52 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
THE MISSION
Capture sharp
subjects and slick
motion blur shotsTime needed
Two hoursSkill level
AdvancedKit needed- Telephoto
- Monopod or tripod
(o pti o n a l)
Motorbikes in motion
Dan Mold shows you how to capture tack-sharp motorbike racers and
super-speedy motion blur for pro-style photos at your local race trackany of the best motor
sport photos have
one thing in common:
a sense of speed.
We’re taught that fast
shutter speeds will freeze
moments of action, so why
would the high-octane
energy of motor sport
be any different?
At a shutter speed of 1/3200
sec you can capture a crisp shot
of a motorbike zooming round a
circuit. But you’ll also freeze the
background and wheels, removing
any indication of motion. For all
the viewer knows, your subject
was stationary on a racetrack.To retain a sense of motion, you
need to shoot at a much slower
shutter speed. The problem is,
this will blur the entire subject.
The answer is to sight and
track your subject through the
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engaging continuous focus and
press the shutter when everything
is well-framed. This is called
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movement and you’ll end up with
spinning wheels and a tack-sharp
subject surrounded by smooth
lines of blur. Faster subjects and
slower shutter speeds result in
more motion, but the harder it
is to keep the subject in focus.Depending on the speed of your
subject, around 1/320 sec is a
good middle ground that provides
decent motion blur and a high hit
rate of sharp subjects, but to start
with, trying shooting at faster
shutter speeds, and slow it down
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on to see the kit you need, how to
set up, and which settings you can
use to inject more exciting variety
into your motorsports pictures.
Follow our advice and you’ll
be shooting super-slick shots of
superbikes in no time at all. Now
all you need to do is a head over to
your local racetrack and twist the
throttle on your camera!M