In Motion - comments appreciated

[vonnagy]

Ok folks, there was the 'run around the bay' this morning and I thought it would be fun to try to get some blurred motion shots. I've never really tried panning before, most of the time I just stand still and let the subject blur itself. So here are my feeble attempts to pan motion:

f/16
shutter: 1/6

f/11
shutter: 1/8

Well, at this point I should have gone for sharpness instead of blurring, i think these last 2 shots would have come out better if I both focused better and used a faster shutter speed.

f/5.6
1/90

This is was done over in black in white, mainly because the lady's shorts in the far right were bright red and distracted a bit, otherwise it would have remained in colour. Again I wish at this point I went for sharpness, hindsight is 20/20 - i think my foresight needs laser surgery!!

f/5.6
1/90

Any comments/criticisms/suggestions would be much appreciated!!
And mr. sid, you'll really have to think of funny one to top your last comment!!

 

[pilgrim]

The first two are a tad too blury for my liking, but the second two are awsome. And I dont have a problem with the sharpness at all.

You wern't actually standing in that rain with your camera were you :shock: ?

 

[karissa]

The first one would be really cool if the guy weren't as blurry but it still isn't bad. The second one isn't doing anything for me. Not sure, might be a little to much motion. I love the last two however, crop them a bit maybe?

You wern't actually standing in that rain with your camera were you ?

Dito! :shock:

 

[MDowdey]

mark,

even though the blur is in effect, i still enjoy these pics for their clarity...kind of hard to explain...the colors in the first one are awesome and you know im a sucker for black and white...

how exactly did you pan, what was the technique?


md

 

[vonnagy]

mark,

even though the blur is in effect, i still enjoy these pics for their clarity...kind of hard to explain...the colors in the first one are awesome and you know im a sucker for black and white...

how exactly did you pan, what was the technique?


md

thanks.. well panning is basically moving your camera along along with the target, instead of having your camera stationary. I am not quite sure of the technique though- I used a slower shutterspeed, but now i think I should have used a quicker one. :scratch: the idea is to have the background motion blurred but the subject in focus... unfortunately i didn't accheive the latter goal.

You wern't actually standing in that rain with your camera were you ?

Rain.. I laugh in the face of rain! Just kiddin. A fire hose was spraying the the runners as they went by. But I am not adverse to getting out in the bad weather with my cam

 

[photogoddess]

I actually LOVE the first one. Just enough blur and the color of the cones (especially because they are blurred) really adds to the image. Besides the overall blur, it's the blurring of his legs that really make it a keeper.

#2 is ok

#3 is good but seems a little dark.

#4 is a great photojournalist kind of shot. This is one that I would expect to see printed in a newspaper.

 

[usayit]

I like the first one. The bright contrasting colors and the lone runner really portray the competitive spirit. I wish the white vehicle in the background was not there.

The second one is ok. A little too much going on and too blurry.

The third is pretty nice. Again.. I like that innocent joy that comes from a kid at play. Wish his face could be seen.

The last is my favorite of the set. Really captures the joy in the young kid's expression.

 

[Osmer_Toby]

are you kidding me? you are a spy. this is simply more proof- you are too damn good, man!

#3
the contrast of the kids movement against the blurred motion of the water going in the other direction gives a real cool feel to this. real nice capture.

#4
gorgeous- the emotion you caught in his face, the movement (again) make this photo outstanding. ever tried a light-vignette? would work awesome here.

great job, man, as always. you blew your cover.

 

[Harpper]

The first two are a tad too blury for my liking, but the second two are awsome. And I dont have a problem with the sharpness at all.

I agree on all points. The first two aren't doing it for me. If you got the pan effect to work those would have been really cool shots. The combined motion blurs of both the people and background is a bit much for me. What might have been cool if you were to somehow blur only the runners but leave the background sharp or the reverse of that would be your panning effect.

Pictures 3 & 4 are awesome shots! They really capture the emotions and scene. The motion blur is in the perfect amount for these pictures. I personally wouldn't change a thing on either of them.

 

[tr0gd0o0r]

I agree that the first two have a little too much blur for my liking, but i really admire you're attempt at the effect. Panning along w/ a moving subject is really difficult and you did a great job of keeping up. Unfortunately the effect only works well with subjects that have very few moving parts (cars, bikers that are coasting etc.)

I really enjoy the first show w/ the water. While a little more focus would be nice, I think that uping the shutter speed would have messed up the shot because i like the blur of the water a whole lot. good job.

 

[LaFoto]

Although I do agree with many here that there's still too much motion in 1 and 2, I love what your slow shutter speed does to the #1 runner's feet! So his blurriness against the blurred background maybe is the price you had to pay to get the motion of his feet in this way!

The second is too blurry.

But 3 and 4 - well, others have been raving over these, and I would, too, weren't I coming this late.

Yes, it'd have been nice to see the boy's face in 3, but I still love this one. I had thought it was rain, and keep telling others that it IS rain, makes it very interesting, and with your still slow shutter speed the pelting of the "rain" comes out so nicely.

Good for you to get away from the red shorts in 4, in b+w this photo is a real keeper! I'd test what it'd look like if I'd crop the top just a tad, and maybe the left, to get rid of that one runner's --- erm --- backside, but then I'm thinking: that's the direction YOUR runner's running to, you can't take away too much of that part of the picture, he'd run into the edge then... Something to try out.

 

[markc]

Here's an interesing idea that I recently picked up from a fellow photographer I'm taking a workshop from. I wonder what you people think.

If you could see the boys face and he was looking at the camera, the picture would be about that boy inparticular. Since he is looking away and you can't even see his face, the picture is now about "boys playing" in general.

So #4 is about that kid having fun. #3 is about playing in the rain.

I'm still rolling that around in my head, but it seems to make sense.

I do like 3 & 4 best myself. Those are great shots, and I don't think I would have a faster shutter. My own work tends towards showing motion, though.

In number 1, I'd crop in some, but that white.... thingy... kind of takes away from the shot.

I think #2 is actually kind of cool. I think the heavy motion would have worked if the camera was perpendicular to the road so that you were more straight on to the side of the runners. I think the camera rotated just a few degrees to the left would have given you a rather impactful image. You probably would have needed to have stepped back just a touch to get all of the woman in red in, though.

 

[Paradigm_Shift]

Love the color pic of the kid in the rain. He looks like he's having fun. Then again, so would I!

 

[Digital Matt]

I love the first one, and the two in the rain. The second one has a bit too much going on.

Nice work.

 

[Daig55]

Those pictures are great. The best pictures are ones in which the people have no idea. The last two are awesome. The kids are having a great time and that adds to the picture.