Playing with motion

November 20, 2008

I like aperture priority. I kind of, sort of know what I'm doing in that mode. I choose the aperture (how large or small the lens opening is) and the camera does the rest. I love shooting shallow depth of field shots (wide open aperture) and I'm comfortable here but I need a new challenge. I want to capture motion in my photos. But, shutter priority scares me. I have no idea in a given situation what to set my shutter speed at. No clue.

So I experiment. I try a shot. Ack, way to dark! Adjust shutter speed (which way do I turn this little knobby anyway??), try again. Too much light. Fiddle with the ISO. Oh, and while I'm doing all this I'm trying to capture some kind of action. Action that has already happened by the time I fiddle with knobs, take a test shot, fiddle again, take another test shot. This is hard work.

Here's what I came up with this week, don't laugh.

Brienne playing with homemade marble works (I helped with the tubes and such and she made the marble from FIMO clay). Homemade marbleworks: look! look! I captured the ball in motion at the end of the track</span>

And for something totally different. A nighttime driving streaking lights shot. With the kids safely & warmly parked in the car right behind me I froze my fingers while fiddling with the tripod and shutter speed on a downtown corner. Cars driving in front of Orphan Annies</span>

I obviously don't do the technique of motion photography any justice. Be patient, I'm getting there.

In the mean time you can read this beginners guide to motion photography.

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