Spinning shot at the Park with Nephew

[richard.beatson]

I had wanted to do a shot like this for a while having learned the technique a while ago. Saturday proved the perfect opportunity as I took my nephew to a local park with a spinning ride in it.

I set my Nikon D90 to shutter priority. I knew a shutter speed of 1/10 or so would be just about right. It was a bright day so I set my ISO to 100 and left WB at Auto as I was shooting RAW and I could play with that later if I needed to.

The hardest part was focusing. Autofocus didn't seem to want to play so I had to adjust it slightly and after a few shots it kicked into action. Manual focus wasn't really an option as I needed my other hand to hold onto the spinning 'thing' as my nephew is doing in the photo.

I', happy with the final image. I played with curves in Photoshop to give a little more contrast and also added a vignette to the edges. I'm not sure if it adds anything but I like it.

Not sure about the crop though... and also, may have been better in black and white. What do you think?

EXIF info:
Camera Nikon D90
Exposure 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture f/18.0
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 100

[dpgiffin]

Thats really well done. I've tried a few times to do similar shots but have had trouble keeping the camera still for the long shutter.

I dont think B&W would add much. I think the colors are part of the story. But if you post a B&W one i'll let you know what I think.

Good job!

[cameramouse]

So-- did you have camera tripod mounted? I like the photo as presented but think B&W would add another dimension......Thanks for sharing.

[sjakes]

Very cool, and I now have another idea for a shot! Very fun

[pokermanuel]

Great shot! I took a similar shot last year with a stuffed animal and loved it!


April 6th, 2010 - Day 313 by pokermanuel, on Flickr

[LDE]

I think this turned out really well! I also would like to know if you used a tripod at all. I think I prefer it in color, though I'd have to see it in black and white to say for sure.

[megdh525]

I love this! I'm sure black and white would look great, too, but I really like it in color. And the green in his hood matches the handle bars.

[richard.beatson]

Here's the image in black and white for you to see if you think it makes the image any better.

The way I convert images to black and white is quite complicated but is explained here. It's called the Lab Colour Technique. I'd suggest your create an action for it in Photoshop as it can be laborious if you want to do it a few times. Then I increased the contrast using curves which I always like to do in order to darken the blacks and lighten the greys.

In answer to the question, this shot was hand-held. Due to the shape of the spinning 'thing' it didn't allow the mounting of a tripod which was why I had to try and get it in a few shots as I was holding on with the other hand!

Which do you think is better?

[Naois]

I like the black and white.

I'm getting dizzy reading this post. I need some fresh air.

I would love to attempt a shot like this when my daughter gets a little older, but I'm afraid I don't have the stomach for it.

[Baines11]

I think the vignette adds to this picture. I do like the color better, the colors are interesting.