charlotte criterium: Going to the Charlotte Criterium later today (bicycle races) Taking camera to try and get some photo's. Nikon d3100 with the kit lenses....Not sure how close I'll...

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

Going to the Charlotte Criterium later today (bicycle races) Taking camera to try and get some photo's. Nikon d3100 with the kit lenses....Not sure how close I'll be able to get to the action.....Need suggestion's on what setting's to use....This be late afternoon and early evening time.....in uptown Charlotte
Thanks in advance for your help...still learning to use camera

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Asking what settings to use suggests you like me are pretty new to the world of digital photography. Heres a practical tip that may get you started. Set you camera on auto take a shot and look and see what settings the camera chose. Use those settings as a basis for experimentation. Move to shutter priority and take some shots with various shutter settings try to get some slightly blurred shots to exaggerate the movement. Then move to aperture setting and try and get some shots with your subject in focus and the background blurred out. Most of all have fun.

snowbear

If you are trying to get movement in shots and you are panning, you'll probably want to be around 1/15 second. If you want to stop any action, you'll need to be a lot faster; I'd start around 1/250 or even 1/500.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

You probably won't have a lot of time to think about what settings to change to so you might want to try testing on a similar situation, like vehicular traffic, around the same time. See if you can change your settings fast enough to keep up with the quickly changing action & conditions.
Also, think about using automatic and let the camera make the decisions for you.

frederdane Loc: Orlando, FL

Indi wrote:

You probably won't have a lot of time to think about what settings to change to so you might want to try testing on a similar situation, like vehicular traffic, around the same time. See if you can change your settings fast enough to keep up with the quickly changing action & conditions.
Also, think about using automatic and let the camera make the decisions for you.

Also think: pan and blur, pan and blur.

MartyM Loc: Monroe, NC

hi
wanted to make it to that this year but couldn't. have been to a few there and they are great to watch and photograph. i would like to see a post of some of your shots.
thanks
marty

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Liked Pepper's response. Good way to learn.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

snowbear wrote:

If you are trying to get movement in shots and you are panning, you'll probably want to be around 1/15 second. If you want to stop any action, you'll need to be a lot faster; I'd start around 1/250 or even 1/500.

If you want to get enough blur to show motion without having a fairly high rejection rate I would look at speeds between 1/100 and 1/200. It will depend a bit on how fast the riders are travelling and how close you are and thus the angular velocity. The angle they are travelling relative to you also affects this. Make a few test shots first.
The picture below was taken from 50' to 60' away. F13 at 1/125 and 75mm. Canon 7D with the efs 15-85mm. The picture is a full height vertical crop from a landscape image.

At the San Diego Velodrome.

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

The more I look at this the more I think I was closer. maybe 30 -40' ?

barbkelly Loc: Delaware

Rob, I love that shot!!

rob s Loc: La Mesa, CA

barbkelly wrote:

Rob, I love that shot!!

Thanks a lot. Peer appreciation means a lot so I'll push my luck and post another from this set. ;-)

San Diego Velodrome. 1/125 f11 ISO 160