I have to shoot some horses running with no flashes. I need the images sharp with no movement blur.What film?

Question

What film should I use? How should I shoot them? Remeber no flashes and must be completely sharp.

Answer 1

film or digital - they are just mediums - shoot 100iso - im ignoring flash

if you intend to pan with the movement of the horses then you need to use a shutter speed of 250- 500th or faster (above 1000th everything in frame should be crystal) depending on factors like focal lenght/lens used et cetera

the lens you use depends on 2 factors, what you want in the frame and how far from the horses you wil be, mild to extreme telephoto is best, so thats 100-800mm (not including crop factors)

if you want to use film a 100iso velvia would be my pick but again it depends on what you want - if its overcast or darish then maybe 400 - 800 - will still be sharp but grainy

i find shooting from "normal" view point, like on a monopod at 1.5 meters is nice if you can get close, by loking upward at the horses it makes them appear bigger and more regal (for lack of a better word)

monopod, shutter of 500 or faster and a smooth pan will do it for sharpnes, lens quality is important also,

as you didnt say i have assumed we are talking daylight, night and you will proberly have to accept some grain in the shots (higher iso)

i have said use a pan (follow the horses with the cam, dont wait till they run into frame) - because then you can control the composition and if you use manual focus you can use a motor drive or a fast frame per second digi to get a few shots on each pass

really could go on but the question lacks the detail required

a

Answer 2

Try Fujifilm PRO 400H. That should give you sufficient shutter speed and an f-stop of f8 or f11 on a sunny day. However, don't be afraid to include some blurred images of the horses. If you stop all the action in every shot they will look static and boring.

My friend Antoni mentioned "panning" but didn't fully elaborate on the technique. "Panning" takes some practice since it has to be done as one continuous smooth motion. Here is how I learned:

Suppose the horses are running from left to right. You pre-focus (manually) on a spot 25, 30 feet directly in front of you. (Where you hope the horses will pass by you). With your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your upper body in the direction of the horses. Keep them framed in your viewfinder as you follow them and when they are directly in front of you release the shutter - and continue following them. So its turn, release shutter, turn. All in one smooth continuous motion. Your shutter speed here is less important - in fact it should be as slow as you can easily hand-hold your camera and lens combination. You want the background blurred to show the speed and power of the horses.

An article titled "Creative Seeing; Visualize the Final Results When You Snap the Shutter" by Rick Sammon in the Jan. 2007 issue of Shutterbug Magazine might be of interest. You can access it at shutterbug.com.

Answer 3

Kodak MAX Versatility Plus (ISO 800)

If you think it's going to be a pretty bright day, you could use...
Kodak High Definition 400 Film or Kodak MAX Versatility Film (also ISO 400)

These will let you crank up the shutter speed so you can get some sharp action shots.

Answer 4

Would anyone really listen to a warning? Everytime someone warned me, I was like 'yeah right' and contiued. Just how many people have actually got hurt running with sharp objects? probably fewer than those hit crossing a street. So maybe you should go out and yell at the people jaywalking eh?'smile'~~Peace~~

Answer 5

Fuji Natura 1600 or Superia Venus 800 (Natura is grainy in my experience) if you want color negative film, Kodak TMAX3200, ILFORD Delta Pro 3200 (both those two pretty grainy) or Fuji Neopan 1600 if using b&w negative, Provia 400X if using reversal would be what I would think about.

Shoot shutter priority, as fast as possible, preferably at least 1/1000 if you want to freeze the motion.

A monopod would help, depending on if the venue is conducive to bringing one with you.

Answer 6

the higher the speed the more action you can shoot, plus you should use a tripod, if at all possible.