Wrong Shutter Speed?

[tsamarin]

I shot these yesterday at Laguna Seca. It was a practice day for next week's Historic Automobile Races. I've got a lot of blur. Does it look like focus or shutter? I'm using a 70-300 and was using 1/320. Too slow? These are some of the more presentable shots-I've got some real junk. Would love some C & C from the experts here, thanks.

[Wazza]

Great 935 shot! 1/320th is often a good recommend speed for a front three-quarters pan - and you've done well here. Looks very sharp.

The more full side on you can get, the slower shutter speeds become easy.

[TCorzett]

Blur is from the shutter speed, but this is the sort of thing you WANT when shooting motorsports. You need to show motion in the wheels/tires or else everything looks parked. To get the cars sharper, yet still show motion in the wheels/tires/background then you need a smoother panning motion... that just takes practice. The smoother you get, the slower you can go!

-Todd...

[tsamarin]

Thanks for the comments. By the way, I've looked at work from both of you and am very impressed. Maybe some day I'll be in the same ballpark!

[Wazza]

Thanks to you

Mine has just come from some practice, as I had free entry to all the drift events in NZ for the past couple of years, plus open trackdays etc. Events here in UK are SO expensive, I'm not even considering going at this stage. Sticking with landscapes

[Nightstalker]

I like the shots a lot although I suspect that you will hit the same problems that I am with the70-300 - http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=361945 - resized they look OK but the 100% image is very soft.

[DOverton]

I personally like these!

First 1 could do with a tighter crop, or a better crop and it would look really nice too, the second shutter speed is stop on

Takes a while but once you get used to it, you be fine

Dan.

[mkuriger]

those are 2 very well done panning shots! All my race pictures look like parked cars. I'm too shaky to pan like you pros!

[RohrC]

As mentioned - I really like the second panning shot. The blurred background looks good and the negative space is ahead of the car - thus showing the action going forwards! Looks bang on! Nicely done!

Would be interested in seeing some more of the shots ...

[tsamarin]

Thanks for the comments, gentlemen. I've looked at your galleries, so your words mean a lot coming from photographers of your caliber. In an effort to improve, I posting some of my junk, no PP except for a web save. What would you attribute this softness to, motion or lens blur?

[Cadwell]

For the last two it looks like it was fairly sunny and hot? I'd like to add another variable to image softness which is all too common when shooting across large areas of gravel and tarmac and that's heat haze. Possible at 300mm and gets worse as your lenses get longer.

[adamsti]

Originally Posted by tsamarin

Thanks for the comments, gentlemen. I've looked at your galleries, so your words mean a lot coming from photographers of your caliber. In an effort to improve, I posting some of my junk, no PP except for a web save. What would you attribute this softness to, motion or lens blur?

Every shot from a DSLR needs to be sharpened. Sharpening is not evil. RAW files by nature are not sharp.

[bob393]

Thanks for sharing!

[freebird]

Nice pictures. One thing I like to do is selective sharpening to some areas of the car and driver. That way your not sharpening the track and other areas that might bring in significant noise in a cropped shot thats enlarged.

Thanks for sharing,
Chuck