How do you get a shot like this?

Hey guys,

I belong to some car clubs, and I'm looking to get some really cool shots of some of the cars.

I was wondering if anyone can help me in trying to achieve a shot like this:

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8704/dsc4983fr1.jpg

The EXIF data is blocked, so I'm not sure at all where to start. I just really want to know how to get the car is focus, and everything else in motion.

Thanks in advance :thumbsup:

Well at a race track or something of the sort when you are standing on the ground and the object is passing in front of you - you would "pan" meaning you would track the object with the camera moving it with the direction of the subject and try to match the speed of the subject and use a bit of a slower shutter speed to get the "motion blur" of the background, foreground, wheels...

In this situation - if you look at the rear driver portion of the car you will see the reflection of another car- I am guessing they "synced" their speed using speed control - flat smooth road - camera mounted in the car somehow and once again used a longer shutter speed to get the motion blur....

hope this helps and gives you some ideas - would be cool to see your attempts !

Yep, this most definitely was shot from a chase vehicle. Also, depending on their velocity, they could have used reasonably quick shutter speeds and still got enough motion blur of the pavement and background without risking a lot of blur on the car due to small changes between the cars speed and the chase cars speed as well as small changes in direction of both vehicles.

Edit, edit, edit. I suspect there was a tremendous amount of editing that went into that image. If it is not a composite (there seem to be some incongruities, particularly in the reflections on the car).

There is nothing wrong with editing and it’s an art in itself. A good image editing program (Photoshop if you drive a BMW or Paintshop Photo if you drive a Toyota) is a must if you want to produce outstanding photos. Even Ansel Adams preformed most of his magic in the darkroom and today anyone can have more options in the digital darkroom than he ever dreamed of.

So take the good advice of the previous two replies, then use a good image editor to improve things.

First, you need a chase-car. There is no way to get a shot like this stationarily. Then you need a fast lens (notice how the front of the car is out of focus, this is an effect of a fast apperature), this looks like it was shot at f/2.8 at about 100mm, I figure they used a zoom as in this focal range a prime doesn't mean too much. It is actually possible that they shot the image at f/4 but with a larger format: I would guess a medium format film, probably a Hassy (Hasselblad) camera. With medium format film it is possible to attain shorter DOF at narrower apperatures than film. They also used a polarizer, although it was not able to tame the reflection on the side of the car (they do this so you can't see the driver). Notice the checkered-like pattern on the back window, this happens when viewing treated auto glass through a polarizer under direct sun. The exposure was fairly short, but long enough to get a bit of blur, it would be safe to say 1/250-1/500. This was definitely edited in Photoshop, and no you don't have to own a BMW to own it, a Porsche will do just fine :D. They added vignetting in photoshop and edited the colours somewhat.

Well, I have Photoshop, but I own a Ford.. Hmmm...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fx101

First, you need a chase-car. There is no way to get a shot like this stationarily. Then you need a fast lens (notice how the front of the car is out of focus, this is an effect of a fast apperature), this looks like it was shot at f/2.8 at about 100mm, I figure they used a zoom as in this focal range a prime doesn't mean too much. It is actually possible that they shot the image at f/4 but with a larger format: I would guess a medium format film, probably a Hassy (Hasselblad) camera. With medium format film it is possible to attain shorter DOF at narrower apperatures than film. They also used a polarizer, although it was not able to tame the reflection on the side of the car (they do this so you can't see the driver). Notice the checkered-like pattern on the back window, this happens when viewing treated auto glass through a polarizer under direct sun. The exposure was fairly short, but long enough to get a bit of blur, it would be safe to say 1/250-1/500. This was definitely edited in Photoshop, and no you don't have to own a BMW to own it, a Porsche will do just fine :D. They added vignetting in photoshop and edited the colours somewhat.

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Thank you all for the freat input.

So, I guess I need to get a fast lens!

I was actually looking at this one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0%3D%26fvi%3D1

Do you think this would do the trick? I'm looking for a fast lens for my Nikon D80 that is not going to break the bank.

Also, I want to know what you guys suggest for taking photos of indoor hockey? As you may know, hockey arena are generally dimly lit, the action is either slowly or very fast paced, and there is a lot of reflection from the ice surface and the glass.

Again, any input would be greatly appreciated :)

well - The 50mm 1.8 lens is a sweet lens - You should get it from b&h photo instead - about the same price and can get the usa model with the warranty, much more reputable dealer too.

The 50mm may be a bit wide .... may have to crop alot ....

The image is, in my opinion, a composite image. Notice the reflection of the lamp post on the left side window. It's size indicates it was relatively close to the car, it's sharpness indicates that it was moving at the same relative speed. There is also a reflection on the left taillight that when enlarged, turns out to be some some relatively sharp buildings- though they're somewhat more distant.

As Jumpseat said, reflections tell the tale.

That said, the composite is very well done, as is the photography. The tire motion, if not authentic, is edited flawlessly. The image as a whole is one of the best I've seen. I've done a lot of vehicle-enhancing in photoshop, and except for a few small details, it's definately a "believable" image.

- Joe U.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sean_damien

Thank you all for the freat input.

So, I guess I need to get a fast lens!

I was actually looking at this one on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0%3D%26fvi%3D1

Do you think this would do the trick? I'm looking for a fast lens for my Nikon D80 that is not going to break the bank.

Also, I want to know what you guys suggest for taking photos of indoor hockey? As you may know, hockey arena are generally dimly lit, the action is either slowly or very fast paced, and there is a lot of reflection from the ice surface and the glass.

Again, any input would be greatly appreciated :)

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Yes, they used a fast lens but got reasonably close to the car (a sort of long range macro) so that the car was within the depth of field at about f/2.8 and the background was blurry. This way you don't need a long exposure to get the background blurry, it was just slow enough to make sure the road blurred.

As for shooting indoor hockey a fast lens REALLY helps. What fast means is that the lens lets in A LOT of light. Actually, an f/1.8 lens will let in even more light than the human eye. Here's the problem with the 50mm. I dunno if that is going to be a long enough focal length for shooting indoor hockey. You might need a telephoto lens around 200mm and that is going to cost you more. Indoor sports demand much more from your lens than daylight photography (no flaming please). One option you can look at (I see you are on a strict budget) is the nikon 80-200 f/2.8 AF-S ED (This version is the ONLY ONE that will work on your D80, there are others but will not autofocus). The lens runs about 500 bucks on e-bay which is a real steal, and I mean a real steal. The newer 70-200 which replaced it 2-3 year ago is a $2000 lens and has almost the same features except the newer one has VR. Definitely check that one out. Your other option is the Tokina 50-135mm. I have shot with it and can testify to its quality. The 50mm is a great buy, however, if you want a general walkaround lens. It is a prime, but it is sharp as ever, a great lens overall.