Shooting Off Road pictures - tips?

[trd_4runnin]

Well I'm going to be going on my first Off Road run on Thursday and will be taking my new camera along. I want to get some good pictures and was wondering if there were any special settings you guys use when snapping off road shots, mainly to capture a vehicle that may be moving? My camera is nothing special but it has quite a bit of features.

Its the Olympus Stylus 850 SW.

 

[Uneek]

If you're driving or in a moving vehicle, I would suggest having, if available, image stabilization turned on (might be called something different between brands) and using a faster shutter speed, like the sports program.

A fast shutter speed will allow you to "freeze" the action. Using the flash can also acheive the same thing.

A slow shutter speed can introduce blur, but if you're moving at the same speed as the subject you can capture some interesting effects, like blurring the background and depicting motion. I haven't tried this type of photography yet, but the pictures are very artistic because the vehicle appears stationary, but everything else is moving (wheels, background, etc).

Don't know if you camera has it, but I always prefer to turn off digital zoom and only use optical zoom. Digital zoom is nothing more than the camera doing the cropping for you.

My suggestion is if you have time now, experiment with different settings to see what the results are. Have someone drive and try out the different settings.

 

[lawwailok]

from your camera spec, i would say try to snap some test shot on any moving object by setting into "Spot AF".

if you want the object (truck) in focus and clear while moving, and the background has the "speed" effect, you may wanna check with the camera instruction to see if you can set it to "shutter speed" mode and make "continuous focus". if so, then you can set the shutter speed at 1/20 or slower.

un-edit, shutter speed 1/25, continuous focus:

un-edit, shutter speed 1/30, continuous focus:

 

[shuly]

Have fun and enjoy your photos. Don't expect them to be perfect the 1st time around. As others have said, vary your shutter speeds. Try some panning shots and you should get some neat effects. The more you take the more practice you get.

The only caution I would mention is avoid using a fast shutter speed when nothing is happening. All that does is make the vehicle look like it's parked. This is ok if "parked" is what you want to portray

 

[Ohio4R]

where are you going at? anywhere in Ohio?

 

[trd_4runnin]

Thanks for all of the tips. My camera does have the digital zoom turned off already. I have one shooting mode that I've been using when shooting my fish, I don't know what it's called but its a picture of a hand with like movement marks around it. I believe it is some kind of digital image stabilization. I also have something on the camera that is called ESP that is supposed to achieve the same effect I think, but I haven't screwed with that too much.

Ohio4R. I'm actually going to be wheeling up by you. The place is off of E. 260th in Euclid. Not sure if you know where this is at or not.

 

[Ohio4R]

yeah i think you are talking about the place behind the e-check center?

 

[trd_4runnin]

yeah i think you are talking about the place behind the e-check center?

Thats the one. I'm meeting up with some guys from TTORA at 1:00pm if your not doing anything.

 

[Ohio4R]

yeah im open ill probably end up coming, but i have never been there before