The Canon Magazine 53
CREATIVE MOVEMENT
PROJECT 3
VIDEO ALSO ONLINE
http://bit.ly/pp_159_3SET UP TO SHOOT MOTORSPORTS
Use the right kit and settings to bag brilliant bike shots at the track
EXPOSE THE
RIGHT WAY
Your camera’s built-in
light meter reading
can change radically
as you pan due to the
changing luminosity of
the background as you
track the rider. This is
why it’s important to
identify where you’re
going to frame your
subject, and dial in your
set tings from there. If
you’re shooting in bursts,
set your exposure where
you think the middle of
your burst will be. This
will help mitigate lighting
changes throughout
your sequence. It can
also be worth setting the
metering mode to Partial
or Centre-weighted so
that the rider comes out
perfectly exposed.01 USE A LONG LENS
A lens with a large zoom range is preferred – a lens
with a focal range around 55-250mm, 70-300mm,
100-400mm are ideal, giving you enough reach when
you’re positioned far from the track, but are still
usable when you’re shooting closer.03 GET YOUR STANCE STRAIGHT
Plant your feet shoulder width apart to give yourself
a solid grounding and point them in the direction you
intend to frame your subject. Follow the biker in your
viewfinder and keep taking pictures until they’ve
passed to complete your 180-degree pan.05 CHOOSE THE RIGHT IS MODE
Some of Canon’s lenses have different IS (Image
Stabilisation) modes. Mode 2 is great for panning and
motorsports photography as it only corrects for
motion on one of the axes.02 SWITCH TO CONTINUOUS FOCUSING
Set your AF mode to AI Servo and your AF area to
Single Point AF. This will allow you to precisely target
a rider’s helmet. Be sure to use the centre AF point in
your viewfinder as this is usually the most responsive
and most accurate AF point.04 DIAL IN THE RIGHT SETTINGS
You shouldn’t need to push your ISO too high, unless
you’re at a night race. Available apertures will depend
on the speed of your lens, but anything between f/4
and f/8 will work well. Your shutter speed will depend
on how much motion blur you want to include.06 GO FOR THE HEADSHOT!
The focal point of a bike is the rider’s helmet. Many
riders can be ID’d by their helmet’s custom design.
This is the area you should be aiming at with your AF
point, so be sure to focus on this part of the frame.VIEW^ TH
E^ VIDEO