** EVERYONE please c&c? I'm new here! Thanks**

[subscuck]

AI Servo for AF? Or One Shot or AI Focus?

 

[KmH]

- - I ALWAYS shoot in Manual.

For this type of photography (action) manual is more often the wrong shooting mode, than the right shooting mode.

I recommend you use aperture or shutter priority instead. I would use aperture priority myself, but I would also keep a close eye in the viewfinder on on the shutter speed.

What focus mode, and focus area mode, do you use? Do you have any kind of filter on the front of the lens?

Proper hand holding posture would be with one foot (or knee) back, and a majority of your weight on the front foot (knee). Left hand under the lens and camera body, with your elbows and upper arms tucked in tight to your torso. Pan from the hips.

Action approaching/retreating from the plane of the image senor requires less shutter speed to stop, than action moving parallel to the plane of the image sensor. Action moving diagonally to the plane of the image sensor requitres shutter sspeeds between the other 2 extremes.

Maximum FPS for the T1i, when set up properly, is 3.4 FPS.

You have chosen My Photos Are NOT OK to Edit which prevents anyone from illustrating options for editing, like some prudent cropping or image sharpening.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

#1 - A shot I took off my Hubby at his race at Dade City Motocross.

In my opinion; this needs to have better white balance... Or is the dirt supposed to be that orange/red... Sorry, just doesn't look natural to me.

Also, a different composition... Showing where the bike is going as opposed to where its been....

#2 - A shot I took in Tennessee at Loretta Lynn's Ranch for the ATVA AMA Nationals.

This is too dark... I can't see what is supposed to be your subject... Overall, I have little interest in this shot.

 

[DazzlewMissy]

@ subscuck - Thanks for the ss rule of thumb. I'll deff keep it mind next time. These were all taken in "One Shot" because I don't really know the difference other than you can use "Al Focus" when you have a gate or something in between you and the subject then you get as close as possible and it cuts out the obstacle. And I'd have to look thru the photos to see what ISO & SS they were taken with.

@ Compaq - I wasn't panning. It seems everytime I try to "Pan" my background is blurred & that is something that really bothers me. I bought the lens off of a friend so the only thing I know about it is it's a Quantaray for Canon AF 100-300mm. And idk if it has quick auto focus... ?

@ KmH - I appreciate the advise. I'll try yours too. The focus mode I used was auto but I wasn't paying attention to the SS. If you tell me what a filter is I will tell you if I have one.. lol

@ Bus-Rider - The clay is from Georgia so it has a natural reddish-orange tint to it. I might've brought it out a little too much in the editing though.... "/

 

[MTVision]

@ subscuck - Thanks for the ss rule of thumb. I'll deff keep it mind next time. These were all taken in "One Shot" because I don't really know the difference other than you can use "Al Focus" when you have a gate or something in between you and the subject then you get as close as possible and it cuts out the obstacle. And I'd have to look thru the photos to see what ISO & SS they were taken with.

@ Compaq - I wasn't panning. It seems everytime I try to "Pan" my background is blurred & that is something that really bothers me. I bought the lens off of a friend so the only thing I know about it is it's a Quantaray for Canon AF 100-300mm. And idk if it has quick auto focus... ?

@ KmH - I appreciate the advise. I'll try yours too. The focus mode I used was auto but I wasn't paying attention to the SS. If you tell me what a filter is I will tell you if I have one.. lol

@ Bus-Rider - The clay is from Georgia so it has a natural reddish-orange tint to it. I might've brought it out a little too much in the editing though.... "/

The background is suppose to be blurry when panning. The subject will be in focus but the background blurred to show movement.

A filter is a piece of glass that screws onto the front of your lens. If you don't know what it is then you probably don't have one on.

 

[subscuck]

Next time shoot in AI Servo. It's designed to shoot moving subjects. Basically, it will constantly refocus to maintain focus on a moving subject. It's definition and uses are covered in your manual. I think you'll see better results.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

I keep my ISO between 200-400 with f/4.5-5.6 and 400-800 with f/10+ my shutter speed ranges between 600-1200 depending on the ISO....... I change my aperature to try to find the best way to sharpen the subject, obviously it's not working.

Sounds like you need to do a little more reading. The processing, exposures, noise, harsh lighting etc. All leave a lot to be desired. If you have been shooting a year and a half and do not even know what a filter is, you need to slow down and get back to the basics. In the time that it took you to design and create your logos, you probably could have improved your understanding of exposure by a much more valuable amount.r

Also, try starting in Av and Tv mode, at ISO 100 ( only move higher if its impossible to achieve the settings you need ). This way you can focus on learning to properly exploit one specific part of the exposure triangle to your benefit.

I'd stop down a few stops to f/5.6 or f/4 or something (depending on how fast your lens is).

I think you mean open up. Stopping down would be to increase the f/number and create a smaller aperture ( I Know you know this and it was just a flub, but I wanted to clarify for the OP )

 

[SkyBlue]

You've been getting a lot of constructive criticisms, and that's great.

First 2 pics... I can say it's cool, but nothing spectacular. Maybe it's just a bad day, it's hard to capture 'Events' you should be able to tell a story or emotions, stages... whatever that is. I'd say, explore your garden and perhaps by then we can feel the story.



Cheers!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

LOL, what?

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

LOL, what?

I'm sorry, but "explore your garden" makes me chuckle.

 

[DazzlewMissy]

Thank you everyone for all of your advise and opinions. They were all great and somehow I'm going to try them all out. Now I'm curious as to see how your action shots turn out with the advise given, so I'm going to make a new post:

"The Best Motion Shots Around"

Here everyone can post their motion photos and give a description on them. Thanks again everyone!

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

The first images are not bad, But The second two images are a VAST improvement. A picture of someone/thing going away is at best a picture of someones/somethings bum. If you shoot sport it is a good starting point to shoot in S, T, or TA (Shutter time exposure time priority). Just take the focal length of the lens and use that as the fraction of time for exposure (If you use a 50mm lens , then set 1/50th sec. A 300mm lens then 1/300th sec. (A zoom choose the max focal length). Support the camera if poss (Against a tree, or on a fence post whatever). If it is a track, pre focus. Choose a spot which you know the rider will pass over and focus on it. JUST befor the rider hits the spot , Squeeze the shutter release. (Takes a bit of practice to get the timing right.

L O D S of practice later, you are the sports photographer for a national daily...... simple!

 

[bazooka]

That last two are shot at 5.6, which is as far as I can tell, wide open for that lens. Most lenses, especially in the price range, are going to be soft when wide open and this one is no exception. Look at this test chart of that lens at 300mm and 5.6....

Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Lens Image Quality

You can see that softness looks very similar to the quality of the last shot you posted which was at the same settings. Notice the quality of your first two shots is significantly better, even though they are blurry. The first was shot at 217mm and f/10 which will produce much cleaner results (at least as far as optical resolution is concerned). The 2nd shot was not shot with the 100-300.

 

[Compaq]

I'd stop down a few stops to f/5.6 or f/4 or something (depending on how fast your lens is).

I think you mean open up. Stopping down would be to increase the f/number and create a smaller aperture ( I Know you know this and it was just a flub, but I wanted to clarify for the OP )

Thanks for correcting me!

 

[DazzlewMissy]

I'm out at the track right now so i'm going to work on everything listed and post the results tonight/tomorrow. Thanks again everyone.