Trouble focussing on kids on a swing

[gjman]

I am having trouble taking consistent pics of my son on a swing. I am trying to capture him at the apex of the swing. The only way I get it now is in drive mode and AI-Servo is there a better way of doing it?

[DDCSD]

AI servo and work on your timing. In drive mode, it will just be luck catching it, so you'll never get any consistency.

[jbimages]

What camera and lens are you using? (autofocus speed).
A swing is a simple pendulum, watch it for a while and you will be able to predict when it is about to reverse direction.

[JeffreyG]

I am having trouble taking consistent pics of my son on a swing. I am trying to capture him at the apex of the swing. The only way I get it now is in drive mode and AI-Servo is there a better way of doing it?

AI servo and timing. Forget trying to catch this with bursts.

[gjman]

Brilliant photo, that's exactly what I am going for. And from your EXIF you were using Av (f/2.8 @ 135mm, 1/1600, ISO 200), I initially assumed you too were using the 70-200 f/2.8 IS and would have asked you if you were using Mode 2 of IS, then I noticed that you do have a 135mm f/2 and the EXIF does say the max aperture is f/2. :-)

You seem to have a lot of light for a shot taken at 5:23pm, I need to get to the park a lot more earlier to get high enough shutter speed.

Thanks.

[JeffreyG]

Brilliant photo, that's exactly what I am going for. And from your EXIF you were using Av (f/2.8 @ 135mm, 1/1600, ISO 200), I initially assumed you too were using the 70-200 f/2.8 IS and would have asked you if you were using Mode 2 of IS, then I noticed that you do have a 135mm f/2 and the EXIF does say the max aperture is f/2. :-)

You seem to have a lot of light for a shot taken at 5:23pm, I need to get to the park a lot more earlier to get high enough shutter speed.

Thanks.

The forsythia in the background emphatically says this was mid-April. That would be in daylight davings time, so 5:23 is still OK for light.

[Helen Bartlett]

That is an awesome shot Jeffrey!

I find the technique that works well for me is to focus on the child at the apex of the swing, then hold the focus (shutter half way down) while they swing back to the other end and then press the shutter when they swing back through the plane of focus using one shot focus.

I have also found that some lenses work much better for swing shots than others - my 85 1.2 doesn't focus fast enough for swings but the 50mm works much better and the 24 is great as I can get in nice and close (dangerously close sometimes).

Practice helps too, it certainly gets easier with time.

Helen

[Mark Anthony]

That's an amazing shot Jeffrey..

I think this is best i've done so far.. i'd value critique from the more experienced of you on here.. i captured it in the way described on here.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q43/StudioMarkAnthony/charlietyreswing1.jpg

[DDCSD]

That's an amazing shot Jeffrey..

I think this is best i've done so far.. i'd value critique from the more experienced of you on here.. i captured it in the way described on here.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q43/StudioMarkAnthony/charlietyreswing1.jpg

Great shot!

Welcome to POTN!!!

[shaftmaster]

My comments for the shot of the boy on the tire swing...

I can't read the exif data from the picture but this might be even better if shot with a wider aperture to blur the background more. Jeffrey's shot of the girl on the swing was f/2.8 and 1/1600sec which blurs the background and freezes the action.

Did you shoot this when the swing was at its closest point to you? It looks like it to me because the tire is covering up most of his body. That's my biggest nit-pick is that the tire takes up so much of the shot and covers up too much of the subject. You might try getting a shot when he's at the furthest point from you to see if you can get more of him and less of the tire in the shot. You could also try shooting from the side to get a better angle so you're not directly in front of the swing. That may be hard to do if you're the one pushing the swing... I know. ;) If you're not pushing the swing you could try standing on a ladder to get some other perspectives. For example, you could be looking down as the swing is coming up and toward you and you'd see more of the subject and less of the swing. It helps if the swing is in your backyard so you don't have to lug a ladder to the local park!

I love the way you shot this with a diagonal composition. It really works and moves the subject's head into a nice spot within the frame. I'll have to try this.

Cute kid! You're lucky to have such a great subject for your photos.

[westinfunk]

That's an amazing shot Jeffrey..

I think this is best i've done so far.. i'd value critique from the more experienced of you on here.. i captured it in the way described on here.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q43/StudioMarkAnthony/charlietyreswing1.jpg


Seems like the tire is completely taking over the picture here.