Shooting a foot race

seeker

OK, so I am once again venturing into yet another area of photography ... being the photog at a local 5K race. This is one of the things I love about photography, it is a constant challenge!

Does anyone have experience in this? I am especially concerned about something that might be a minor issue to many of you, but seems to have plagued me for some time - getting my camera to focus on a moving target.

I have a couple 200Ds, which have the "c" mode of auto-focus, where it basically tracks the subject. I have had mixed results with this on both cameras.

I suspect I will be shooting a lot of people coming *towards* me, which (I believe) is more difficult for an auto-focus system to keep up with. Are there any tips you all want to offer?

Thanks!

Brian

SloYerRoll

I used to be a runner. So I'll chip in on this, even though I haven't shot an event like this.

Make sure you get some tight shots of runners w/ the sponsers name or logo in the fore/background. The event comitee will go nuts over them and always call you back to shoot again.

Never heard of focus lock being tougher in one direction than the other... You are right to keep your AF on "C" though. Runners don't move so fast as to not have AF keep up w/ them. You'll get more motion blur from them moving up and down.

Try and shoot them right at end stride. This will help for two reasons:
It will show the runner in full stride. Which always looks like they are really moving.
It is the moment where the least vertical motion is occuring (helping w/ the motion blur thing)

Get ahead of the group and compose a good shot. Let the runners come into the frame and hammer down.

Hope these ramblings prove helpful.

-Jon

pathfinder

If you can, I would seriously think about using fill flash with a mild under exposure of the background - maybe 1/3 or 2/3s of a stop.

This will really make the runner pop out of the background and brighten up their faces which might be shadowed if their head is pointing down a bit.

digismile

Brian,

For a 5K race, you are pretty much stuck at the start/finish line. A fast competitive runner can be back in under 15 minutes, so there isn't much opportunity to move around the course (I'm assuming you are doing this alone). I also assume that most of your photos are going to be finish line photos that you will want to sell to the runners.

If you work with the race coodinator, you can usually be allowed in the finish line chute area. There's usually a ton of people around the finish line with a camera trying to take a picture of mom/dad/son/daughter/friend etc. that very often leap right out in front of you. But generally the finish line area is somewhat restricted. This gives you an opportunity to to shoot with the finish line banner and/or timing clock in the photo. Lots of people like to record PB's (personal best) and showing the time they cross the finish line is an added bonus. Try to be slightly off line (i.e. to one side or another) so that you can see a bit of their stride.

As far as the focus is concerned, I usually try to prefocus on a spot and let them run into it. The problem will be when large groups start coming in together. The camera can often hunt all over the place, or just as bad, focus on someone that comes in very close on the side. You can't get everybody, so just try to get the people that you have the best chance of capturing in focus.

Except for some of the fastest runners, most of the recreational runners will look like they are almost walking in the photos, no matter where you try to get them in stride.

I usually use my 70-200 tele for the bulk of the race. However, I like to capture the masses at the start of the race with a wide angle. When the gun/horn sounds, I just shoot the crowd as they come by. While you're waiting for the first runner to come back, this is a good time to take photos of volunteers or people waiting to cheer on their loved ones. People buy these too.

After everybody is in, there is usually a food line or something that you can now take candids of the runners post race. Usually lots of smiles, red faces, hugs, etc.

And finally, it's really important to be able to practice shooting runners once or twice before the race. I would bet that there are run clubs or popular running trails where you can just shoot people as they go by.

just my 2 cents,

seeker

SloYerRoll wrote:

I used to be a runner. So I'll chip in on this, even though I haven't shot an event like this.

Make sure you get some tight shots of runners w/ the sponsers name or logo in the fore/background. The event comitee will go nuts over them and always call you back to shoot again.

Never heard of focus lock being tougher in one direction than the other... You are right to keep your AF on "C" though. Runners don't move so fast as to not have AF keep up w/ them. You'll get more motion blur from them moving up and down.

Try and shoot them right at end stride. This will help for two reasons:
It will show the runner in full stride. Which always looks like they are really moving.
It is the moment where the least vertical motion is occuring (helping w/ the motion blur thing)

Get ahead of the group and compose a good shot. Let the runners come into the frame and hammer down.

Hope these ramblings prove helpful.

-Jon

Great suggestions, Jon. Thanks!

I never would have thought about shooting them at the end of their stride.

I will be sure to post pics when it is all over

Brian

seeker

pathfinder wrote:

If you can, I would seriously think about using fill flash with a mild under exposure of the background - maybe 1/3 or 2/3s of a stop.

This will really make the runner pop out of the background and brighten up their faces which might be shadowed if their head is pointing down a bit.

I am really, really poor with fill flash at this point. I used it at a wedding, and ended up having to adjust the *fill* flash compensation down a step. I have no idea why I would need to do such a thing, as fill flash is supposed to automatically determine the right amount of flash.

I like your idea, however. Perhaps I need to spend some more time learning fill flash before the race!

Brian

SloYerRoll

seeker wrote:

I am really, really poor with fill flash at this point. I used it at a wedding, and ended up having to adjust the *fill* flash compensation down a step. I have no idea why I would need to do such a thing, as fill flash is supposed to automatically determine the right amount of flash.

I like your idea, however. Perhaps I need to spend some more time learning fill flash before the race!

Brian

I'd look into what the settings on your camera are then. You are absolutely correct that your camera should do a really good job of determining what your exposure for flash should be.

Uness you have your camera dialed into exactly how you want it and would be a big hassle to change back. You might try resetting all settings to factory default. This is only because your not heavy on flash and it would be a pretty tedious process to figure out where the problem lies.

Are the 200D's your talking about Nikon D200's? Or is there another type of camera out there that is a 200D?

-Jon

seeker

digismile wrote:

Brian,

For a 5K race, you are pretty much stuck at the start/finish line. A fast competitive runner can be back in under 15 minutes, so there isn't much opportunity to move around the course (I'm assuming you are doing this alone). I also assume that most of your photos are going to be finish line photos that you will want to sell to the runners.

If you work with the race coodinator, you can usually be allowed in the finish line chute area. There's usually a ton of people around the finish line with a camera trying to take a picture of mom/dad/son/daughter/friend etc. that very often leap right out in front of you. But generally the finish line area is somewhat restricted. This gives you an opportunity to to shoot with the finish line banner and/or timing clock in the photo. Lots of people like to record PB's (personal best) and showing the time they cross the finish line is an added bonus. Try to be slightly off line (i.e. to one side or another) so that you can see a bit of their stride.

As far as the focus is concerned, I usually try to prefocus on a spot and let them run into it. The problem will be when large groups start coming in together. The camera can often hunt all over the place, or just as bad, focus on someone that comes in very close on the side. You can't get everybody, so just try to get the people that you have the best chance of capturing in focus.

Except for some of the fastest runners, most of the recreational runners will look like they are almost walking in the photos, no matter where you try to get them in stride.

I usually use my 70-200 tele for the bulk of the race. However, I like to capture the masses at the start of the race with a wide angle. When the gun/horn sounds, I just shoot the crowd as they come by. While you're waiting for the first runner to come back, this is a good time to take photos of volunteers or people waiting to cheer on their loved ones. People buy these too.

After everybody is in, there is usually a food line or something that you can now take candids of the runners post race. Usually lots of smiles, red faces, hugs, etc.

And finally, it's really important to be able to practice shooting runners once or twice before the race. I would bet that there are run clubs or popular running trails where you can just shoot people as they go by.

just my 2 cents,

Hey Brad ... wow, these are all great suggestions.

I have emailed the race coordinator and asked her some questions about what type of shots *she* wants, whether I will have access to the finish line chute (and whether others will be kept out), as well as a course map. I would really love to get the start, finish, *and* some shots during the race, but like you said I don't have much time to work with as I *am* shooting this alone.

My concern with focusing on a spot and letting runners come into it is that I would think I would need a fairly large DOF in order to raise my chances of getting them as they move through. Based on what I have read/seen, isn't it preferable to keep the DOF minimal so that the background is blurred and doesn't distract? Then again, I guess that's a non-issue if I am attempting to get a sponsor's banner or a time clock in focus as well

I live right near a high school, but I suspect track season is over for the year (isn't that a spring thing?) Otherwise I would see if they would let me come on the school grounds and take practice shots.

Oh well, I am sure I can find *someone* to run at me and my camera full speed

Brian

seeker

SloYerRoll wrote:

I'd look into what the settings on your camera are then. You are absolutely correct that your camera should do a really good job of determining what your exposure for flash should be.

Uness you have your camera dialed into exactly how you want it and would be a big hassle to change back. You might try resetting all settings to factory default. This is only because your not heavy on flash and it would be a pretty tedious process to figure out where the problem lies.

Are the 200D's your talking about Nikon D200's? Or is there another type of camera out there that is a 200D?

-Jon

These are Nikon 200Ds.

I have the 70-200mm 2.8 VR lens that I will definitely use for zooming in on approaching runners, as well as the 28-70mm 2.8 lens I would probably switch to as they got closer. I will probably work with both cameras hanging off my shoulders.

I don't have my camera set up so specifically that I couldn't afford to restore it to factory specs. Perhaps I will try that and then do some tests.

Brian

digismile

I don't know about the focus modes on the Nikon, but on my 20D I use a AI Focus mode. It's a hybrid between a continuous focus and a fixed point focus. At least for my camera, I found that it sometimes has difficulty focusing on a object coming directly towards me (compared to anything diagonal).

Sometimes the focus never catchs up to the runner (I can fire off several shots and they can all be a bit out of focus). So focusing on an intial point at least gets the focus almost correct. I do often try to get a focus confirmation just as I shoot. This is simply my way of coping with the characteristics of my camera. I know the Canon 1D-series of cameras have way more focus points and are much better suited for some sports photography situations, but this is how I increase my percentage of in-focus shots. Maybe yours is better with a moving object.

So this is why I suggest a bit of practice . I also typically set my camera to use the center spot rather than letting the camera choose. This way, it won't focus on a runner that suddenly steps in to view on the sides.

As far as DOF is concerned, check out this website. It will give you a sense of how much room you'll have. I usually shoot at f4 (and sometimes f5.6) depending on the light. I like to keep the shutter speed at a 1/500 sec minimum for crisp photos. At 200mm, f4, 40 ft distance, you have almost 2' DOF.

No runners to photograph? I guess I don't know how popular running is there. Maybe we Canadians are a bit crazy! I can go to one of our popular river trails year round and see tons of people (I was doing my 20 mile training runs for my first marathon when it was 20 below!:D The race was fortunately in Maui!).

BTW, if this is a mixed race, I would try and get multiple photos of the top 3 male/female racers. Good luck and be sure to post some samples!

seeker wrote:

Hey Brad ... wow, these are all great suggestions.

I have emailed the race coordinator and asked her some questions about what type of shots *she* wants, whether I will have access to the finish line chute (and whether others will be kept out), as well as a course map. I would really love to get the start, finish, *and* some shots during the race, but like you said I don't have much time to work with as I *am* shooting this alone.

My concern with focusing on a spot and letting runners come into it is that I would think I would need a fairly large DOF in order to raise my chances of getting them as they move through. Based on what I have read/seen, isn't it preferable to keep the DOF minimal so that the background is blurred and doesn't distract? Then again, I guess that's a non-issue if I am attempting to get a sponsor's banner or a time clock in focus as well

I live right near a high school, but I suspect track season is over for the year (isn't that a spring thing?) Otherwise I would see if they would let me come on the school grounds and take practice shots.

Oh well, I am sure I can find *someone* to run at me and my camera full speed

Brian

seeker

This DOF website is wonderful! I am still learning much about photography, and really never understood the relationship between DOF and the focal length of the lens.

One thing I am seeing is that for the same aperture and distance, my 70-200mm has a significantly smaller DOF than my 28-70mm, and the closer the subject gets, the smaller the DOF is.

Just another little tidbit of info to keep in my brain as I am setting up my next shot

Yes, the race is wide open so I will take shots of both the top guys and the top gals ... very good point!

Brian

digismile wrote:

I don't know about the focus modes on the Nikon, but on my 20D I use a AI Focus mode. It's a hybrid between a continuous focus and a fixed point focus. At least for my camera, I found that it sometimes has difficulty focusing on a object coming directly towards me (compared to anything diagonal).

Sometimes the focus never catchs up to the runner (I can fire off several shots and they can all be a bit out of focus). So focusing on an intial point at least gets the focus almost correct. I do often try to get a focus confirmation just as I shoot. This is simply my way of coping with the characteristics of my camera. I know the Canon 1D-series of cameras have way more focus points and are much better suited for some sports photography situations, but this is how I increase my percentage of in-focus shots. Maybe yours is better with a moving object.

So this is why I suggest a bit of practice . I also typically set my camera to use the center spot rather than letting the camera choose. This way, it won't focus on a runner that suddenly steps in to view on the sides.

As far as DOF is concerned, check out this website. It will give you a sense of how much room you'll have. I usually shoot at f4 (and sometimes f5.6) depending on the light. I like to keep the shutter speed at a 1/500 sec minimum for crisp photos. At 200mm, f4, 40 ft distance, you have almost 2' DOF.

No runners to photograph? I guess I don't know how popular running is there. Maybe we Canadians are a bit crazy! I can go to one of our popular river trails year round and see tons of people (I was doing my 20 mile training runs for my first marathon when it was 20 below!:D The race was fortunately in Maui!).

BTW, if this is a mixed race, I would try and get multiple photos of the top 3 male/female racers. Good luck and be sure to post some samples!

cletus

seeker wrote:

One thing I am seeing is that for the same aperture and distance, my 70-200mm has a significantly smaller DOF than my 28-70mm, and the closer the subject gets, the smaller the DOF is.

Congrats, you've figured out two key DOF points!

Pretty cool when you can see all this stuff at work in your own pictures isn't it???

seeker

cletus wrote:

Congrats, you've figured out two key DOF points!

Pretty cool when you can see all this stuff at work in your own pictures isn't it???

Indeed. But it is pretty sad it took me this long in my photography "career" to find this out

Brian

Frog Lady

seeker wrote:

I live right near a high school, but I suspect track season is over for the year (isn't that a spring thing?) Otherwise I would see if they would let me come on the school grounds and take practice shots.

Oh well, I am sure I can find *someone* to run at me and my camera full speed

Brian

track season may be over, but it is cross country season. Your local HS may have a team and they would be running more like what you'll see in the 5K. I've shot some xc and found that I like getting both the full runner in stride as well as a facial close up showing the expressions. This can be particularly effective as runners are coming in to the finish and in a tight "race" for the line w/ a couple of others near by.

good luck

C.

seeker

So the race is over and the pictures are in! Thanks to all of you who gave me tips and techniques to follow. Here are a couple of pics from the event:









Brian