Freeze Frame or Stop-Action Photography

Notice:

• • 1. You can photograph this and any photo assignment as a group. Each member of the group must edit and hand in their own photos.

    2. Take lots of photos so the everyone’s photos are not all the same.

Freeze frame photography just as the name implies stopping the action. Usually at the peak of a jump, like basketball player dunking a ball.

Basket ball

Taken from: https://www.amazon.com/Carter-Toronto-Raptors-Action-Photo/dp/B079WG7XFL

There are two methods to capture the action.

1. Set you camera to manual. Using a high ISO number like 400 or 800 and a fast shutter speed, like 1/500, 1/1000 or 1/2000 of a second. For both this technique, you need plenty of light, like outside on a sunny day.

2. The second method is to use a flash synced with your camera. Depending on the make of camera, the flash duration can range from 1/15,000 to 1/1000 of a second. Some flashes are even faster. So in effect, the burst of light from your flash becomes the shutter.

With this knowledge, you can now use your flash to capture and freeze the action.

3. A third category uses camera motion to freeze the subject and blur the background. You are going to use a slow shutter speed (sometimes called dragging the shutter) like 1/20 or 1/10 of a second, or slower.

These two methods seem to contradict each other. Puzzled? Read on...

Things to consider

Anticipate the action. Watch the player or action and point your camera to where the action is at its peak

like the basket ball player above.

Processor lag – A point and shoot camera has to fire up its circuits and that takes a few milliseconds.

To give yourself a head start, press the shutter half way to preset the camera. This prefocuses the camera, warms up the circuits, and gets the flash ready to fire. Just before the action peaks, press the shutter. This method works with point and shoot cameras. DSLRs like we use in class, generally do not suffer from processor lag.

Here is a link that explains more detail about capturing the action. http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-take-action-photos/

When using the flash to freeze the action, here a couple of things to keep in mind.

• Keep things simple. You can go overboard with extra lights, camera gear and fancy gizmos but that gets complicated.

• Shoot a close to your subject

• Use a wide angle lens to give a sense of drama and help keep your subject in focus.

• Use a tripod. It will free up your hands to drop what you are trying to freeze and press the

shutter.

First is a technical video from the Slanted Lens explaining how the flash actually replaces the actual

shutter on the camera and a little about T1 and T5 flash duration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zNxwWAZ9ak

Your assignment

• Can be completed in groups of 2 or 3.

• You shoot as a group and each person in the group edits and hands in their own photos.

Complete your proposal and lighting diagram.

Photo 1 – Using a high shutter speed to freeze the action.

Here is a video from Phlearn showing how to freeze action using a fast shutter on a sunny day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4WiqW6Tvc

Photograph a classmate or team member jumping or a bird flying. Try to have bright sunlight if

possible. It will make your job much easier.

1 Use a high ISO like 800 or up to 3200 or more.

2 Use a fast shutter speed like 1/500 or 1/1000 of a second.

3 Use a large f/stop like f4 or 5.6.

Take lots of photos and select your best 3 to hand in.

Photo 2 – Using a flash to freeze the action

Here is a video from Photo Extremist on how to use the burst of light from an electronic flash to freeze

action.

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUtrNJN_4zY

Without ads. https://video.link/w/TWKtc

Here is a video from the Slanted Lens on using flash to freeze action. This video uses high-end equipment. Don't worry about that. Just concentrate on the main ideas about freezing action.

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFqHVakzOy4

Without ads: https://video.link/w/JUKtc

1. Set up the aquarium.

2. Fill the tank up to three quarters (3/4) with water. Keep lots of multi-coloured clothes handy to blot up any water that splashes onto the floor.

3. Turn on the on-camera flash. Set up your slave flash to one side and above the aquarium.

4. Have a team member drop a coke can or two or three or more into the water.

5. Just as the can is about to strike the water, press the shutter.

6. Remember to have the label on the can face the camera.

7. Inspect your photo and clean off the splash drops from the front of the aquarium and take another shot.

8. Don't splash the teacher.

Take lots of photos and select your best 4 to hand in.

Photo 3 – Using camera motion to freeze the action by panning

Here is a great example.

Here is a video about a how to do panning.

a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PdAvGjC_kc

b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQd-SSjHm0A

So follow these 4 steps

1 Select your location, The intersection of the Tech Hall and the Grade 11 Hall is a good place.

2 Select your camera settings. ISO – start at 200. Anything slower than 1/30 of a second and set

your f/stop to get a good exposure.

3 Aim you camera and have your subject start walking and then running passed your camera.

Move your camera and position your subject so he or she is running into the frame, so there is a

little more room in front of them.

4 Ensure you can see your subjects face, like in the photo above.

5 Now start taking photos. It is trickier than it looks, so again take lots of photos and have fun.

Upload your photos to the computer and share with your team mates.

Take lots of photos and select your best 3 to hand in.

Hand in 10 photos in total.

Note that EACH person edits and hands in their own photos.

Have fun and if you have any questions, ask.