Motion blur help...

[KevNJ]

How can I still get the colors coming out of the lights and stop the motion. What should I have done differently. Both taken with the 20d and the Tokina 12-24m with Flash.

Picture 1
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/8
Av( Aperture Value ) 4.0
ISO Speed 200
Flash On


Blurring all over.




Picture 2
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed )1/13
Av( Aperture Value )4.0
ISO Speed400


Blurring in her hand.

[floydianslip6]

I'm sure there are others who will be able to give much better advice than me, since I don't really do this type of work. But I have ferrets at home, and if you've ever met one you know they are FAST. To stop blurring when taking photographs of them I find it easiest to work on flash timing as well. When you say flash on are you using that 580EX in your signature? Adjust the flash timing on that to really fill the subject with light. That ought to help stop the action for the subject in front of the camera while still giving the club feel in the back.

[KevNJ]

Correct I was referring to the 580ex in the signature. Which settings would you further recommend. I always wanted a ferret, but Im literally allergic to everything. So Im limited to fish. lol. But cant eat them, cause Im allergic to that. To much sodium or something. Weird I know.

[floydianslip6]

well looking at your photos I'd say your shutter and aperture are set fine, #1 could stand for a lil quicker shutter maybe... Overall though, the blurring you have is of the details and edges (#2) it's not an all out, "what the $%^# is that a picture of" kind of motion blur. I feel like just getting some more flash in there would iron out those blurred edges.

The 580ex is a complicated thing, I'm still learning it myself, but I'd say make sure the zoom for the flash is set right, and maybe up the timing to +1 1/3 or so? You'd have to experiment really since the place is dark to start.

I'm sure someone else could give a clearer answer, but the general idea is to just sharpen your fine lines (#2). And in shots like #1 you could go a lil faster on the shutter speed since there is some increased motion.

EDIT: I have fish too, an Oscar, Jack Dempsy, and three red hook silver dollars.

[tucked]

Higher ISO setting would get you a faster shutter speed... as would a faster lens than f/4. Something such as a f/1.4 or f/1.8. f/1.4 would be 3 whole stopes faster than the f/4 you were using.

[Maureen Souza]

Your shutter speeds are 1/8 and 1/13... that is way too slow for hand held photography and too slow to freeze action. Try increasing it to 60 or 80 minimum. If you still have blur, increase more and increase your flash output to compensate.

[floydianslip6]

I think you might be forgetting how dark those clubs are. A 60 shutter speed in that setting will get you a big dark nothing, let alone 80. You might be right about the ISO tucked, but I would be concerned with the amount of noise in the darkness of the background, it would be like a playground for the noise. Dwight would be the person to really settle this though!

[SkipD]

Kevin - your ONLY solutions are either much faster lenses or higher ISO setting or both.

You need the flash to illuminate the subject for the natural color, but you also need to capture the natural light for the effect. In order to capture the natural light, you need to be able to expose for it while keeping your shutter speeds much faster than you have been (like Maureen said) so that you don't have the dragging effect of the slow shutter speed with the portions of the subject that are brightly lit with the natural light.

Because you don't want to deal with the noise caused by higher ISO settings, the only solution left for you is some ultra-fast prime (non-zoom) lenses. Lenses with f/1.4 or so max apertures should give you considerable improvement over your collection of zooms in your signature block.

Another thing - lose the UV filters (which you advertise in your signature block) in situations like this. They will cause never ending headaches with flare when you have strong light sources in the subject area. Make sure you are using good quality lens hoods, though. They will provide protection from stray light sources (important to you) as well as provide mechanical protection (from bumps and bangs).

[PacAce]

Bump up your ISO to 800, open up the aperture to f/2 and increase the shutter speed to /125 and you'll get a reasonably unblurred mage while maintaining the same exposure. At least the blur from camera shakes will be eliminated. You may get still some motion blur of the arms, though.

[KevNJ]

Thanks for the pointers so far. Now if the weekend will get here quicker. haha.

Suggestions on a faster lens, for this line of work ? I also take a lot of pictures of the crowd. Up close shots, so thats why I went with a zoom. I take 150-300 pictures per night depending how busy it is. ~75% of those are of the crowd.

[SkipD]

Originally Posted by KevNJ

Suggestions on a faster lens, for this line of work ? I also take a lot of pictures of the crowd. Up close shots, so thats why I went with a zoom. I take 150-300 pictures per night depending how busy it is. ~75% of those are of the crowd.

I think you need to ask (and answer) some fairly basic questions yourself.

First - What focal lengths do you find your self using with the zoom lenses? Make note of the answer, and then figure out what is available in really fast primes at roughly those focal lengths.

Second - Figure out what you can afford and, assuming you may need to buy one at a time, which would be the most beneficial from the beginning.

It isn't difficult, but it isn't necessarily inexpensive either.

[KevNJ]

Point taken SkipD.

I was thinking of the Canon 16-35m f/2.8L. But is this fast enough for my conditions ? Kind of limited with the fast wide angle zooms.

[SkipD]

Originally Posted by KevNJ

Point taken SkipD.

I was thinking of the Canon 16-35m f/2.8L. But is this fast enough for my conditions ? Kind of limited with the fast wide angle zooms.

I think you'd be better off with primes. It isn't difficult to find usable primes with f/1.4 max apertures. That's two full stops faster than the f/2.8 lenses, which can be really important if you're often trying to shoot in low light situations.

[Steve Parr]

First thing I would do would be to lose the flash. I never use one.

Second, and as others have pointed out, you need something faster than an f/4 lens. When I shoot bands, the slowest lens I use is an f/2.8.

With the 20D, you should be able to bump your ISO up into the 800 range and have no real noticeable noise. Couple that with the faster lens, and you're stylin'.

This shot was taken with the 300D, ISO 200, 1/40th of a second, with the 85mm f/1.8:



Speed is your friend...

Steve