Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Goodwood FoS – DSLR photography advice sought..
  • nickewen
    Free Member

    Hi all,

    I’m after some advice please. Heading down to the FoS next weekend and I’ve borrowed my dad’s DSLR to try and get some good shots of the cars.

    I’ve never used a DSLR before having only ever owned compacts. Should I just stick it in auto and try to ensure zoom and focus is correct? There are two lenses; one “normal” (according to my dad who has never really used it since he bought it off my uncle!) and one zoom.

    Is it worth trying to get to grips with some of the manual settings to get the best possible pictures?

    Any pointers would be gratefully received!

    Cheers

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    It’s always worth getting to grips with the manual settings as it broadens your understanding of the medium, but unless you’re confident at the time, then I’d recommend using a matrix auto-focus rather than spot or center weighted and leaving it in Auto, aperture priority (A), or shutter priority (S). I don’t know how quickly you’ll make sense of the camera settings, so impossible to answer really. Just play around with it and see how you get on. You’ll know yourself what you feel comfortable taking responsibility for. Contrary to what I’m sure some will suggest, I’d also recommend shooting in raw rather than JPG. That’ll give you a bit extra to play with dynamically if the auto metering is a bit under/over at times.

    What is the camera, by the way?

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Thanks for the advice. Camera is a Nikon D90 and there is a 18-105mm lens and a 70-300mm lens.. I’ve got a day off before I head down so I’ll play around with the settings u note above. Cheers!

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    kayak23
    Full Member

    My advice, keep things very simple. You don’t want to be getting into all the potential settings and effects they might have in one day, plus you want to enjoy your event too.

    The D90 will allow you to prioritise what is important in your shot and make a decision on settings, and the camera will decide the rest.

    I would suggest setting your ISO to auto.

    For moving subjects where you want to freeze the action, use ‘S’ shutter priority mode and set the speed to maybe 250 or above. The camera will do the rest to give you a good exposure.

    For still subjects, use ‘A’ Aperture priority mode. Keep the setting to around F11 or so to get much of the subject in focus, such as a whole car.
    If you want to isolate a certain part, whether that be a car part or a person, lower the aperture number. The lower numbers can help you get your subject in focus and create blur around/beyond your subject to bring attention to your subject.

    There are a million online guides about for the basics. Try ‘Cambridge in colour’ or ‘Fro knows photo’.

    Keep things dead simple for now and enjoy your event.
    🙂

    sturdylad
    Free Member

    There are some pictures here that I took a while back. If you click on the artist notes I have listed the camera setting for most.

    I think they were probably shot in AP mode but S (shutter priority) will probably be just as good if not better.

    Oh and don’t forget to try and get the Red Arrows and the Vulcan if it’s doing a flyby this year

    Goodwood Pics

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Cheers kayak and sturdylad – I’ll have a play around with those settings tonight.

    Those pics in the link are cracking!

    I’m hoping the weather down there is going to be good (it seems to be on every video on youtube) but if anything is going to make it rain it’s a couple of lads driving down from Newcastle..

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Thanks for the advice. Camera is a Nikon D90 and there is a 18-105mm lens and a 70-300mm lens.. I’ve got a day off before I head down so I’ll play around with the settings u note above. Cheers!

    I shot a load with a D7000 (very similar to the D90). I used Manual, set Auto ISO on (one less thing to worry about). I’d then set the shutter speed based on what you want to photo and the Aperture on how much background you want.

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/9Ze3Ka]Fabia Super 2000[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

    eg f3.5, 1/800s and ISO 800

    You can see the settings I used if you click on a photo in this album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/sets/72157627111890342

    I was quite lucky that year as Skoda were sponsoring the event and the wife worked for them, so she knew all the staff and got me access everywhere just by asking nicely eg Hill Climb Paddock:

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/9ZmQTz]DSC_6393[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

    jimjam
    Free Member

    kayak23 – Member

    My advice, keep things very simple. You don’t want to be getting into all the potential settings and effects they might have in one day, plus you want to enjoy your event too.

    I would suggest setting your ISO to auto.

    For moving subjects where you want to freeze the action, use ‘S’ shutter priority mode and set the speed to maybe 250 or above. The camera will do the rest to give you a good exposure.

    For still subjects, use ‘A’ Aperture priority mode. Keep the setting to around F11 or so to get much of the subject in focus, such as a whole car.
    If you want to isolate a certain part, whether that be a car part or a person, lower the aperture number. The lower numbers can help you get your subject in focus and create blur around/beyond your subject to bring attention to your subject.

    Keep things dead simple for now and enjoy your event.

    This is good advice if you’re starting out, and pretty much what I was going to say. Just by way of some examples on shutter priority a low number, and panning with the object will produce blurring like this, implying speed

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/v1RSLw]DSC03804[/url] by James Doherty, on Flickr

    Whereas a higher shutter speed will freeze the action

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/uJU86H]DSC04191[/url] by James Doherty, on Flickr

    On aperture priority a low number will produce a shallower depth of field, blurring out the background (or foreground) more

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/uJLAqE]DSC00271[/url] by James Doherty, on Flickr

    but that’s not always a good idea as sometimes it’s good to have some context. Higher numbers will mean more of your scene is in focus,, typically something you might want in a landscape or bigger scene.

    sturdylad
    Free Member

    Nice examples of the different settings JimJam, follow those and you won’t go far wrong!!
    I really need to get out and practice more though!!

    legend
    Free Member

    kayak23 – Member

    My advice, keep things very simple

    This, especially as you only get one shot to capture each car in action on the hillclimb. Which leads on to my other thoughts – don’t bother! You only get 1 chance to see each car so I’d rather not be looking through an eye-piece

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Some fantastic shots and tips up there ^^^. Thanks all. Camera charged and car packed ready to roll! Cheers!

    sturdylad
    Free Member

    Don’t forget to post up some of the shots you get!
    Enjoy, it looks like you will have great weather too.

    Matt-P
    Free Member

    If you want to have a play with the settings then there are some online simulators that can help with the basics of getting the right exposure balance between shutter speed, f number and iso.

    Try having a look at Camera Sim

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Some of the better shots my mate and I got from FoS.. We ended up in auto mode for a lot of the time!

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/vr7RjS]FXX[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/w6wnNE]DSC_0901[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/woAmPr]DSC_0888[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/vr7RCY]DSC_0706 (2)[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/wkPAM3]DSC_0619[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/w6whzm]DSC_0598 (2)[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/vr7RLU]DSC_0360[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/wnsZ5A]DSC_0187[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/vr7RYs]DSC_0121[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    [url=https://flic.kr/p/vrgiYX]DSC_0069[/url] by VeeeDubStar, on Flickr

    avdave2
    Full Member

    As someone who used to earn their living as a photographer my advice is to leave the camera at home, enjoy actually looking at stuff rather than thinking how can I turn this into a photo that other people will admire and enjoy looking at. 🙂
    Then after the event use Google to find all the really good images like those above and let them remind you of all the great things you actually saw.
    My experiences of photographing events is that I can remember sod all about the event as I was so involved in taking pictures!
    If it’s actually your hobby and producing good photos is as important as seeing the event then that’s different, but it sounds like you’re really going because your interest is in cars not photography.

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Indeed Dave – after a few hours on the first day we realised that was the case. That’s why there’s very few pics of the F1 cars.. The sights and sounds of those things were for my eyes and ears only!

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    My experiences of photographing events is that I can remember sod all about the event as I was so involved in taking pictures!

    This is the part of the learning curve that many people never get past. When the camera viewfinder becomes your eyes, as in the way you see what you’re experiencing, and you’ve got camera operation down to where it becomes second nature, then you’ll be able to get into any event just as much as you ever did, perhaps even more so with your improved sense of framing and focus (physically as well as with a camera), except you’ll also have a physical record of the events. The viewfinder is just a window into another world, and you don’t stop looking out of you car/house/office windows because you don’t remember what’s out there; do you?

    Some good shots there, Nick, really nice. You’ve definitely got an eye for it.

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Thanks Threefish! FoS is going to be an annual event now so I’ve got 11 months to practice until the 2016 festival..

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    Oh god – that Ferrari 4th from bottom. Saw it on TV and the same thing happened to me. Gonna have to change my underpants again…

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    As someone who used to earn their living as a photographer my advice is to leave the camera at home, enjoy actually looking at stuff rather than thinking how can I turn this into a photo that other people will admire and enjoy looking at.
    Then after the event use Google to find all the really good images like those above and let them remind you of all the great things you actually saw.
    My experiences of photographing events is that I can remember sod all about the event as I was so involved in taking pictures!
    If it’s actually your hobby and producing good photos is as important as seeing the event then that’s different, but it sounds like you’re really going because your interest is in cars not photography

    Interesting take avdave (pun intended). Part of my enjoyment for something like this *is* the taking photos and sharing them afterward.

    I understand your point and sometimes its good to leave the camera at home but generally I’ll have it with me if I went to something like this…

    nickewen
    Free Member

    Yep that Ferrari was an absolute beaut! Sounded delightful too – not entirely sure what it’s called but it sounded V12..

    But absolutely nothing there had anything on the noise of that FXX… Truly disturbing how agressive that thing was – no turbo’s sucking noise out of the equation just a raw V12 ganning nuts – no wonder they are track only.

    avdave2
    Full Member

    I’m not trying to suggest people don’t take photos if taking photos is integral to their enjoyment of the event, but if it’s not then don’t feel you need to take pictures to validate your experience.

    This is the part of the learning curve that many people never get past. When the camera viewfinder becomes your eyes, as in the way you see what you’re experiencing, and you’ve got camera operation down to where it becomes second nature, then you’ll be able to get into any event just as much as you ever did, perhaps even more so with your improved sense of framing and focus (physically as well as with a camera), except you’ll also have a physical record of the events.

    I guess 3 years doing a degree and 7 years working professionally wasn’t enough 🙂 I guess I’m probably referring mainly to gigs where the concentration on the visual means that your attention is taken in some part away from the aural.

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