Tips For Action Shots

[RottnBullies]

Tried some action with one of my girls today, and still not quite able to nail any decent shots

I'd really love some tips or maybe even some good links I can refer to. I've recently swapped over from shutter to back button focusing, and I much prefer It set this way, but I'm still getting the hang of It, anyway here Is the only shot that was the most In focus, but I really had to crop heavily.

I focused on a point she would be running through, or should I be focusing on her? Also I can't get too close with my 50mm or we'd have a pretty bad clash as she's just way too fast

Settings I used as follows on M:

F/ 3.2

1/500 sec

ISO 200

AI servo

on high speed burst mode

I think I know what I may have done wrong now that I'm thinking about It, I never held down the back button for continual focusing I think I'm meant to hold It down right? I'm hoping now that was the main problem, If not what am I doing wrong

Thanks for any advice

[huga]

Ok, I will preface this by saying I suck at action, but I would up everything - try and have the s/s closer to 1000.

Also, your darling dog is like mine and cameras hate focusing on all white things.

Edited July 2, 2011 by huga

[kja]

The first thing I notice is the insanely wide open aperture. Remember that the wider your aperture the LESS of your subject will be in the plane of focus - and with a moving subject, that makes life very tough indeed. Check out one of the online DOF calculators and plug in your 50mm and distance and look through the different apertures. You might be surprised at how little you are giving yourself to work with. As you get more confident and better at the basics, then start opening up again.

Up your ISO, get a little more speed, get a smaller aperture, keep on trying.

I love using the back button but sometimes actually find that I do better with the shutter release button for fast stuff. It varies for me, guess it's a mood thing or something LOL I wish I had exact answers but it's really just getting out there and doing it!

Edited July 2, 2011 by kja

[RottnBullies]

Ok thanks guys, I will try again by upping everything. Yes I know white dogs are soooo hard! I try to keep her In the shade for pics

Where do I focus though, on her face? or a spot she'll run through?

[Kirislin]

These are the shots I've tried so hard to get and it is really hard. They're coming straight at you full pelt, it's very hard for your camera and lens to keep up. Do you have a zoom lens, that would be better and yes more chance with a smaller aperture/wider depth of field and a faster shutter speed.

I took these 2 with a zoom lens at 1/5000th! but both were at 2.8 I had lots of misses though, I think you just have to accept that might be the case. Makes you treasure the good shots all the more.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Kirislin

[kja]

snooke: yes, it's the little * button on the back of the Canon bodies. How exactly to change it will be in your manual as it's in the menus. I change it so my AF is on the * and I think it's in the orange menus.

I don't seem to use my 50mm for action, but I do use other primes (love my 135L!). Zooms are awesome for action and I seem to use the 100-400 and the 70-200 mostly from a quick look through LR.

[RottnBullies]

Kirislin those shots are awesome!

Unfortunately I only have the 50mm 1.8 so I have to try and do the best with what I've got, I will just keep trying

Thanks

[CrazyCresties]

Unfortunately I only have the 50mm 1.8 so I have to try and do the best with what I've got.

How about a tele-converter? I don't really know much about them, but it would increase your focal length, and with an f1.8 you would still have a decent aperture

[rubiton]

Ive said it before.

sunny day (gets harder if no sun). Set camera on 1/1000th, F8, ISO 400, Ai servo and put focus on dog (make it use the centre point only or the camera will get confused).

Now with the dog running towards you it is harder and somtimes the camera wont be able to change focus quickly enough to keep up with the dog - I have a couple of lens that struggle with this even with the predictive focus (thats what AI focus is doing).

If you can get someone else to have the dog run to them it makes life a lot easier. And put the sun behind you too. With the white in teh sun perhaps up the aperture to F9 or whatever the next one is (white animals are only one F stop different to brown ones). And try and take pics where there is green in the background not a fence or something that will reflect (same with black dogs as the contrast is too much).

I take action photos every single week at the races and when I got to equestrian events.

[gila]

What's the Nikon equivalent of AI Servo? I'm hopeless at action shots. Even when I have a fast shutter speed and small aperture my focus is always off.

[RottnBullies]

Thanks for your suggestions rubiton I will def try those settings as well

I don't know much about a tele-converter CC but will look them up. Thanks

[kja]

Don't be adding a teleconverter, imho, if you are already having problems. Learn to nail your shot with what you have and then add stuff. TCs are great but they can reduce AF speed and otherwise impact your shooting.

Focal length is not the problem here, technique is and the only solution is practice and tweaking

[redangel]

Nikon’s equivalent is “continuous servo AF.”

[rubiton]

I should also add always pan with the moving dog if side on. Dont pick a spot and wait as it wont work. Panning is actually the action of following a moving object regardless of if you use a slow speed and get that awful (well I hate it) blur effect - its a car or a horse moving you KNOW its moving you dont have to blur to prove it (sorry just a small vent about blur needed to show movement) or if you are using a high shutter speed to freeze the action.

[Kirislin]

I love that blurred effect, not so much in horses, I love the crystal clear sharp shots that show the action and expression of horse and rider but for cars and bikes I think it's very effective.

here's examples of 2 I took on Friday. Almost exactly the same angle shot, the only difference is the shutter speed. here at

1/100th

and here 1/3200th which to me looks like she is standing still and might just tip over

I much prefer the first shot.

[RottnBullies]

I much prefer the first shot as well kirisilin,

I think It suits some shots but not all and may be over done at times

You're really doing well with that 7D

Was going to try again today, but I ran out of light by the time I was ready and I would have had to use a pretty high ISO which I don't really want.

[Kirislin]

I much prefer the first shot as well kirisilin,

I think It suits some shots but not all and may be over done at times

You're really doing well with that 7D

Was going to try again today, but I ran out of light by the time I was ready and I would have had to use a pretty high ISO which I don't really want.

awww thankyou, I finally feel like I'm starting to get some decent shots. It's taken me a while though.

[rubiton]

See I prefer how crystal clear the second shot is. I dont get the 'my eyeballs hurt' that I get on the extreme blur to show speed technique. Even perhaps at 1/1000th with a tiny miniscule amount of the blur ok but at 1/100th I hate that - too much blur.

Think I went up to about 1/2500th for the FA18s in flight and although it freezes the action they are a plane you know they are moving and not about to fall on you (well you hope since there are always those horror stories from airshows)

[RottnBullies]

Another attempt today, I THINK lol It looks a little better than my previous one focus wise, but still heavily cropped... and now she's got 2 white dots In her eyes, which Is distracting, probably from the sun as I had It behind me. None of my f/8 turned out either, and again only one worth saving from the batch

f/6.3

1/2000

ISO/400

I think I'll need to add a zoom to my ever growing wish list

[Kirislin]

that looks pretty sharp to me. I would expect to see those hightlights in her eyes, you might find if you cloned them out her eyes would look flat and dead.