[matthew]

We have something special for our next assignment: Shuttertalk has generously contributed some vouchers for Amazon, to be given away to a few lucky participants. Read on!

It's not about moving pixels, it's about pictures that move us.
-John Weiss

Let's forget the rule that says the camera must be steady, and experiment with the shapes and colours that come from movement. Let's not look for good or bad, let's try for pictures that move us.

For the Assignment, this thread is for our all of experiments and creativity. The only rule is that the camera MUST be moving when the exposure is made. Post-processing can enhance the final result, but should not be the foundation of the image. Remember that this is all about experimenting and playing, so don't get stuck behind a computer looking for magic -- it's out there, in front of your lens.

For the Challenge, there will be a separate gallery for our best and favourite images. Unlike the assignment, these photos MUST be taken between March 10 and 23, 2006. Post-processing is restricted to basic and global changes: sharpening, levels, curves, cropping, etc. The gallery will close in two weeks.

Oh yes, prizes -- I will be reviewing all of the images submitted to the gallery, and picking a few entrants to receive vouchers for Amazon. Creativity, enthusiasm, member's feedback and assignment participation will all be part of the decidedly unscientific selection process.

Have fun!

edited: removed the restriction on the number of photos that people should upload. The more the merrier!

[matthew]

Here is one source of inspiration: Camera Tossing!

Note: I DO NOT endorse this! It is highly hazardous to your gear. But, for a source of inspiration, and an idea of just what amazing results are possible, these are the people to watch.

http://cameratoss.blogspot.com/
http://cameratoss.blogspot.com/2005/10/c...howto.html
http://www.flickr.com/groups/cameratoss/pool

...the Camera Toss blog was also the founding idea for the Moving Camera assignment, so it deserves special mention.

[shuttertalk]

Yay, go Matthew!

Everyone, post your images in this thread AND in this gallery as well. The gallery makes it easier for the poor judges... If you're having trouble uploading to the gallery, send me a PM or email.

By the way, the Amazon vouchers will be in the country/currency of your choice. Aussies, I know we don't have any Amazon stores, but we'll work something out.

[matthew]

Here are some of my personal submissions to a Moving Camera assignment:
(You didn't think I came up with all of these on my own, did you?)


This is a 1/4 second exposure of the sun, taken through an R72 IR filter. (I'm not sure that's such a clever thing to do.) I was sweeping the camera across the sun as the exposure was made.




A photo taken when the camera is moving doesn't need to be blurred. This was taken using the self-timer on my P&S, swinging the camera around as I waited for the light to change.




I held the same P&S down on a spring-loaded rocking horse at a local playground to get this:




And, from the comfort of my couch, I snapped a photo of the different lights of the TV, daylight-balanced fluorescent, and incandescent lights. It was a 5-second exposure.




From the same trip that gave me the first image in the list, here's one of my all-time favourites. It's an eight-second exposure with my F828 and IR filter, with the camera firmly held to the railing of my favourite bridge.



(larger image: http://static.flickr.com/18/69524239_5bc5f6b71a_b.jpg)


Those are just a few possible ways an image can be created while the camera's moving -- show me more!

[Russt]

Interseting shots there Matt. Should also be an interesting assignment/comp. Can not wait to see some of the entries. I might have to break out the PS cam for this one!

[Keith Alan]

For inspiration or some different ideas of what a 'moving camera' can produce, here are a pair of my first attempts after giving the assignment on another site. (I will be shooting new entries for this Challenge.)
I had just discovered the camera tossers and was horrified, yet intrigued by their quest for original images.

[Kombisaurus]

Doh! I have a couple of beauties I took a few weeks ago but can't post
Oh well, it gives me a good excuse to go out and shoot some more.

Very interesting assignment Matthew.. and some good abstracty(! ) examples shown so far.
I snapped this one this afternoon as a bit of an experiment for this assignment. As an image it isn't that great, but you might get a chuckle once you work out what the scene actually is. Can you guess?


10mm (16mm equiv), 100 ISO, f/13, 4 sec.

I have a couple of other ideas I want to try during the week....

[guerito]

This is my entry #1 for the challenge. I'd love to have some feedback, so I post it here as well. Hope this is okay, Matthew?

Ruby Cabernet Rulez!



24mm, f9, 10sec, ISO 100

[Keith Alan]

Kombisaurus, did you microwave your camera?

[shuttertalk]

Kombisaurus, did you microwave your camera?

Lol... yeah I hope that's not what you did!!



Guerito: Hey I really like that image... it's great how the background is blurred but not the glass.




p.s. Yes, everyone, please post your entries both in the gallery and in this thread too...

[matthew]

guerito, that's a neat shot - how was it done?

Adrian, great shot (and Keith, great eye - I hadn't figured it out). Remember that the prize money isn't enough to replace a camera...

p.s. Yes, everyone, please post your entries both in the gallery and in this thread too...

...and if id doesn't meet the two-week time criteria, just mark it with a little asterisk (*) after the name. I'm only human; if you post lots of photos, I'm likely to be influenced by it. I have thirty dollars to award to the top participants in this challenge -- my largest prize budget ever -- make me work for it!

[matthew]

I had to try it: camera tossing!

(I still do NOT recommend this!)

After some experimentation, I settled on two powerful flashlights, one with an R25 red filter in front of it in a dark room. I used my long-suffering Canon S400, and spun it in the air as it sailed toward my bed, helpfully stacked with folded laundry and fluffy blankets. Here are the ones I like.

---



An early shot, with one flashlight. The cam is set to daylight WB, and the light is an LED bulb with a greenish tint.

----



A fast spin and tumbling camera, started just after the self-timer alert sounded.

----



My favourite image of the collection. The while torch is stronger than the red one, so the faster the camera moves, the greater the difference in the brightness. This is hard to plan for, but has a nice effect here.

----

... this is a lot of fun. If you're willing to take some risks with your expensive gear, you may get some unique photos. (You can also get unique photos in ways that involve less risk.) My suggestion is to set a time limit or exposure limit, so that you don't just keep going until something breaks.

[Schellamo]

This is seriously addictive!
1.

2.

3.

so may we enter as many as we like into the competition?

[shuttertalk]

Wow, cool and mysterious, Schell! The colours are fantastic!

[Irma]

Matt your pictures are great... The colors are so vivid!... Beautiful abstracts

Schell: Wonderful pictures as well... The colors are lovely... I imagine those soft scarfs you use in summer time

[matthew]

Irma, thanks.

Shellamo, I love the pastels. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.

This is seriously addictive! ... so may we enter as many as we like into the competition?

It really, really is addictive.

You can enter as many shots as you want, and you can post out-of-category images (predating the challenge, too much post-processing) if you mark them with an asterisk. This is so much fun, I want to encourage people to experiment and play as much as possible.

Note, though, that the prize vouchers are for the photographer, not the image. Submitting more images may give you a better chance at one prize, but it won't get you two prizes. Make sense? Think of it as a portfolio competition, where variety and enthusiasm help a lot.

[Russt]

Some great entries here.

G, really like the wine glass..........its got me wondering how you used camera movement??? :/

Kombi, hope you set it to defrost

Matt, great work with the lights.......

Schell, like what you've done with #2 & #3. 3 looks like the aurora northern lights a bit #1 sorry but the sensor dust just distracts me......... :| :o

[Petographer]

These are all excellent. Adrian, I bet this is the inside of a microwave.

[Keith Alan]

Here's a few more I just made.









After a while, I got bored with dark rooms and LED flashlights.
That's when I remembered a tip (thanks, DonnaD): On most cameras, in Manual mode you can use your flash at the start of a long exposure, and still have a few seconds to move the camera.

This last one is a quick test, to illustrate the possibilities.
It's a small LED flashlight w/electrician's tape over the lens, with a small hole in it.
After the flash I moved the camera to make it look as though it was shooting lightning.

[byrt_001]

The only rule is that the camera MUST be moving when the exposure is made

but the camera is always is moving, except when it is on a tripod. How much movement do you want? do you want blur photos? uuhmmm??

i will give it a go this weekend, now that i have a very small toy to play.

[byrt_001]

mathew

i really really like yours, im a sucker for colours.

thanks for sharing

[Irma]

Very nice pictures Keith... I like #4 of the last series... It looks really great!!

[matthew]

Keith, they're all great images, but that last one is just amazing. Brilliant idea, if you'll excuse the joke. Now, all you need is an attractive background...

Here are a couple from a visit to a playground, which was closed for construction (and bitterly cold, too):



This is why I went to the playground. I've never used a tripod for a moving camera before. But, who can visit a playground and not go for a trip down the slide?



Remember the Gallery!
http://www.shuttertalk.com/gallery/thumb...?album=108

[NT73]

All that money for IS L glass and you blow it.
I tried with a sony mini camcorder a few years ago fastened to a kite line. The line was very strong, the clip holding it wasn't and it fell about 3/4 metres onto grass. It still works.... but I ain't trying it again.

[Keith Alan]

Matthew, your first playground shot is fantastic.
We were thinking along the same lines, but I stayed at home in the dark.

Looking at Kombi's oven shot some more, I realized that smoother movement might be nice.
So I dug up an old broken turntable--we're all old enough to remember when vinyl discs w/grooves stored music files--and placed my borrowed Sony H1 on it.
The first is more of the same, subject-wise, but with the camera propped-up at an angle.


The second features faster flat rotation and my best flashlights pointed at the camera and allowed to burn for a moment before I started spinning the platter a full 360*+. The squiggly lines at the top are my monitor showing #4 from my last series--they repeat because of the computer screen's 'refresh' rate. (This is important info...later.)


#3 was an attempt to be more organic in my light source, and again I let the candle's image burn-in for a moment before spinning the turntable very slowly, which explains the varying thickness of the flame's trail due to flickering.


All three photos were probably made at 3-4 seconds shutter, with the aperture adjusted after reviewing previous attempts.
Since Photoshop 7 is a big program and my PC has been getting weird, my edits are uncropped with a touch of contrast only, using IrfanView.