A 'sort of' multiple exposure technique?

[stargazeruk55]

Hi all, got the new mag last weekend (subscribed) after changing from DC, which i have been reading for the last couple of years...and pleased there is finally a mag for Nikon users...

Anyway, i'm seeking assistance with some specific panoramas i'm trying to create. I have 'composed' a scene of a motocross rider giving it some air over a long jump but i am far from satisfied with the end result. I know i am doing something wrong but am not sure what it is

http://www.photoradar.com/photos/100...t-air-panorama

Basically, i hand held the camera, pre-focussed approx 1/3rd of the way in, set the focus point to the middle of the jump and pressed the shutter as soon as the rider entered the jump.....despite using a shutter speed of 1/1600 sec on this occasion the rider is not sharp at all. I know i should probably have used around F7 but unless i increase the ISO to a very high amount i wouldn't be able to get a fast enough shutter speed.(I find my D300 very noisy above ISO800).

PP was simple, cut and slice the bike from each separate image and layer it on a blank sheet, adjusting Levels etc each time so the images matched, flattened and then sharpened....

So, my question is: Am i doing this the right way or is there a better way to get the same result? I've never used it but would multiple exposure work better and if so how would i do it???

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Martin

[markgozz]

Martin I'm a bit confused about how you are focusing , when you say that you pre focus 1/3 of the way it sounds like you are using hyperfocal settings to maximize the depth of field but this will only work in conjunction with other precise settings of aperture and the focal length of your lens .
I would recommend using MF and pre focus right on the line that the bike will be on and if you have a tripod use that and aim at the center of the scene , you will need a high shutter speed to freeze the action so a wide aperture will help and if needed a high ISO then fire off on continuous shooting .
The tripod will keep the foreground and background in the same place in all your shots so when you come to PP it will make your life a lot easier , the fast shutter speed is needed because the bike will be travelling across the scene quite fast and your not panning with it and you need to focus on the plane the bike will be on because you want the bike in focus as well as motion blur free .
Hope this helps a bit .

Mark

[stargazeruk55]

Hi Mark, sorry if i am confusing you :O)

Yes, i tried the hyperfocal method in an attempt to get the whole scene, including the biker, in focus, even though he is moving across the field of view, but even using a shutter speed of 1/1600 sec he still isn't very sharp whilst the rest of the scene is. The bike doesn't travel on a level plane unfortunately which further adds to the challenge.

I have on previous attempts focused on the centre of the jump (as you suggested but not using hyperfocal method)) with the same results. Would i benefit by changing my focusing method from single point AF to Dynamic Area or Auto Area or is the real solution an even faster shutter speed?

I can't use a tripod as i need to stand on the top of a berm in order to get at a similar level to the distant jump, but i could try a monopod. My main concern though is getting the biker sharper than i currently do. I use a 24-70 F2.8.

How do the sports pro's do it, say with snowboarders?

Sorry to ask all these questions, if i get it right i could be on a nice little earner

TIA

Martin

[markgozz]

Are you holding the camera in one static position or are you panning to follow the bike ?
I would advise a static position and manual focus in the centre of the bikes flight path ( No AF ) , shutter priority and auto ISO so that the camera will sort out the aperture . Set shutter speed to something like 1/2000s and then check the results and adjust the shutter speed if you need to .
A nice bright day would help with a fast shutter and low ISO .

Mark
Thinking about it turn off auto ISO and just set it to 200 ( I think that's the base point on the D300 )
The two main things to get right is to manually focus on the flight path and a fast enough shutter to freeze the action , you cam then start to tweak the other settings depending on the results .

[stargazeruk55]

Mark, i hold the camera static, no panning and once i have focused (using AF-on) i remove my finger from the button and get ready to shoot as soon as the rider enters the jump.

I will give the increased shutter speed a go this weekend, weather permitting of course....

If it all works well then i can use the new method i found to create the final sequence image, i love how i can learn something new every day

Thanks for your suggestions, hopefully i can post a better image as soon as the opportunity arises :O)

Cheers, Martin