how do i get pics like this...

yodadbl07 · May 27, 2004

i was wondering what settings should my camera be for pics like this:
http://www.joshhurtado.com/Hardcore/NerveAgents/NA925-1.jpg
http://www.joshhurtado.com/Hardcore/NerveAgents/NA1011-3.jpg
http://www.joshhurtado.com/Hardcore/NerveAgents/NA220-4.jpg

i think its just a slower shutter but then wouldnt the background be blurry?? can anyone help

THanks

Garbz · May 27, 2004

not sure the technical name for this but it's basically a slow shutter with a flash either at the begining or at the end.

The background stays pretty sharp providing you stay still and the moving things move. Then flash and a bright image is taken.

Add this all together you get motion blur, a sharp image, and a red eye from the guy in the bottom left.

tr0gd0o0r · May 27, 2004

These photos definitly all use a slow shutter speed, except for maybe the second one.

I'm not too great at this either, but I'm leaning towards saying that the first photo is just a long shutter speed, and the guy just happened to stay in the same spot long enough for it to look relatively focused and he moved into that position causing motion blur. But then theres that person with red eye that makes me wonder. I'm 60-40 on this one.

The second photo really loooks like its double exposed to me. I think the first shot used the technique Garbz described, but there are some shapes that are too big that I don't understand why they're there. That along with the transparent spots in the guy make me wanna say its double exposed.

The third one is just a typical long exposure.

As far as the background becomming blurry on long exposures, if you try to hand hold the camera, yes it will be blurry. You really need a tripod to do shots like this.

aggiezach · May 27, 2004

1st pic - Definitely flash, either front curtain sink or rear curtain sink. It does look more like a rear curtain sink to me.

2nd one I would bet is double exposure as well.

3rd - Yup just a long exposure.

ksmattfish · May 27, 2004

Check this out:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3235

Youngun · May 27, 2004

http://dave.crystalorb.net/campics/smoke/smokelight800-2.jpg

My friend took this with his digital p&s and I checked the specs to see what happened and I think it's an extreme example of the method in those blurred pics. The flash was quick but weak and only lit the immediate foreground (the smoke). Because of night mode the cam used a slow shutter which picked up the lights far away, but the cam was handheld and they're all over the place. looks kewl tho, eh?

Bauhaus · Jun 8, 2004

nerve agents kick ass!

Rainman · Jun 9, 2004

On some cameras there is a setting called slow sync that I believe gives this effect. On manual cameras you can get the same effect by using a slower shutter speed with flash. The slower shutter speed allows the blurring that gives the sense of motion while the brief flash will freeze one instant of crisp image. You would need to experiment with shutter speeds to see what gives the effect you want. You would definitely want to use a tripod or even stationary background object will be blurred, defeating the whole effect.