Action photo C n C please!

Pokeguyjai · Jul 20, 2008

As you can see I'm a big fan of shooting using low value aperatures (~f4) when shooting action shots. I like how they bring all the attention to the subject, and phase out all the busy-ness which the BG can bring into the picture. I'm a noob, so any and all help is very appreciated!

It was a very bright sunny day, and I waited til ~3:30PM til I whipped out the camera.

I used continuous shooting, aperature value was f4.0, and shutter speeds were ~1250.

I really like this picture on the bottom. I don't know why. I'm guessing this is how the world looks right after you pull the trigger, and everything is blurry, but you're following through on the shot. I like it, but I think it could have been better...

I think a higher aperature value (5.6 or a little higher) would've helped. I liked how how my friends head is very focused, and the BG is very blurred. But the BG is a little TOO blurred IMO.

THANKS AGAIN!

benpsut · Jul 21, 2008

I would have rather seen a more open aperture. And that "blurryness" is called Bokeh. You definately have bokeh but way too much iMo. I can just make out what he's shooting at. The angles a bit off too. Especially the 2nd one! I would have been down at his level with him on the left of the crop with the targets in focus more than they are on the right hand side or something like that. Also, shooting at 330 will provide some harsh shadows. Not saying you should stop shooting, my schedule for taking photographs is 24/7 . But you will get some harsh light, especially this time of the year. Using a wider aperture will slow your shutter speed down, almost to the ponit where you're gonna need a tripod, you might do fine without it if you're out shooting near mid day with TONS of sun. Good luck!

reg · Jul 21, 2008

benpsut said:
Also, shooting at 330 will provide some harsh shadows.

And thus, fill flash was invented.

benpsut · Jul 21, 2008

Owning the same camera being used in the photo's above, the flash on the 400D is lacking for any "fill flash" unless you are up close and personal, which might have been the case here, who knows....

reg · Jul 21, 2008

"Unable to extract some or all of the Exif data."

Unless OP comes back and says what length he was at, we may never know.

LaFoto · Jul 21, 2008

Pokeguyjai said:
I used continuous shooting, aperature value was f4.0, and shutter speeds were ~1250

What more is there to know, Reg? Doesn't he tell?
Oh. Length. Yes. Well. Too true. He doesn't say anything about THAT! Sorry, yes. Erm: no. No info on that.

manaheim · Jul 21, 2008

Aside from what others have said, it might have been cooler if you got it down from a lower angle- more the perspective of the shooter. Obviously some muzzle flash from the gun would have looked pretty cool as well.

Pokeguyjai · Jul 21, 2008

reg said:
"Unable to extract some or all of the Exif data."

Unless OP comes back and says what length he was at, we may never know.

I was about 4-5 feet from him. It was a SUPER bright day, so I don't know if any flash would've helped.

Sorry guys, I'm a noob to photography, so I really have only a vague idea of what fill-flash is and no idea how to utilize it in this situation.

manaheim said:
Aside from what others have said, it might have been cooler if you got it down from a lower angle- more the perspective of the shooter. Obviously some muzzle flash from the gun would have looked pretty cool as well.

Muzzle flash would've been impossible to see from this gun unless at night. The flash hider on that thing works really well. I have a picture of a puff of grey smoke exiting the barrel, which is what would've been the "flash."

I'll definitely take that into consideration if I'm shooting pictures of guns with big flash.

Pokeguyjai · Jul 21, 2008

benpsut said:
I would have rather seen a more open aperture. And that "blurryness" is called Bokeh. You definately have bokeh but way too much iMo. I can just make out what he's shooting at. The angles a bit off too. Especially the 2nd one! I would have been down at his level with him on the left of the crop with the targets in focus more than they are on the right hand side or something like that. Also, shooting at 330 will provide some harsh shadows. Not saying you should stop shooting, my schedule for taking photographs is 24/7 . But you will get some harsh light, especially this time of the year. Using a wider aperture will slow your shutter speed down, almost to the ponit where you're gonna need a tripod, you might do fine without it if you're out shooting near mid day with TONS of sun. Good luck!

Roger that, less Bokeh and more down to his level. The angle was off because I was shooting in continuous mode and I was just blasting away randomly. Personally, I like the angle, but that means nothing!

Again, it was SUPER bright that day, so getting a good exposure with a rather high shutter speed was not a problem at 3:30. But I'll definitely try shooting an hour or two earlier.

manaheim · Jul 21, 2008

Pokeguyjai said:
Muzzle flash would've been impossible to see from this gun unless at night. The flash hider on that thing works really well. I have a picture of a puff of grey smoke exiting the barrel, which is what would've been the "flash."

I'll definitely take that into consideration if I'm shooting pictures of guns with big flash.

Pffft... what fun is that?

I mean the replica revolutionary war muskets I occasionally snap pictures of have like 1-1.5' long muzzle flashes in broad daylight!!! :lol:

Ok, maybe tactically that's not the greatest idea, but it's wicked cool.

Pokeguyjai · Jul 21, 2008

manaheim said:
Pffft... what fun is that? I mean the replica revolutionary war muskets I occasionally snap pictures of have like 1-1.5' long muzzle flashes in broad daylight!!!

Haha, I'm going to be picking up a Mosin Nagant maybe today, or soon. It is Russian WW1/WW2 rifle that shoots a fairly big bullet which usuaully uses com-bloc powder, aka slow burning. AKA BIG FLASH!!

I'm going to snap some pics of that being shot and hopefully I'll fill your flash cravings :lol: