freeze frames

[hedphonz]

hey all. i was wondering if you guys can show me where the sections would be on freeze frames on sports. i would be shoting outdoor with a 300D and a 50 1.8, along with a 75-300 in full sun. what is the process of finding out the right shutter speed ro make sure that the sbjects are in a freeze frame. i will be shooting track runners and throwers at a track meet. thanks for the help.

[tim]

As with a lot of things, the best answer is "try it and see". We could give you numbers, but you'd probably learn more by trying it yourself and seeing what happens. Use Tv mode, so you can set the shutter speed. I'd suggest starting at 1/50th and working your way to 1/500th or 1/750th, give or take.

[hedphonz]

thanks tim, i appreciate the honesty.

[smoothjazzgal]

hey all. i was wondering if you guys can show me where the sections would be on freeze frames on sports. i would be shoting outdoor with a 300D and a 50 1.8, along with a 75-300 in full sun. what is the process of finding out the right shutter speed ro make sure that the sbjects are in a freeze frame. i will be shooting track runners and throwers at a track meet. thanks for the help.
I've found that a shutter speed of 1/250 is about the absolute minimum for freezing kids running and playing (something I shoot a lot of). On sunny days, you should have no problem shooting at this speed and even higher. Like tim said, use Tv (shutter-priority mode) and set your shutter 1/250 or higher and see what you get. Experimentation is the best way to go!

[Jim_T]

Yes.. If it's sunny and you set the ISO to 400, you'll get a high enough shutter speed to freeze everything.

But there's more to it than that.. Frozen shots tend to be too clinical, too plain.. You're shooting motion, but you don't want to see any motion :)

If you're shooting runners, for instance one technique is to use a slower shutter speed, and pan the camera keeping the the runner still in the viewfinder. This results in the runner being frozen, but gives the background a speed blur. This really adds a sense of motion.

If you're shooting baseball, blurring the pitcher's arm as he delivers can add impact to the shot.

Being a great photographer isn't easy.. And as tim says.. Experiment and see.. (It doesn't cost anything :)