PLEASE HELP! Having the worse time with moving children

[TheFantasticG]

Oi.

Maybe the glass you are using isn't optically good enough for your standards.

Maybe a 85 1.4D will help you on your way... and maybe you need a D700 so you can not be afraid to get up to ISO 3200.

Maybe once you have better equipment, you'll be a better picture taker.

[texxter]

Originally Posted by TheFantasticG

Maybe once you have better equipment, you'll be a better picture taker.

Not sure about that. All you need is more light.

[KdLaneJr]

Originally Posted by texxter

Not sure about that. All you need is more light.

Don't feed the troll.

[dmcantrell]

Hello Bashella,

In your original post, the photo that you asked about is taken at 1/20. That is way, way too slow to stop motion. Even on a tripod, the slightest bit of subject movement will cause blurry photos. Don' be scared to raise your ISO. Sharp, grainy photos are -always- better than low-noise blurry photos. Some amount of grain can be reduced in post-processing as well.

There are a lot of different aspects to your questions here.

1.) Subject movement. This is something that you may have little control over. If the subject movement is too much for a given lighting condition, then the photographer will have to either a) increase the shutter speed (faster) or b) find a way to stop the subject. That's really the only two choices.

2.) Proper Exposure. The subject of exposure is somewhat enigmatic. Technically speaking, "exposure" is the amount of light that is allowed to hit the sensor (or film). Exposure is measured in lux seconds, but that is really more o the physics end of things. For a practicing photographer, there are only three things that you have control over to affect the exposure for a given lighting condition -- shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity. For each condition, you have to decide which of those three you want to hold stable. For example, if one is shooting a night landscape on a tripod, the user may want to hold ISO and aperture constant and change the shutter speed to get the proper exposure. A sports photographer may want to hold the shutter speed constant and change the aperture or ISO to get the proper exposure. This is all just math and there's no cutting corners. If you are getting blurry photos in a given lighting condition and your subject is moving and your lens is wide open, raising the ISO and increasing the shutter speed are the only two options.

3.) Equipment. Your D200 does suffer somewhat from grainy images at higher ISO values, but it should be acceptable up to ISO800 or so. However, there are people on this forum who make their living with D200s day in and day out. I believe that the reason you might not like the results at higher ISO is because the images are underexposed. Underexposure is a very stiff opponent to image quality on a digital sensor. It's a little counter-intuitive though. If you are struggling with low-light, it's natural to underexpose a little to try to gain sharpness. However, this plays into the vulnerabilities of the digital sensor and can ruin images. The digital sensor is very susceptible to noise during underexposure -- especially in the shadows. I have my digital cameras set to expose at +1/3eV as my default. This helps me remember that, with a digital sensor, sometimes it advantageous to overexpose (just a little). I think this was mentioned by another poster in this thread. Think of it like tuning a guitar. lots of little things to adjust and tweak, but when you get it right the note is pure -- same thing here. Even at ISO800, when you get the exposure correct, the image will sing and the noise will be visibly reduced. Keep an eye on the histogram to make adjustments on the fly. If you see a lot of space between the curve on the right of the histogram, then the image is underexposed.



Just to be even more confusing, the colors in the scene will affect the meter reading in the camera. So, a scene with lot of bright colors or white will register differently than a scene with a lot of black colors. In these cases, center-weighted metering or spot metering may be an option.

Hope this helps.

[crazeazn]

All excellent posts. Judging by your posted pictures (great btw!), I would recommend faster glass for moving children.

[popawalker]

Well done David in true TPF helpfulness.

[d2creative]

Originally Posted by crazeazn

All excellent posts. Judging by your posted pictures (great btw!), I would recommend faster glass for moving children.

All this is going to do is allow her to shoot at a larger aperture which will get her less focus depth. Not great for a moving subject.

I agree with the above posts. Up the iso and deal with some grain but in return get sharp pics. Besides, a little grain makes for wonderful b/w pics.

[TheFantasticG]

Originally Posted by KdLaneJr

Don't feed the troll.

Troll? Me? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

It was a sarcastic way of saying he can do it with his equipment he has, he just needs to learn how.

He'll have to learn to balance aperture-shutter speed-iso to get the desired results. If he is unwilling to move the ISO, then he will never get what he is seeking without additional light on the subject.

Yeah, it's that simple.

[bondarnes]

I find that if you put the kids in the freezer for about ten minutes right before the shoot it slows them down for about a half hour. I also use Super Glue to keep them in one place. YMMV

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

First thing is that don't try to shoot portraits with a 50mm lens! go get a 110 or longer, I really would use a 200mm to shoot her with since the farther back that you are from her the more likely she won't be acting up as much- really shove the camera right in her face and she moves an 1/8 of an inch she will be blurred but back away and that 1/8 of an inch won't be as blurred.

Also a nice tranq will calm them down nicely-don't give them a big glass of koolaid or other surgary drinks right before the shoot.

[humminboid]

O.K., First of all, your equipment is first-rate. You have all you will need to do good photography. Don't fall for the old myth that throwing more money at this particular problem will solve it. That's not the way to bet. With your camera, ISO 200-400-800 should produce excellent pixes, with no objectional noise. Proper exposure and technique will solve a multitude of problems. Learn your equipment. Read your manual!

First picture: slow shutter speed=camera movement, plus underexposure. Last one, sharper, and exposure is getting there. Higher shutter speed stops action. 1/125 is NOT a "slow" shutter speed! It is my "go-to"...shutter priority, and let the f/stop land where it will.

Rule of thumb: shutter speed no lower than the focal length of the lens you are using.

Cute subject, and you kept getting progressively better as you posted subsequent efforts. That indicates you may be worth saving. Get down to the kid's eye level.

The "good" photo is a tad overexposed, imo. Light is our medium, and it needs to be convinced to do our bidding.

Learn your camera's light meter, get out of manual mode...that's for "experts", which most of us ain't.

Use available light...my flash is always available! Add light if you need it. If there's not enough light, I don't shoot.

Use all that marvelous technology you paid so much for, and let the camera sweat the hard stuff. It is better than most of us.

Assume a solid position when you shoot. Brace yourself, arms tucked into your body, and support the camera with your zooming hand. Or tripod. Practice, evaluate, repeat...

BRIBE the kid! Favorite treat..."Hold still for a half dozen pixes, and you get..." But, then YOU need to be quick! Like in debate...Be Brief, Be Brilliant, Be Gone!

I presume you have another lens, a bit longer. I use my 28-105 3.5-4.5 for kids all the time, with ISO 200, and don't feel a bit underprivileged. Try that, so you aren't invading the subject's " comfort zone". Longer stand-off distance=more dof, and focus on the eyes. Continuous focus may help with small, fast subjects.

David speaks truth. Good info!

Good luck!