Shooting moving objects

[picker77]

This is not specifically RF related, it would apply to just about any still camera. But here's an odd question I've been mulling over for a while:

I'd like to get a close up shot of a large clock face with a sweep second hand showing the passage of time, namely the movement of the second hand. Not a "jerky one-second-at-a-time" type of a quartz clock, but the older type clock movement that works from AC line voltage--the kind with a true smooth-moving sweep second hand. I want to show motion of the second hand over several degrees of it's travel. Sounded easy so far, but here's the kicker: I'd like to do it *without* blurring of the rest of the clock face, AND have the blur culminate in a sharp image of the second hand. Ideally what I'd like to have is a faint, blurred image of the second hand which increases in clarity until it is sharp and clear and frozen in time. Sort of like one of those sweep radar images you always see in the movies, where the rotating trace on the screen fades slowly out behind the movement of the main bright sweep.

Impossible without multiple exposures? So far I can't see a way to do it. Maybe some sort of timed exposure with a high speed repeating strobe? Or is this simply an impossible task for a still camera?

Obviously I have had too much time on my hands lately... It's the 105° weather, it's kept me indoors a lot.

 

[dmr]

Multiple exposures with the last one longer, maybe?

Time exposure, stopping the clock for the last part of it?

 

[payasam]

DMR's second sentence is right. Long exposure, with clock stopped for the second half or so. Should try several exposures. Tripod or other steady rest for camera, possibly a neutral density filter as well.

 

[antiquark]

Some ideas that may or may not work:

- long exposure with your flash firing at the end.

- long exposure in which you start with a small aperture (f22) then work your way to f1.4 slowly as the clock moves.

- disconnect the motor of the clock, and manually move the hand fast at the beginning of the exposure, then slower near the end, then finally let it stop.

- photoshop!

 

[picker77]

LOL! Photoshop definitely not allowed in this case, these are images for a local club contest. It would be difficult to cheat even if one wanted to, because we have to use the single roll of E100G issued to us, and turn the film in undeveloped. 36 shots, six categories, max of six shots per category. This particular category requires demonstrating the passage of time, and I wanted something a little more dramatic than images of crumbling buildings and rusted metal. I thought of shooting a pendulum, but couldn't figure out how to freeze the pendulum's motion and still maintain the movement blur.

I am free to experiment with my D200 to establish what might work until I take the final shot on slide film (using an F100). I've been toying with the idea of a single long exposure using light painting with a flashlight, which would also require stopping the clock motor for the last part of it.

Out of the box photography like this is sort of fun to play with.

 

[Roberto]

Flash on the second curtain plus long esposure..

 

[comrau00]

wonderful! thanks for the info..


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[picker77]

Wow, thanks, Roberto. Maybe you've nailed it. I'll try that!

 

[picker77]

A few test shots using a D200. So far I haven't located an old-fashioned electric clock, need to check some yard sales, I guess. As expected this works on a quartz type clock but of course the smooth flow of the second hand isn't there. Handy way to check out the slow speeds on your camera, though--obviously this one was a five second exposure followed by the flash.

My plan was to test with the D200 and take the final images with the F100 once I have the exposure timing figured out. This is harder than I thought--the lighting is very critical. Enough flash power for a decent image of the motion trail brings with it unwanted background. Now I'm thinking of trying this outside at night with NO background, so I can crank up the flash as much as I want. It's been an interesting and educational exercise so far, though.

 

[user237428934]

My plan was to test with the D200 and take the final images with the F100 once I have the exposure timing figured out. This is harder than I thought--the lighting is very critical. Enough flash power for a decent image of the motion trail brings with it unwanted background. Now I'm thinking of trying this outside at night with NO background, so I can crank up the flash as much as I want. It's been an interesting and educational exercise so far, though.

Try to move the object farther away from the background so that almost no light reaches the background.

 

[Bancato]

I would be curious to see how in tact the steel is.
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