In Figure 16-3,1 photographed a night scene in downtown Miami to demonstrate the effect of moving cars and long exposures. I got this shot just after rush hour on a Friday, when many cars were passing through the scene. The heavy traffic gives the impression that the city is busy and full of life. I chose a perspective that caused the streaks from the car lights to lead you into the frame toward the heart of the city. A lot is going on in this image, and my intention was to give a sense of the potential energy the bicycle has. It's still on the sidewalk in the photograph, but it could tempt a viewer to imagine riding it alongside all the streaking cars in the street toward the downtown area.
Fireworks, lightning, fire dancers, and ravers dancing with glow sticks all offer further opportunities for capturing streaking light. You also can create your own streaking-light scene by asking someone to hold a light source like a flashlight and draw. Figure 16-4 shows you an example of this technique, which is called
To expose properly for a photo showing a person drawing with light, shoot in an area that's very dark (the darker the better). Doing so ensures that the motion of the person drawing isn't detected by your camera's sensor. Use a long shutter speed to give the person enough time to draw out what you have planned. By lighting your subject and scene with a flash or strobes, you can freeze one moment during the exposure. In this case, the flash fired at the beginning of the exposure, and the remaining time in the exposure was used to draw with the flashlight.
Usually motion blur arises from elements in motion, not from anything that's still. So, because your camera is still, only moving things streak.
•••••••
Figure 16-3: Streaking car lights in Miami at night show a way to use motion blur.
The longer your shutter speed, the more drastic the streaks in your image will be. Longer shutter speeds mean that you need to be more accurate when you track your subject, however.
Because your flash provides light for such a brief instant, it tends to freeze motion in photographs. This makes for an interesting tool when combined with a slow shutter speed. Mixing flash with available light is a common technique; it requires that you balance the intensity of the two light sources to achieve the contrast you desire.
Sometimes your flash acts as the key light and sometimes it acts as a fill light. When using your flash to freeze motion during long exposures, the flash is your key light and creates a clear image of your subject that's frozen in time. The available light causes motion blur. Because the flash lasts only an instant
and your shutter is open longer, the exposure continues to take place while the subject is moving. The result is a clear image of the subject with motion streaks behind it suggesting movement. You get the best of both worlds. (For more information on lighting, refer to Chapter 10.)
Figure 16-4: Drawing with light during a long exposure is a good way to have some creative fun with friends.
When using this technique, understanding how your camera works is important. The flash can sync with your shutter in the following two ways:
At the very beginning of the exposure (when the shutter curtain first opens): This sync setting, called the
At the end of the exposure: Most cameras allow you to set the flash to sync with the end of the exposure just as the shutter curtain is closing. (This setting is called the
Check your camera's owner's manual to find out what sync options you have.
Figure 16-5 shows examples of using the rear curtain sync setting combined with a slow shutter speed, a flash, and a moving subject. Forward motion is emphasized and a clearer depiction of the subject is created.
Figure 16-5: The rear curtain sync setting provides a creative motion blur that more clearly shows the subject.
Up for the Challenge: Photographing Subjects Constantly on the Motfe
Life doesn't always stand still for you to get the photograph you desire. In many instances, you'll be faced with subjects that are in constant motion. Being prepared and knowing what you want and how to get it are necessary skills for creating great compositions in these scenarios.
In the following sections, I discuss capturing great images of children at play, successfully photographing the family pet, and getting the shot during sporting events.
Taking successful images of children
Kids rarely stand still, so photographing them can be a challenge. However, the cool thing about children who are playing or engrossed in something is the possibility that they won't even notice you're taking their picture. Even if they are aware of it, chances are they won't pay much mind to it — that is, as long as you don't interfere with what they're doing.
When you photograph children playing or otherwise in motion, you have to be able to capture images as you see them, and you can't ask children to stand still for too long. In fact, you may even get more realistic images if you don't interfere with their natural actions at all. As a result, you need to be prepared to act fast. The more practice you have with your equipment, the better you can predict its results in different circumstances.
Here are the main things to consider when photographing children:
Have fun with it. Kids sense when you're taking something too seriously, and it could ruin their mood. You don't want to create a lawless scenario and allow things to get too carried away, but it's wise to keep things interesting enough to avoid temper tantrums.
Vary your angle. Get low angles so that some of your images are on the same level as the children. Doing so brings your viewers into the heart of the action. Also, try getting up high for a different perspective. A bird's-eye view could be an interesting take on children at play. Too many images from your own eye level start to become boring. For more on perspective and camera angles, head to Chapter 8.
Remain conscious of how your composition looks overall. As you're photographing children, things will be happening quickly. However,
that's no excuse to have a pole sticking out of a kid's head, or to have your subject constantly positioned in the center of the frame. For a refresher on arranging visual elements in a frame, see Chapter 5.
Make sure your focus is clear. Use a method of focusing that you're comfortable with and that allows you to achieve sharp focus on your pint-sized moving subjects. In the earlier section 'Focusing on moving subjects,' I suggest continuous focus as the best automatic setting for shooting moving subjects.
Look for interactions between the children, or expressions created with their hands.
