How to i take better motorsports photos?

mel3535 · Jan 23, 2013

Hello, so i just joined the forum. I was wondering how to take better( more clear and in focus) photos of moving objects, in my case mostly motorcycles. I am trying to get the main target in focus while blurring the background, and while i am some what succesful sometimes,i can really seem to get the hang of it. Here are some of my pics.

How do i get pictures like these to come out better? I want the target of the shot to be more in focus.

This was seems to be somewhat ok.

Here are just some of my other pictures in general.

Denon · Jan 23, 2013

You should try panning, this is a technique where you follow your subject with the camera as the subject moves.

Select a lower shutterspeed(around 1/30 - 1/40), this depends on how fast your subjects are moving. Motorsport can sometimes be pretty fast so you may end up using a shutterspeed around 1/60 - 1/80. Is it a bright sunny day I recommend you to get a ND filter that allows you to slow down your shutterspeed.

When the subject comes towards you, then you smoothly follow your subject with the camera. Use continuous auto focus(AF-C) on your camera to let the camera track the subjects as you are panning.

It's a technique that requires practice so just go out and shoot and have fun the shots will improve.

MitchStrp · Jan 23, 2013

Read an article about taking better motorsports today and if you want very nice clear photos shoot from and oncoming angle. if you shoot from the side with a fast shutter speed it looks as if the object in motion is parked which is boring. If you shoot from the from, You can shoot with low shutter speed not worry about motion blue or panning and still get a great in focus shot and still distort the background! Give it a try, Im actually anxious to try it myself. Kind of a different technique from what I read.

weepete · Jan 23, 2013

I could be wrong but I think you probably need to use a faster shutter speed and a lower f stop. The couple of pics I looked at were taken at 1/250 and 1/350 sec at f14 and f9.0. Try a couple of shots at f4 or there abouts and as fast a shutter speed as you can get. it wouldn't suprise me if you need a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec or more to freeze the motion of bikes

EIngerson · Jan 23, 2013

What weepete said. Take your wheel off of the green box and put it on AV. Also use single point AF and AI Serv

n the Rebels I would bump the ISO up to 400 also.

ph0enix · Jan 23, 2013

Some thoughts:
Use the spot meter to get your exposure reading off the subject. It looks like you're losing a lot of detail in the shadows since your camera is evaluating and averaging the light in the entire scene.
Use flash to illuminate the subject and stop motion, then the shutter speed to control the ambient light - underexpose the background some to make the subject stand out.
Try shooting in the morning or evening hour to avoid the harsh mid-day sun.
Find more interesting angles.

12sndsgood · Jan 23, 2013

Panning is the way to go. find you a good spot and start practicing. you can use a monopod to help with stabilisation. I will start out around 1/200 and then slowly work the shutterspeed longer and longer as I get the hang of things eventually getting down into the 1\50th a sec or lower if possible.