Knowing that I would be going to a local motor circuit, I waited to complete this aspect of the shutter speed exercise, as cars racing would be a perfect subject to experiment with different shutter speeds whilst panning, to try and show the 'action' and 'movement'.
Setting up.
This was really a case of arriving at the track and walking around, taking different shots at different locations and using differernt shutter speeds based on where I was at the time. I didn't use a tripod, as this is my first time of doing any kind of panning shots and I felt it may have been a little more difficult trying to achieve this on a tripod, especially when photographing cars on a winding track.
The equipment used.
Camera: Canon 500D
Lens: Tamron 70mm - 300mm
Flash: Not used.
Settings and results.
IMG3720
IMG3720
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 70mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 111mm
Shutter speed 1/200
Aperture: f/8
Flash: Not used
Metering: Matrix
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: +1/3
IMG3803
IMG3803
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 300mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 476mm
Shutter speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/6.3
Flash: Not used
Metering: Sport
ISO: 200
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: None
IMG3825
IMG3825
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 109mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 173mm
Shutter speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/7.1
Flash: Not used
Metering: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: +2/3
IMG3885
IMG3885
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal Length: 119mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 189mm
Shutter speed: 1/100
Aperture: f/20
Flash: Not used.
Metering: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: +2/3
IMG3887
IMG3887
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 119mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 189mm
Shutter speed: 1/100
Aperture: f/18
Flash Not used
Metering: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: +2/3
IMG3889
IMG3889
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 119mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 189mm
Shutter speed: 1/100
Aperture: f/20
Flash: Not used
Metering: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: +2/3
IMG3952
IMG3952
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 100mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 159mm
Shutter speed: 1/100
Aperture: f/10
Flash: Not used
Metering: spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: +2/3
IMG3976
IMG3976
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal Length: 176mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 279mm
Shutter speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/5
Flas: Not used
Metering: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: None
IMG 3982
IMG3982
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 70mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 111mm
Shutter speed: 1/125
Aperture: f/10
Flash: Not used
Metering: Spot
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: None
IMG4003
IMG4003
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal Length: 109MM
Equivalent in 35mm: 173mm
Shutter speed: 1/200
Aperture: f/6.3
Flash: Not used
Metering: Matrix
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: None
IMG4027
IMG4027
Camera setting: TV (Shutter speed)
Focal length: 104mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 165MM
Shutter speed: 1/60
Aperture: f/10
Flash: Not used
Metering: Matrix
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: None
IMG4057
IMG4057
Camera setting: TV (Shutter priority)
Focal length: 119mm
Equivalent in 35mm: 189mm
Shutter speed: 1/50
Aperture: F/14
Flash: Not used
Metering: Matrix
ISO: 400
White balance: Manual - Shade
Exposure compensation: None.
Findings.
Having had a really fun (albeit wet and cold) day photographing the cars, it is clear to say that changing the shutter speed has quite a different effect shown in the end result. This was really my first attempt at panning, and although it is quite tricky, it is satisfying once you finally start producing results and once you learn quickly that the best results are achieved when you follow through the entire sequence, almost moving the camera 3600.
You can see from the above images, using a slower shutter speed intensifies the effect of movement. This combined with panning, allows you to keep the focal point relatively sharp, yet allowing movement to show in the blurring of the edges of the car and the scene around as seen in image IMG4057. A shutter speed of 1/50 was used here, which certainly emphasises the movement quite dramatically, especially when you have something significant in the frame that is completely static showing the blur effect against the sharpness of the car, in this instance the tyres of the chicane.
Whereas, if you look at image IMG3976, you can see a shutter speed of 1/500 was used, along with panning. This makes for a much sharper shot, less blurring of the surroundings, a sharper car, thus being a lot less emphasis on the movement of the car, however, still a pleasing shot nevertheless.
I also found that there are many influencing factors that can change the result as well, depending on what subject you are shooting. For instance, if you are taking shots of cars racing, each car will produce a slightly different result if travelling at different speeds, if you keep the shutter speed the same. It is with this in mind, that it is clear that panning and photographing movement really will produce quite varied results.
Conclusion.
This by far has produced some of the best results for me to date, especially capturing the beauty of a racing car. Looking at this exercise and the previous exercise, it is very difficult for me to decide which results I prefer as I honestly think that faster shutter speeds freezing the action is appropriate in certain situations, whereas when photographing a racing car, for me it is indeed the essence of the subject moving that really allows you to ‘feel’ a part of the action.
Image IMG3720 really captures the movement of the car and even though the shot is not as ‘sharp’ as perhaps you would expect a photograph to be, if it was, in my opinion it would have the same atmosphere or feel as it does now.
Whereas image IMG3825 uses a faster shutter speed of 1/500, freezing the action is still a pleasing shot and you can still tell it is a car going around a racetrack by looking at the entire composition, it doesn’t ‘speak movement’ or ‘speed to you the same as image IMG3720 does. But in image IMG3803, it is not really an issue using a shutter speed of 1/500 freezing the action, it perhaps indeed adds to the drama of the shot as the car is coming out of chicane and is much more head on to the camera.
Images IMG3952 and IMG3976 are similar in comparison, again with IMG3976 using a faster shutter speed, thus showing less movement in the shot, but nevertheless still a pleasing photograph to view, but IMG3952 using a slower shutter speed showing much more movement, especially in the cars wheels, adding to the sense of drama perhaps.
However, reviewing all of the photos above, I would be hard pushed to choose a favourite between images IMG3889, IMG4027, IMG4057. They all capture beautifully the movement in the cars, by blurring the track, background and indeed the tyres in the last two shots to really give you the feeling and sense of the speed in the photo.
In image IMG3889, I think the simplicity of the background and foreground which is slightly blurred is very pleasing against the contrast of the car and its sharpness added to by the amount of movement seen in the cars wheels, making this probably my favourite shot of the day. Having said that the impact of the foreground and background that is blurred in both images IMG4027 and IMG4057, makes choosing a favourite very difficult! However, I think it is safe to say that these three are my favourite shots, so my shutter speed of choice when photographing racing cars would be a lower one allowing for the sense and feeling of movement to be seen and felt in the photo.
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