TAOP Introduction Exercise 5: Panning with different shutter speeds

Exercise 5: Panning with different shutter speeds

For this exercise I had several ideas but given this is an exercise where I needed consistency of movement across multiple shutter speeds I though this would be best exampled using cars where in the most part for this image set, the cars were travelling at similar speeds.

The first few images have come out underexposed which as a result of the camera in shutter priority not been able to set a wide enough aperture as a result of the lens, a 28-105mm f/3.5 to f/4.5. In these instances I’ve adjusted the exposure during processing since exposure is not a key learning element of this exercise, but I understand how it’s affected the image.

For the exercises I’ve reduced the images to 800 pixels across its widest length to reduce image size and the image upload / download times.

All images taken by using panning with camera mounted on a tripod. Taking these images I was in shorts and a vest to make it obvious to the drivers I was doing photography and not in an occupation where using cameras might be feared J

Image 1 – 1/2000 sec

In this image the very fast shutter speed has frozen both the car and background. Looking at the spokes on the car wheels these can be seen as static.

Image 2 – 1/1000 sec

The fast shutter again has frozen the car and the panning of the camera has not impacted the background. As above, the shutter at this speed has eliminated the motion of the car, and it allows me to see how well polished it is, I wouldn’t have noticed this at the location when the car was in motion. The spokes in the car’s wheels are also free of any hint of movement. The panning has not blurred the background at this speed

Image 3 – 1/640 sec

The shutter speed at this speed is still fast enough to eliminate any movement in the background caused by panning the camera and the car has been captured in the image as static

Image 4 – 1/500 sec

The camera panning is starting to capture some movement on the flora in the background but again the car remains static, as a result of the panning and relatively fast shutter speed. In the previous exercise I identified that movement started to get captured with a shutter speed of between 1/600 and 1/500 and both exercises use a similar focal length to the subject of about 66mm

Image 5 – 1/400 sec

The camera panning is helping to keep the van in fairly sharp focus and you can notice more movement blur in the background fauna though at this shutter speed its more out of focus than movement blur

Image 6 – 1/320 sec

 At this shutter speed I’m starting to see some movement in the subject, notably the allow wheel’s spokes and the number plate. The panning has the background slightly more out of focus but no real movement blur.

Image 7 – 1/250 sec

This image is similar to Image 6 where there is slight blurring in the background caused by the panning movement of the camera captured on the sensor as the shutter stays open longer. I also note that the aperture has now closed slightly at f/4.5 and this will continue in response to the increasing time the shutter opens in subsequent images

Image 8 – 1/200 sec

The longer shutter speed combined with the panning of the camera is now starting to cause more blurring in the background but the camera panning is able to keep up with subject with it still in good focus though more movement can be seen in the spokes of the wheels than seen in earlier images above

  

Image 9 – 1/80 sec

Much more movement captured in the background as result of the camera panning as the shutter is open longer. My movement is noticeable in the car’s wheels. The aperture is now also starting to reduce to F/9 as the camera maintains a correct exposure.

Image 10 – 1/30 sec

 Strong movement blur in the background now capture at this shutter speed, the subject is also beginning to show movement, especially the wheels. The aperture has reduced now to f/20 to take into account the longer shutter opening. This really gives the viewer a feel of the speed of the car.

  

Image 11 – 1/13 sec

The background has really blurred at this shutter speed almost into horizontal lines, the horizontal panning causing this at this shutter speed. Though the car’s body shape is mostly still visible there a lot of distortion and movement, this is most notable at the wheels. I quite like this image in terms of the colour contrasts between the grey/white road, the green of the foliage and the blue of the car. The aperture at this shutter speed is max’d at the smallest it can be for this lens at f/29 and the over exposure of the road can be seen.The blurring in the image is really causing my eyes some difficulty :D

Image 12 – 1-10 sec

This is very similar to image 11 and though the passengers in the car seem relatively static the front and the rear of the car are showing movement resulting from the panning and also the car’s movement. The background now is becoming more blurred. The image is more over exposed than the previous as the longer shutter speeds are now letting more light onto the sensor and the camera is now unable to control this being unable to reduce the aperture any further

Best Images from Exercise 4 and 5

Shutter Speed 1/3 second

In this image the movement of the water is captured at this exposure. Though the camera and water is static the longer shutter speed gives the viewer a feeling that the water is actually moving in the image.

Shutter Speed 1/30 second

The long shutter speed together with panning action of the camera create movement in the background generating a feeling of movement. Though the focus of the car is not sharp, this further adds to the sense of movement captured in this image.

Exercise Learning's

a) In the set of images in this exercise, creating background movement with the camera panning the  moving subject with shutter speed of 1/30 second the final image can really start to imply dynamic movement in effectively a static image

b) An image doesn't have to have the subject in focus for the image to be successful. If the photographers intention is to create an image where movement and/or speed is to be implied to the the viewer then this ability to slow the shutter and pan the camera can be a very effective technique

c) Leaving space in front of the moving subject can further enhance the image as the subject then appears to get space to travel into and further enhances the feeling of movement and travel in an image. This can been seen in the image above of the silver car in the image above

Michael Freeman in his book the Eye of the Photographer mentions French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson who did not agree with the obsession as he called it of always creating sharp images. I've googled Henri and found a website run by time which has an "exhibition" of 16 of his images (link below)

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1983868_2128535,00.html

The fourth image Hyères, France, 1932 whilst many geometric features also contains a cyclist where due to Henri using a longer shutter speed he has created the impression of movement in an image where everything else remains static.