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Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
How does /p/ shoot action shots?

Taken today during Bold Streets 800th birthday (liverpool celebrating its 800th birthday recently)
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
I appear to have stripped my exif.

Sony A100
18-70/3.5-5.5
ISO400
>> Anonymous
Continuous shooting mode, get your shutter speed as fast as possible. Unless you know what's actually going to happen re the action, don't get your frame too tight. You can always crop later.
>> Anonymous
>>73304
What if you want to print it though ;_; too much cropping and shitty tiny print
>> Anonymous
>>73310

I guess it depends what resolution you're shooting at. There aren't really any hard and fast rules for framing, it's just a matter of getting everything in the shot, which can get difficult for fast-moving action. Practice and anticipating where your subjects are going to move are the deciding factors, really.

Shutter speed is critical, though. The slower your shutter speed, the more motion blur. If you want to give a sense of movement a bit of motion blur is OK.
>> Anonymous
>>73292

Someone else in Liverpool on /p/? No wai!

I can even tell that's outside Smiffys.
>> Anonymous
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This sort of relates, but what if you want to take a close-up of a small subject that is in motion? Do I need to get a special lens or is there a way?
For example, I was at a butterfly garden and the damed things just wouldn't stay still long enough for me to focus. Here's an example of the failed result.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeFUJIFILMCamera ModelFinePix S5200Camera SoftwareDigital Camera FinePix S5200 Ver1.00Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.2Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaMaker Note Version0130Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2007:08:30 13:39:05Exposure Time1/80 secF-Numberf/3.6Exposure ProgramManualISO Speed Rating200Lens Aperturef/3.6Brightness4.0 EVExposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeSpotLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length13.30 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1600Image Height1200RenderingNormalExposure ModeManualWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardSharpnessNormalSubject Distance RangeUnknownSharpnessNormalWhite BalanceAutoChroma SaturationNormalFlash ModeOffMacro ModeOnFocus ModeAutoSlow Synchro ModeOffPicture ModeManual ExposureContinuous/Bracketing ModeOffBlur StatusBlur WarningFocus StatusOut of FocusAuto Exposure StatusOK
>> Anonymous
>>73318

Again, you want to have a fast shutter speed, like in the thousandths of a second, for really crisp motion freeze. If it's up close on small stuff macro lenses will give you the best results.
>> Anonymous
>>73318

Flash. With your camera, you're limited to the built-in flash, but it should be more than adequate for close-up work.
>> Anonymous
>>73304
>Continuous shooting mode
Makes it easier to get a passable shot, but also removes a bit of the creative element as to when exactly the shutter is pressed.

>Unless you know what's actually going to happen re the action, don't get your frame too tight. You can always crop later.
Because focal length and distance to the subject only affect the field of view, amirite?

These tips will work to get decent, passable shots, but not shots that'll really be something great.

>Practice and anticipating where your subjects are going to move are the deciding factors, really.

This is what makes action shots, truly.
>> Anonymous
>>73321
Without flash this wouldn't work for obvious reasons unless I was in direct sunlight, but I do understand the concept.
>>73322
My built in macro lens is a bitch and is only good if I'm far away (1-2 feet) and not zoomed in. Wouldn't flash from the camera kind of ruin the contrast? I'll have to practice more. Also, I've noticed in general that the smaller the object the more exposure it needs, if that makes sense.
I'd rather not use flash with closeups because I always believed that was a horrible technique but maybe I was wrong, at least if the shutter speed is high. I don't know offhand if I should have a bigger or smaller exposure though...
I'm still kind of a n00b. At least, I'm much better on more basic types of shots and this kind of thing is advanced for me.
>> Anonymous
>>73335
*aperture, not exposure
>> Anonymous
>>73335

I'll try to be brief. Your flash is guaranteed to freeze any action. Typically, it fires at anywhere from 1/1000 to 1/10,000 of a second. It has nothing to do with shutter speed, although you will get some blur if you've got enough conflicting ambient light (e.g. the subject is in full sunlight and you're only using 1/60 or lower).

As for the actual "look" of the photo, you technically will be able to tell that's it been shot with a flash, but there are ways to get around that. Mess with aperture settings until everything looks nice and balanced.

The choice is yours: obviously flash-lit but frozen action, or natural light with a blurry subject.

Also, check out Stephen Dalton's work; his is pretty much the paramount of flash-lit macro photography, and you're probably trying to emulate one of his photos without even knowing it.
>> Anonymous
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>>73340
Well I'm the kind of person who can only learn so much before I have to try for myself.
So I just went out to a very sunny spot with lots of flowers and bugs near some water and tried some of your advice. I didn't try flash but I did mess around with the aperture/shutter and I got much better results than I normally do. I realized that if I opened the aperture more and made the shutter speed faster it worked much better.
Here's probably my best shot without editing. I know it's not the most original subject but I'm just trying to learn.
Also, sorry for huge filesize, I said it's unedited after all. I mean I'm literally uploading it to the laptop as I type.
Also, I don't know who I'm emulating. I'm just trying to take nice close-ups. I'll check him out though just to help me see how bad mine really are :D
BTW, I took 111 pics, but a good 75 of them had nothing to do with close-ups but were more of other things that just happened to be there too.
....sure takes a while to upload them all at 5MP each...ran outta things to type :D oh crap I just realized I forgot to set the ISO so I had the wrong setting the whole time :P

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeFUJIFILMCamera ModelFinePix S5200Camera SoftwareDigital Camera FinePix S5200 Ver1.00Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.2Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaMaker Note Version0130Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2007:09:01 15:18:33Exposure Time1/1200 secF-Numberf/3.5Exposure ProgramManualISO Speed Rating400Lens Aperturef/3.5Brightness5.4 EVExposure Bias0 EVMetering ModeAverageLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length38.60 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width2592Image Height1944RenderingNormalExposure ModeManualWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardSharpnessNormalSubject Distance RangeUnknownSharpnessNormalWhite BalanceAutoChroma SaturationNormalFlash ModeOffMacro ModeOnFocus ModeAutoSlow Synchro ModeOffPicture ModeManual ExposureContinuous/Bracketing ModeOffBlur StatusOKFocus StatusOut of FocusAuto Exposure StatusOK
>> Anonymous
>>73361

Practice looks like it's slowly making perfect : ).

The fantastic thing about digital is that it costs nothing to practice your arse off, instead of a hundred bucks for a pocket-full of film *grumbles.*
>> Anonymous
>>73408
Thanks. I forgot to mention that if it isn't obvious the bugs were moving very fast. I just wish it was sharper, probably the ISO screwed that up.
>> Anonymous
>>73316
Habeeb it, there are 5 photographers here! (5 interneted proish ones with dslrs).


I was shooting on continous (5fps iirc, doesnt sound like it) since I had no idea what everyone was doing. Generally I think my shutterspeed was too slow but im getting a fast prime soon.

Thanks for the help!
>> Anonymous
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>>73318
try using continous focus mode, the button on the left of the evf. I have the same camera, it really helped.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeFUJIFILMCamera ModelFinePix S5600Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS2 WindowsMaximum Lens Aperturef/3.2Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution1343 dpiVertical Resolution1343 dpiImage Created2007:08:31 15:10:00Exposure Time1/500 secF-Numberf/3.2Exposure ProgramShutter PriorityISO Speed Rating200Lens Aperturef/3.2Brightness5.3 EVExposure Bias0.7 EVMetering ModeAverageLight SourceUnknownFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length63.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width529Image Height529RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandardSharpnessNormalSubject Distance RangeUnknown
>> Anonymous
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Just keep trying!
>> Anonymous
>>73802
what is the name of this kind of epic moth?
>> Anonymous
>>73802
I do use it! But it still fails hard. I did finally discover the "photometry" setting which seems to help.
>> Anonymous
>>73840
Oh I just noticed in your exif that you used shutter priority mode. I honestly don't know what that mode even does...I really should just read the manual or something.
Also it's not the exact same camera model but close.
>> Anonymous
>>73842

You put in the shutter time you want, it changes aperture/iso to whatever gives correct exposure.
>> Anonymous
>>73844
Interesting...I shall try this next chance I get. Using manual was a bitch. Too many factors for my n00bness to handle.