shooting kung fu ,advice please?

fudge

fudge

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john
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my kung fu class have lined up a couple of demo`s this summer and i d like to get some shots for our website. both will be outside and hopefully surrounded by people. i d like to try to avoid too many people in the background so i thought about getting low to take the photo`s . do you think that this will make them look odd if there is only sky behind? any other tips welcome, i need all the help i can get.
 
The problem with getting low may be that your kungfu fellahs end up as silhouettes, requiring flash to light them up, requiring slow shutter speeds to allow appropriate flash power.

You will have to try it and see though.

My guess would be to use a very shallow DOF to loose the background, I would be tempted to try with a 50/1.8 if you have one?

I was tempted to suggest a long tele e.g. a 70-200/2.8 but I think you'd want to be in close to capture the feel of being kicked/punched etc a bit better - a tele would flatten things. Plus there may be crowds infront of you.
 
If you have a while, I suggest you get your fellow kung-fuers to a park and practise the type of shots you want in advance so you have time to practise. ]

For low down shots I guess you could see if you can find some boxing ones that have been done in the open (I guess mainly at night though).

Will this be on a stage or at ground level?
 
ground level. so i d be laying down to take them. i roughly have the running order of things sorted before we get there and we ll run through it several times before the day so i ll get a chance to practice but it ll be different on the day with the background to worry about.
 
loplyg said:
The problem with getting low may be that your kungfu fellahs end up as silhouettes, requiring flash to light them up, requiring slow shutter speeds to allow appropriate flash power.
.
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eerm no... perfectly doable so long as you set the exposure for the fighter and not rely on auto mode which would cause problems wiht the sky as background....
 
KIPAX said:
eerm no... perfectly doable so long as you set the exposure for the fighter and not rely on auto mode which would cause problems wiht the sky as background....
Click to expand...

I guess if you don't mind a totally blown sky, I presumed he wanted the sky in there though. It'll be like a white sheet that way.
 
Don't shoot from the ground, it'll look silly. Use a wider aperture/longer lens to blur out the people in the background.

Make sure you know what they are doing. If you can anticipate when the best-looking moments will arise, it will help a lot.
 
OK...

You need to have the shutter as fast as possible other wise they will be blurred and the pics will look crap.

As for getting down low, this is a great technique used for making the kicks look higher and more impressive, especially if they are doing jumping kicks.

It is very hard to get the shots you are looking for in martial arts because things happen so fast, if you can try to get the legs straight in kicks and the punches at full extension.

I shoot a lot of martial arts, but normally indoors, i also have a D700 which will capture at 8fps so it makes it easier to get the "shot" but is gets easier with time.

One of the hardest things is to get someone doing a kick in tight without them having a foot or an arm of of the frame. Take your camera to your club and practice.

Mac
 
inaneredstripe said:
and dont get too close. a kick behind the ear isnt nice.
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but thats what kung fu is all about (wing chun kung fu that is).

I would try and get a few shots over the shoulder of one person, with the focus on the person facing you. you may need tiptoe or use a chair/step ladder but not so high as to distort the perspective. You could slow the shutter right down (use a tripod) and go side on, to capture blurred chain punches and using a 1/2 second shutter should capture 2-3 punches setting flash to 2nd curtain may help freeze the last one better.
 
thanks for the advice . i ll post up some of my efforts when i take them( next couple of weeks )
 
ask the...sensay?...for a photo call and you may get some wild kicks and movements
if people are in the back ground it may look too fussy..
i tried a karate class and the sensay told the class there would be photos and to go through a certain routine for me
 
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