What I'm Focussed On - Action Shots

PrincessInOz

Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
The purpose of this Assignment is to get out and have fun using our cameras, maybe learning a few things along the way, so pictures should be new as often as possible (though if you have a relatively new picture that fits a category, you can use it). All cameras and skill levels are welcome.



This could be one that we run for the year. No prizes can be rewarded other than recognition for a job well done!



Where possible, please use pictures taken from 15 February 2014 as the intent of this assignment is to get out and about. However, given that this is running from the start of 2014, if you do have a recent (2013'ish) picture already on file, by all means post it - especially if you would like to share your best pictures taken during 2013!


If you post a picture, please share what you did to take the picture irrespective of whether you shoot with a point and shoot or a dSLR. For those with a dSLR, please include your ISO, aperture and shutter speed; as well as a brief description of anything that might help others learn from your experience.



Other Threads in the Series:
Merry Christmas Lights
Fireworks for the Year
Picture Composition
Action Shots
Projection Mappings
Flowers and Gardens
Animals
Water
Land and City Scapes
Food Glorious Food
Blood Moon
Sigma 17-35 mm, f/1.8 Lens
FurBabies

Scavenger Hunt 2015
Favourites of 2015

 
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What I’m Focussed On - Action Shots



It's the Winter Olympics in Sochi! And the action is fast, white and furious over in Russia.
It got me thinking of what it would be like to be lying the in the snow and ice capturing all that need for speed.


This assignment is all about Action Shots.


Please share your thoughts and pictures of freeze frame, motion blur action. We don't even need to have a backdrop of snow and ice for this assignment.
Feel free to share your best action shots taken during 2013; if it helps build up the body of work in this thread. Afterall, we can all learn from looking at different pictures taken from your perspective.



References:

http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/your-ten-step-guide-to-catching-action-shots--photo-8795
http://www.photographymad.com/pages...ra-settings-for-action-and-sports-photography
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whats...als/how-to-take-tack-sharp-action-photos.html
http://www.phototechnique.com/how-to/how-to-shoot-action-and-sports-photography/
http://www.australiangeographic.com...2/05/photography-tips-capturing-action-shots/



References for a Point and Shoot:

http://www.olympusamerica.com/crm/oneoffpages/crm_actionshots_tennis.asp
http://voices.yahoo.com/how-take-great-action-pictures-point-and-3830224.html?cat=59
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/...ion+pictures+with+your+point+and+shoot+camera
http://www.mommybytes.com/2010/09/how-to-take-action-shots-with-point-and.html#.UvSzi_mSx8E


Reference for a Phone Camera:

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57605500-285/how-to-use-burst-mode-on-the-iphone-5s/
http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/11/27/take-awesome-action-shots-nokia-lumia-1020/




And if anyone else finds better references, please post the link!
 
Royal Spoonbill (ISO 100, f/6.3, 1/640 sec)







Leap of Faith (ISO 400, f/16, 1/400 sec)








Busy Bee (ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec)






princess::upsidedow
 
1/500sec, f5.6, 800 ISO, +1EV

Nick Lorenz 2833 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

1/500sec, f6.3, 400 ISO, +1EV

IMGP3188 v2 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

1/500sec, f7.1, 200 ISO

IMGP3164 v2 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr


1/1250, f5.6, 8000 ISO, +0.7 EV

IMGP1585 v2 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

1/500sec, f5.6, 1250 ISO, +1EV

Group Corner 2778 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

Now you are in my wheelhouse! These were taken during the last two weekends of racing. It was snowing with an average temperature of 10 degrees F. After 5 or 6 hours out in this, it stops being fun!! I don't care how well you dress, it gets cold. Throw in trying to protect your equipment (my bodies are weather resistant, but not my lenses), and at some point it becomes work.

The goal (at least mine), is to get the sled and driver in focus with the sled track blurred. This is similar to shooting race cars where you want the front of the car in focus and the Goodyear on the tires will be a blurred yellow stripe. You will notice that the track on the sled in the air is not as blurred as I would like because I inadvertently had bumped up the shutter speed to 1250 causing a jump in the ISO to 8000 (I was using the TAv mode). This increase in shutter speed let the track to be in focus more than I wanted.
 


Great shots, Terry. LOVE the snow, white and fast wheels. Thanks for sharing (although I'm not sure I would like to be in the cold for that amount of time!! Hope you had a way of keeping warm.).

I'm hoping that you'll share what type of (auto)focus mode are you using for these shots?
 
Great shots, Terry. LOVE the snow, white and fast wheels. Thanks for sharing (although I'm not sure I would like to be in the cold for that amount of time!! Hope you had a way of keeping warm.).

I'm hoping that you'll share what type of (auto)focus mode are you using for these shots?

I always use spot focus (and most of the time matrix metering), and about 98% of the time its Auto-focus Continuous (AF-C). The only time I come off AF-C is in a difficult focus area where there may not be enough contrast. Then I will manual focus on a specific spot and burst shoot as they go by that spot. Another time is when I will slow the shutter speed, AF-S an area like the start/finish line to catch either the green or checker flag in focus and the sleds/cars streaking by the line. While shooting the racing, I'm always on high burst rate. I may only shoot one image, but if something happens, I just hold down the shutter button to get the entire sequence until the buffer fills.

As far as the cold, the only thing is to prepare for it. On my exposed skin areas, I will use a 100 SPF sport sunblock and then use a petroleum jelly based product (I use Carmex Original Healing Ointment). This may sound gross, but I will not shave or shower directly beforehand because you need your natural body oils to protect your skin. Then its layering with clothes designed to be out there. Other than that, you just have to wait for breaks to retreat to your vehicle to warm up. These temporary snocross tracks are pretty Spartan in their amenities! For those that aspire to be sports photographers these are some of the things that are required. Its not all fun and games, however you are compensated by having access to some incredible athletes and their families. It can be a fun job.
 
I always use spot focus (and most of the time matrix metering), and about 98% of the time its Auto-focus Continuous (AF-C). The only time I come off AF-C is in a difficult focus area where there may not be enough contrast. Then I will manual focus on a specific spot and burst shoot as they go by that spot. Another time is when I will slow the shutter speed, AF-S an area like the start/finish line to catch either the green or checker flag in focus and the sleds/cars streaking by the line. While shooting the racing, I'm always on high burst rate. I may only shoot one image, but if something happens, I just hold down the shutter button to get the entire sequence until the buffer fills.

As far as the cold, the only thing is to prepare for it. On my exposed skin areas, I will use a 100 SPF sport sunblock and then use a petroleum jelly based product (I use Carmex Original Healing Ointment). This may sound gross, but I will not shave or shower directly beforehand because you need your natural body oils to protect your skin. Then its layering with clothes designed to be out there. Other than that, you just have to wait for breaks to retreat to your vehicle to warm up. These temporary snocross tracks are pretty Spartan in their amenities! For those that aspire to be sports photographers these are some of the things that are required. Its not all fun and games, however you are compensated by having access to some incredible athletes and their families. It can be a fun job.

Thanks and great job!
 


From swim meet last night. My son doing the breaststroke leg of the Indiv Medley.

DSC01789-XL.jpg
 

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