Photographing Motion by Nicole

In GCT we were given an assignment based on learning to photograph motion, in this assignment we had to take pictures of 4 different techniques on photographing motion. Panning, stopping motion, exaggerated motion, and blur to show motion, were the 4 techniques we had to use to take these pictures. We changed the cameras settings to take pictures and experiment on how we use these techniques to take pictures of motion. On the camera we changed the settings of the light or the ISO for instance to change how crisp each of our pictures looked.




One technique we used to take pictures of panning was to move with the subject to have the focus of the picture on that subject, while everything in the background is blurry. This technique for panning gives the picture a focus as the subject can be clear and sharp, and the background gives the photo a contrast as it becomes a blur behind the focus. A slower shutter speed would be better to capture panning pictures because the slower speed causes the background to become blurry but because the main focus is moving and you move with it the main focus is able to be seen and is the most clearest and the contrast. You don't always need a tripod for this type of picture because you will be moving the camera to capture the subject moving, and could just stand still but turn with the camera as the person or thing starts to move.

The technique we really used to capture stopping motion was to take multiple pictures very quickly of the motion, to capture the movement as a clear and sharp picture. To really do this it took a lot of trial and error because even though you take a lot of pictures of the same movement only one could be possibly useable or none could be. But the result of these pictures always were one of the most interesting to me for the picture is so clear but the movement could be so abstract. For this picture a faster shutter speed would be better, because the faster you take each picture the more you are able to take and the water speed can also capture the motion in action. As for a slower shutter speed the motion would be wouldn't be as clear and crisp.

There isn't really technique i particularly used to capture exaggerated motion, because exaggerated motion just has to be a picture taken, but the focus of the picture isn't completely simple or minimized   as the focus can be exactly as it says exaggerated or even not normal. As the subject of the photo can be doing something simple as playing with a ball, but playing almost exaggeratedly or just positioned to show more motion in one picture. Regardlessly you can take exaggerated pictures just be positioned to show motion for instance a run up to spike a volleyball. I used a higher shutter speed to show on shot of the motion being more exaggerated. I used a tripod because so the camera would be still when i took the picture, but even without a tripod i think if you just take the picture with the subject positioned to show that exact motion then it would turn out clear.

To blur to show motion a technique i frequently used was to move around very frantically, wave my arms around ran around the focus of the picture and etc. This technique was fairly effective the only issues that occurred was if the focus was not as still and also became blurry or the camera settings weren't just properly set. In these types of pictures even though much of the picture is blurred to show the motion you also want a contrast the blurriness of the picture by something that doesn't move and stays still. In this way the picture will have a contrast of the blur and will have the focus which is clear and sharp in the picture. The shutter speed is better to be slower for these types of pictures because you want to capture the movement by the blur and that can only become possible if the speed was slower to capture the whole movement instead of capturing one moment of it. I would also change the ISO to be as low as it can can so the focus can become and sharp and crisp and it can get so it can attract more attention towards it.