techniques for shooting moving objects?

[tevo]

for now i have a d700 with an 18-105 VR, and was wondering if there are any suggestions as to how i should go about shooting moving subjects (today i was at the beach, trying to shoot seagulls in flight. was just going w. autofocus in auto mode, got some decent shots, but nothing notable)

if not skillwise, any lens reccomendation?

 

[WesternGuy]

If you Google "birds in flight photography", you will get all kinds of web sites with an abundance of advice, e.g., How to get sharp photos of birds in flight | PhotoNaturalist, then you can pick and choose those that look interesting.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

 

[KmH]

Investigate 'panning'.

 

[spacefuzz]

panning, go stand by the side of the road and practice on cars. That should improve your success rate when you try for the birds.

 

[tevo]

Investigate 'panning'.

one of those things... panning literally never crossed my mind. i was basically standing still trying to capture them in my viewfinder, and at the very most was moving w.o the thought process/intention of panning. i derped

thanks mr.sir

 

[tevo]

panning, go stand by the side of the road and practice on cars. That should improve your success rate when you try for the birds.

very interesting.. will try! thank you for the advice ^^

 

[austriker]

Turn off the VR on your check. It is AF slower.
Change your mode to aperture priority if you are comfortable with that. Dial it up to around f/5 or so (depending on light) so that your speed is at least 1/200 or 1/250. Also increase your ISO if necessary.
Change the AF to af continuous.

Try that for now. I understand it might be a bit over your head, but nows the time to learn! If you have any questions do some research (online there is tons!) or ask..

oh and always develop your skill before buying 'the lens' that will work better..
panning is a good idea too, i agree with the other posters

 

[Robin Usagani]

 

[pdq5oh]

I never use AP. I want to control shutter speed when panning or catching moving objects. I always use manual to set exactly what I want re: exposure. Shooting flying birds you'll most likely have to over expose. Otherwise the birds will be under exposed due to the sky's light dominating the scene.
Forgot. I use auto focus continuous with 9 points on my D7000 for action and sports.

 

[tevo]

this one took me a sec... lol

 

[tevo]

I never use AP. I want to control shutter speed when panning or catching moving objects. I always use manual to set exactly what I want re: exposure. Shooting flying birds you'll most likely have to over expose. Otherwise the birds will be under exposed due to the sky's light dominating the scene.
Forgot. I use auto focus continuous with 9 points on my D7000 for action and sports.

why only 9? and what AF mode

 

[Bukitimah]

All the theory will not bring you anywhere. I found that out lately. The best way to improve. Start practicing from you own street. Shoot at vehicle driving pass till you get a perfect shot. Motorcycles are the best.

 

[Kerbouchard]

I disagree with the VR off advice. While shutter speed maybe high enough where VR is not a concern(especially with the 18-105), VR does help you to to keep the image stable in the viewfinder. I also find that VR helps autofocus since the bird isn't jumping around and it's easier to keep the bird under the focus point.

 

[GeneralBenson]

I think another big thing that helps wit shooting moving subjects is familiarity with the subject. Whether it's football players, certain birds, bike racing or a dance, a big part of shooting moving subjects is anticipating what's coming next. You'll never be fast enough to just purely react faster than the movement itself, especially with tight framings. But if you a very familiar with the subject you're shooting, then to a degree, you can anticipate what's coming next and almost be a step ahead of them.

 

[pdq5oh]

tevo, I use 9 points as I've found for football any more points cause me to get pics with focus on the wrong players. Shooting at f2.8-4 max leaves little room for error in focus. I also use 9 points for car races as it helps keep the car focused as I pan if I move up or down a little off center. I'll switch to 1 point when I feel that's going to work best. AF C (auto focus continuous) tracks action best for me. I don't care for the AF A, auto focus point selection or 3D. I feel the more I can control with regard to camera settings, the better chance I have of getting just what I want.