Take Better Portraits SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 BEGINNER Take Better Portraits Learn the elements of a good portrait photograph Featuring GARY SMALL It can't be that difficult, right? Your friend/spouse/child asks you to take his/her

More information

How to Use Long Exposures to Create Compelling Photos of Moving Water

How to Use Long Exposures to Create Compelling Photos of Moving Water APRIL 17, 2019 INTERMEDIATE How to Use Long Exposures to Create Compelling Photos of Moving Water Featuring TONY SWEET No ND filter was necessary for this image of an overcast dawn in Acadia National Park,

More information

Flash Points: The Control of Light

Flash Points: The Control of Light OCTOBER 4, 2018 ADVANCED Flash Points: The Control of Light Three key elements in using photography lighting equipment Featuring LINDSAY SILVERMAN The Nikon Creative Lighting System is built around the

More information

About Me. Randolph Community College Two year degree in Portrait and Studio Management Portraits, Wedding, Events Landscapes with boats - favorite

About Me. Randolph Community College Two year degree in Portrait and Studio Management Portraits, Wedding, Events Landscapes with boats - favorite About Me Randolph Community College Two year degree in Portrait and Studio Management Portraits, Wedding, Events Landscapes with boats - favorite Things Forgotten Check camera settings before each session

More information

Technical Guide Technical Guide

Technical Guide Technical Guide Technical Guide Technical Guide Introduction This Technical Guide details the principal techniques used to create two of the more technically advanced photographs in the D800/D800E catalog. Enjoy this

More information

10 Tips for Shooting Autumn Foliage

10 Tips for Shooting Autumn Foliage FEBRUARY 22, 2019 INTERMEDIATE 10 Tips for Shooting Autumn Foliage A Checklist for Great Fall Color Photos Featuring ROD PLANCK D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8g ED VR II, 1/250 second, f/16, ISO 560, aperture

More information

How to Photograph Fireworks

How to Photograph Fireworks http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/fireworks.htm Home Donate New Search Gallery Reviews How-To Books Links Workshops About Contact How to Photograph Fireworks 2008-2012 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

More information

Shutter Speed. Changing it for creative effects. Monday, 11 July, 11

Shutter Speed. Changing it for creative effects. Monday, 11 July, 11 Shutter Speed Changing it for creative effects 1 What is it? The amount of time your shutter is open The amount of tim you are exposing the light sensitive medium Measured in seconds, 1/4000 is fast, 30

More information

Mothers' Days: Good Timing and Great Locations Result in Memorable Maternity Photographs

Mothers' Days: Good Timing and Great Locations Result in Memorable Maternity Photographs APRIL 12, 2018 INTERMEDIATE Mothers' Days: Good Timing and Great Locations Result in Memorable Maternity Photographs Featuring BETH WADE Beth Wade Shot in the studio against a custom-made floral wall background.

More information

5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN T KNOW ABOUT CAMERA SHUTTER SPEED

5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN T KNOW ABOUT CAMERA SHUTTER SPEED Photzy 5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN T KNOW ABOUT CAMERA SHUTTER SPEED Quick Guide Written by Kent DuFault 5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN T KNOW ABOUT CAMERA SHUTTER SPEED // PHOTZY.COM 1 There are a few things

More information

Table of Contents. 1. High-Resolution Images with the D800E Aperture and Complex Subjects Color Aliasing and Moiré...

Table of Contents. 1. High-Resolution Images with the D800E Aperture and Complex Subjects Color Aliasing and Moiré... Technical Guide Introduction This Technical Guide details the principal techniques used to create two of the more technically advanced photographs in the D800/D800E brochure. Take this opportunity to admire

More information

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SETTINGS ON YOUR CAMERA!

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SETTINGS ON YOUR CAMERA! Chapter 4-Exposure ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SETTINGS ON YOUR CAMERA! Exposure Basics The amount of light reaching the film or digital sensor. Each digital image requires a specific amount of light to

More information

Introduction to Digital Photography

Introduction to Digital Photography Introduction to Digital Photography with Nick Davison Photography is The mastering of the technical aspects of the camera combined with, The artistic vision and creative know how to produce an interesting

More information

Photographing the Night Sky

Photographing the Night Sky JANUARY 20, 2018 ADVANCED Photographing the Night Sky Featuring STEVE HEINER, DIANA ROBINSON, PETE SALOUTOS & DEBORAH SANDIDGE Deborah Sandidge Nikon D3, 16mm lens, 30 sec., f/2.8. Image is one of a series

More information

How to Photograph Fireworks

How to Photograph Fireworks How to Photograph Fireworks Whether you're celebrating Independence Day, Guy Fawkes Day, or Diwali, it's always tempting to take pictures of the fireworks exploding in air. After all, a good firework show

More information

Macro Photography Tips: Photographing Insects and Other Small Creatures

Macro Photography Tips: Photographing Insects and Other Small Creatures MAY 7, 2018 BEGINNER Macro Photography Tips: Photographing Insects and Other Small Creatures Featuring DIANE BERKENFELD, KRISTINA KROOT & LINDSAY SILVERMAN Lindsay Silverman D300S, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8g,

More information

Digital Photography Level 3 Camera Exposure Settings

Digital Photography Level 3 Camera Exposure Settings The basics of Photography Digital Photography Level 3 Camera Exposure Settings We are now going into photographic shoot modes that are common to most cameras. Some cameras may have more modes and some

More information

Working Notes Section One - Better Photos

Working Notes Section One - Better Photos Working Notes Section One - Better Photos These notes are written to complement the material presented in the Nikon School of Photography Section One seminar rather than as stand-alone text. While the

More information

Motion Photography. 11 th April 2011 Langbank Camera Club Gary Ramanathan

Motion Photography. 11 th April 2011 Langbank Camera Club Gary Ramanathan Motion Photography 11 th April 2011 Langbank Camera Club Gary Ramanathan Motion Photography is the art of recording dynamic objects on a film or a digital sensor. In digital Photography it is also possible

More information

Photography Help Sheets

Photography Help Sheets Photography Help Sheets Phone: 01233 771915 Web: www.bigcatsanctuary.org Using your Digital SLR What is Exposure? Exposure is basically the process of recording light onto your digital sensor (or film).

More information

ACTION AND PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY

ACTION AND PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY ACTION AND PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY These notes are written to complement the material presented in the Nikon School of Photography Action and People Photography class. Helpful websites: Nikon USA Nikon Learn

More information

PHOTOGRAPHY Mohamed Nuzrath [MBCS]

PHOTOGRAPHY Mohamed Nuzrath [MBCS] PHOTOGRAPHY Mohamed Nuzrath [MBCS] Coordinator HND IT / Senior Lecturer IT BCAS Kandy Campus Freelance Photographer Freelance Web/Software Developer PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO - Light GRAPHY Drawing PHOTOGRAPHY

More information

Best Camera Manual Lens For Nikon D3100 Beginner

Best Camera Manual Lens For Nikon D3100 Beginner Best Camera Manual Lens For Nikon D3100 Beginner The flash can be used on the camera hot shoe, either as direct flash or as This bounce reflection becomes a large soft light, from a better direction (not

More information

Photographing your dog running towards you.

Photographing your dog running towards you. Photographing your dog running towards you. There is a reason that I didn t start off with action. You need a strong foundation in the other aspects of photography. The guidelines here are based on the

More information

ATIVE FLASH & LIGHT. 2. Next, focus on your subject, and read the focused-upon distance (the flash-tosubject distance) on the lens barrel.

ATIVE FLASH & LIGHT. 2. Next, focus on your subject, and read the focused-upon distance (the flash-tosubject distance) on the lens barrel. 10. To make sure you've hooked everything up properly, turn the flash unit on, wait for the ready light to come on (with many of today's cameras, a flash-ready light in the viewfinder will light, so you

More information

Canon 5d Mark Ii How To Change Aperture In Manual Mode >>>CLICK HERE<<<

Canon 5d Mark Ii How To Change Aperture In Manual Mode >>>CLICK HERE<<< Canon 5d Mark Ii How To Change Aperture In Manual Mode Is it normal for the Canon 5D MarkII to change the shutter speed when you over shutter speed, set your camera to shutter priority mode or manual mode.

More information

Moving Beyond Automatic Mode

Moving Beyond Automatic Mode Moving Beyond Automatic Mode When most people start digital photography, they almost always leave the camera on Automatic Mode This makes all the decisions for them and they believe this will give the

More information

Composing Photographs

Composing Photographs JANUARY 18, 2018 BEGINNER Composing Photographs Creatively photographing a salt marsh Featuring DIANE BERKENFELD In addition to zooming in on the details of the salt marsh, remember to take wide shots

More information

Aperture Explained. helping you to better understand your digital SLR camera SLR PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE

Aperture Explained. helping you to better understand your digital SLR camera SLR PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE Aperture Explained helping you to better understand your digital SLR camera SLR PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE WELCOME 1 helping you to better understand your digital SLR camera. This 4 part series will cover Aperture,

More information

Seniors Photography Workshop

Seniors Photography Workshop Seniors Photography Workshop Some images stand out from the crowd & make viewers say WOW! Today we will look at how you can give your images that WOW Factor.. So let s think about what makes an

More information

Nikon Launches All-New, Advanced Nikon 1 V2 And Speedlight SB-N7. 24/10/2012 Share

Nikon Launches All-New, Advanced Nikon 1 V2 And Speedlight SB-N7. 24/10/2012 Share Nikon Launches All-New, Advanced Nikon 1 V2 And Speedlight SB-N7 24/10/2012 Share Email TOKYO - Nikon Corporation released the Nikon 1 V2 today, the latest addition to its popular Nikon 1 V series of advanced

More information

How to Read Your NIKKOR Lens Barrel

How to Read Your NIKKOR Lens Barrel NOVEMBER 17, 2018 INTERMEDIATE How to Read Your NIKKOR Lens Barrel By BARRY TANENBAUM What I see through a NIKKOR lens is never an issue; it's whatever I choose. But what I see on a NIKKOR lens can be

More information

A Beginner s Guide To Exposure

A Beginner s Guide To Exposure A Beginner s Guide To Exposure What is exposure? A Beginner s Guide to Exposure What is exposure? According to Wikipedia: In photography, exposure is the amount of light per unit area (the image plane

More information

Best Camera Setting For No Flash Indoor >>>CLICK HERE<<<

Best Camera Setting For No Flash Indoor >>>CLICK HERE<<< Best Camera Setting For No Flash Indoor Wedding Photography Our essential guide to wedding photography gives you everything you need. You may not be a professional, but there's no reason why you can't

More information

Why Prime NIKKORs Are Now My Prime Traveling Companions

Why Prime NIKKORs Are Now My Prime Traveling Companions JANUARY 3, 2018 BEGINNER Why Prime NIKKORs Are Now My Prime Traveling Companions Featuring TOM BOL Tom Bol I took this in late morning in Las Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile. Patagonia is known

More information

Dusk Photography. The Blue 15 minutes. Presented to Charlottesville Camera Club June 29, 2011 Deb Snelson 2011

Dusk Photography. The Blue 15 minutes. Presented to Charlottesville Camera Club June 29, 2011 Deb Snelson 2011 Dusk Photography The Blue 15 minutes Presented to Charlottesville Camera Club June 29, 2011 Deb Snelson 2011 It s All about When Gorgeous Blue sky Only lasts about 15 minutes Cannot be seen by the naked

More information

FOCUS, EXPOSURE (& METERING) BVCC May 2018

FOCUS, EXPOSURE (& METERING) BVCC May 2018 FOCUS, EXPOSURE (& METERING) BVCC May 2018 SUMMARY Metering in digital cameras. Metering modes. Exposure, quick recap. Exposure settings and modes. Focus system(s) and camera controls. Challenges & Experiments.

More information

To start there are three key properties that you need to understand: ISO (sensitivity)

To start there are three key properties that you need to understand: ISO (sensitivity) Some Photo Fundamentals Photography is at once relatively simple and technically confusing at the same time. The camera is basically a black box with a hole in its side camera comes from camera obscura,

More information

Better Sports Photography

Better Sports Photography NOVEMBER 17, 2017 ADVANCED Better Sports Photography Settings to use to freeze the action When photographing sports, you can set your camera to specific settings in an effort to match the camera settings

More information

Does Exposure Compensation Work In Manual Mode

Does Exposure Compensation Work In Manual Mode Does Exposure Compensation Work In Manual Mode Jul 30, 2014. In Manual mode, exposure compensation is apparently unavailable via the of zoom)so does this provide a means of setting exposure compensation

More information

Moose Peterson: How to Photograph Winter Landscapes

Moose Peterson: How to Photograph Winter Landscapes JULY 6, 2018 INTERMEDIATE Moose Peterson: How to Photograph Winter Landscapes Nevada City, Montana, D3X, AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4g ED, 1/1500 second, f/1.4, ISO 200, aperture priority, Matrix metering When

More information

Introduction to camera usage. The universal manual controls of most cameras

Introduction to camera usage. The universal manual controls of most cameras Introduction to camera usage A camera in its barest form is simply a light tight container that utilizes a lens with iris, a shutter that has variable speeds, and contains a sensitive piece of media, either

More information

So far, I have discussed setting up the camera for

So far, I have discussed setting up the camera for Chapter 3: The Shooting Modes So far, I have discussed setting up the camera for quick shots, relying on features such as Auto mode for taking pictures with settings controlled mostly by the camera s automation.

More information

Chapter 6-Existing Light Photography

Chapter 6-Existing Light Photography Chapter 6-Existing Light Photography All of these images were taken with available light. Painting with light-using available light Photography that includes artificial light which naturally exists in

More information

Part One In The Camera A Beginner s Guide to Improving Your Photography by John Strung

Part One In The Camera A Beginner s Guide to Improving Your Photography by John Strung Part One In The Camera A Beginner s Guide to Improving Your Photography by John Strung New members to the club are often puzzled as to why their wonderful images score only 18s in the club competitions

More information

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERA SETUP PAGE 1 CAMERA SETUP MODE

PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERA SETUP PAGE 1 CAMERA SETUP MODE PAGE 1 MODE I would like you to set the mode to Program Mode for taking photos for my assignments. The Program Mode lets us choose specific setups for your camera (explained below), and I would like you

More information

CAMERA BASICS. Stops of light

CAMERA BASICS. Stops of light CAMERA BASICS Stops of light A stop of light isn t a quantifiable measurement it s a relative measurement. A stop of light is defined as a doubling or halving of any quantity of light. The word stop is

More information

Best Camera Manual Lens For Nikon D90 Weddings

Best Camera Manual Lens For Nikon D90 Weddings Best Camera Manual Lens For Nikon D90 Weddings HELP I just purchased the Nikon D7100 to replace my Nikon D300. Now a PRO photographer says be used to shoot weddings. Should I return the camera? So, this

More information

KNOW YOUR CAMERA LEARNING ACTIVITY - WEEK 9

KNOW YOUR CAMERA LEARNING ACTIVITY - WEEK 9 LEARNING ACTIVITY - WEEK 9 KNOW YOUR CAMERA Tina Konradsen GRA1 QUESTION 1 After reading the appropriate section in your prescribed textbook From Snapshots to Great Shots, please answer the following questions:

More information

Setting Up Your Canon 5d Mark Ii For Wedding Photography

Setting Up Your Canon 5d Mark Ii For Wedding Photography Setting Up Your Canon 5d Mark Ii For Wedding Photography However, if you spent any time shooting the Canon 5d Mark II you will feel However, for us as wedding photographers we can keep up with the action

More information

Fun, friendship. President s Report

Fun, friendship. President s Report October Fun, friendship and Learning President s Report The Shutterbug Report Buy, Swap, Sell Hi Everyone As you are all probably aware the Hilltops Council has put forward plans to build a much needed

More information

Drive Mode. Details for each of these Drive Mode settings are discussed below.

Drive Mode. Details for each of these Drive Mode settings are discussed below. Chapter 4: Shooting Menu 67 When you highlight this option and press the Center button, a menu appears at the left of the screen as shown in Figure 4-20, with 9 choices represented by icons: Single Shooting,

More information

The goal of this weekly challenge is to get comfortable with adjusting the shutter speed and ISO.

The goal of this weekly challenge is to get comfortable with adjusting the shutter speed and ISO. The goal of this weekly challenge is to get comfortable with adjusting the shutter speed and ISO. ISO is really just a setting to determine how quickly an image will be captured, the higher the ISO the

More information

Nikon D750 ISO 200 1/60 sec. f/ mm lens

Nikon D750 ISO 200 1/60 sec. f/ mm lens Nikon D750 ISO 200 1/60 sec. f/16 20 35mm lens 10 Creative Focus Sometimes tack-sharp focus isn t what you want for an image or for an entire image to tell the story you envision. What you focus on and

More information

Get the Shot! Photography + Instagram Workshop September 21, 2013 BlogPodium. Saturday, 21 September, 13

Get the Shot! Photography + Instagram Workshop September 21, 2013 BlogPodium. Saturday, 21 September, 13 Get the Shot! Photography + Instagram Workshop September 21, 2013 BlogPodium Part One: Taking your camera off manual Technical details Common problems and how to fix them Practice Ways to make your photos

More information

Love Your Camera (Introduction to D-SLR)

Love Your Camera (Introduction to D-SLR) Love Your Camera (Introduction to D-SLR) Photography Workshops and Tours in New York City Phone: (646) 736-3231 Email: info@rememberforever.co Web: www.rememberforever.co Copyright 2009-2013 - Remember

More information

Shutter Speed. Introduction. Lesson Four. A quick refresher:

Shutter Speed. Introduction. Lesson Four. A quick refresher: Introduction Last week we introduced the concept of the Exposure Triangle and the goal to achieve correct exposure in our images, in other words...the image has enough light to best show off our subject

More information

AF Area Mode. Face Priority

AF Area Mode. Face Priority Chapter 4: The Shooting Menu 71 AF Area Mode This next option on the second screen of the Shooting menu gives you several options for controlling how the autofocus frame is set up when the camera is in

More information

IMAGES OF MOVING SUBJECTS

IMAGES OF MOVING SUBJECTS IMAGES OF MOVING SUBJECTS Capturing images of a scene where one or more subjects are in motion Charles Ginsburgh - Fotoclave 2017 (November 4 th, 2017 ) As you view these Images, think about What the Story

More information

Your objective: maximum control, maximum manageability

Your objective: maximum control, maximum manageability Your objective: maximum control, maximum manageability Know how the light works Know how photography works Know the camera you re using Making the most of what you have to work with. ISO This is the first

More information

APRIL 17, The D850 is the best of both worlds: image quality and the look of medium format when I want it.

APRIL 17, The D850 is the best of both worlds: image quality and the look of medium format when I want it. APRIL 17, 2019 INTERMEDIATE D850: Power Player Featuring DIXIE DIXON The D850 is the best of both worlds: image quality and the look of medium format when I want it. "This was a natural-light shot using

More information

Tips for Digital Photographers

Tips for Digital Photographers Introduction to In my Tips for Digital Photographers outlining shutter speed and f-stop settings we discuss how these two settings are a basis for good creative photography. Shutter speed combined with

More information

Think About Your Subject Before You Begin Shooting

Think About Your Subject Before You Begin Shooting NOVEMBER 11, 2018 INTERMEDIATE Think About Your Subject Before You Begin Shooting Featuring DAVID MIDDLETON David Middleton David Middleton David Middleton is a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens See the picture,

More information

David Busch's Canon Powershot G12 Guide To Digital Photography (David Busch's Digital Photography Guides) Free Ebooks PDF

David Busch's Canon Powershot G12 Guide To Digital Photography (David Busch's Digital Photography Guides) Free Ebooks PDF David Busch's Canon Powershot G12 Guide To Digital Photography (David Busch's Digital Photography Guides) Free Ebooks PDF The Canon PowerShot G12 is the most advanced pocket-sized digital camera Canon

More information

Photography for the Lighting Designer

Photography for the Lighting Designer Photography for the Lighting Designer Lighting designers not only have the challenge of creating emotion, space, motion, and a pretty image but we also have the challenge of selling our services to the

More information

Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners Group

Buxton & District U3A Digital Photography Beginners Group U3A Group Lesson 7: Controlling exposure / focal length / perspective / composition for a better picture & Taking Pictures of people 3 December 2013 Programme Buxton & District 19 September Exploring your

More information

Beyond the Basic Camera Settings

Beyond the Basic Camera Settings Beyond the Basic Camera Settings ISO: the measure of a digital camera s sensitivity to light APERTURE: the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken SHUTTER SPEED: the amount of time that

More information

Photography. Taking better photos

Photography. Taking better photos Photography Taking better photos Composition Composition is the arrangement of the visual elements of the photograph, such as Geometric elements, such as lines, shapes, and curves Contrasts of tone, color,

More information

DSLR Essentials: Class Notes

DSLR Essentials: Class Notes DSLR Essentials: Class Notes The digital SLR has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Many are enjoying the superior photographic experiences provided by these feature packed cameras. Interchangeable

More information

Abstract & Creative Landscapes Using Intentional Camera Movement. with Stephanie Johnson

Abstract & Creative Landscapes Using Intentional Camera Movement. with Stephanie Johnson Abstract & Creative Landscapes Using Intentional Camera Movement with Stephanie Johnson Seeing Things Differently Beyond Form Abstract photographic images, created through the applied use of ICM, show

More information

Introductory Photography

Introductory Photography Introductory Photography Basic concepts + Tips & Tricks Ken Goldman Apple Pi General Meeting 26 June 2010 Kenneth R. Goldman 1 The Flow General Thoughts Cameras Composition Miscellaneous Tips & Tricks

More information

The Basic SLR

The Basic SLR The Basic SLR ISO Aperture Shutter Speed Aperture The lens lets in light. The aperture is located in the lens and is a set of leaf like piece of metal that can change the size of the hole that lets in

More information

Study guide for Photography / Understanding the SLR Camera

Study guide for Photography / Understanding the SLR Camera Study guide for Photography / Understanding the SLR Camera The most important technical step to a good print is a good negative. The key to a good negative is correct film exposure. Three variables control

More information

Improve Your Photography by using Simple Camera Settings and Techniques

Improve Your Photography by using Simple Camera Settings and Techniques Improve Your Photography by using Simple Camera Settings and Techniques Francis J Pullen 2012 +44 (0)7768 364 567 images@francispullen.co.uk www.francispullen.co.uk Introduction Digital Cameras offer tremendous

More information

Digital Matrix User s Guide

Digital Matrix User s Guide Digital Matrix User s Guide Dear Legacy2Digital Customers: Our hope is that you fully enjoy using your modified manual focus Nikon or third party lens on your DSLR camera and that our conversion meets

More information

Digital camera modes explained: choose the best shooting mode for your subject

Digital camera modes explained: choose the best shooting mode for your subject Digital camera modes explained: choose the best shooting mode for your subject On most DSLRs, the Mode dial is split into three sections: Scene modes (for doing point-and-shoot photography in specific

More information

aperture, shutter speed

aperture, shutter speed CUDGEGONG C A M E R A C L U B aperture, shutter speed and ISO exposure When you think of the craft or art of photography, you must immediately think of exposure. Exposure is a critical element that determines

More information

Meeting Agenda. Meeting Agenda. March 3, 2010 Hobbyists Camera Club. Welcome Assignment Submissions

Meeting Agenda. Meeting Agenda. March 3, 2010 Hobbyists Camera Club. Welcome Assignment Submissions Meeting Agenda March 3, 2010 1 Meeting Agenda Welcome Assignment Submissions A photo tip Photographing Snow Picasa3 Hands-on Next Meeting Dates Steve Simon s sample photos Tips to became a better photographer

More information

Source: (January 4, 2010)

Source:   (January 4, 2010) Source: http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/101/cat/12 (January 4, 2010) Name Nikon 105mm ƒ/2d AF DC Nikkor Image Circle 35mm Type Telephoto Prime Defocus Control Focal Length 105mm

More information

A collection of example photos SB-900

A collection of example photos SB-900 A collection of example photos SB-900 This booklet introduces techniques, example photos and an overview of flash shooting capabilities possible when shooting with an SB-900. En Selecting suitable illumination

More information

Home Search Gallery How-To Books Links Workshops About Contact The Zone System 2006 KenRockwell.com INTRODUCTION Zones are levels of light and dark. A Zone System is a system by which you understand and

More information