5K Stills with Motion Blur?

[James Falco]

Almost 99% of all contemporary commercial car still images where, you see the car driving and the background is in heavy motion blur are done in post.
Just shoot this as sharp as you can, ignore the fact that the background is sharp. Have the retoucher do what they are good at, and add motion blur at will to the background in post. It's the most basic way to do this. Some clients need to be educated.

 

[Jeff Vogeding]

I disagree with that 100%. I have been on more still car shots than I can count, and I have never seen the scenario you describe in which the car is still and the the background is blurred in post. NEVER. BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, GM, etc… all do "Rig Shots" A rig is attached to the frame of the car and an "arm" goes away as many feet as you need the camera away. The car is sharp as the camera and car move at exactly the same speed. Simply retouch out any part of the arm that ends up in the shot. The only reason to blur a still car in post is you don't have the budget to to do it the right way, or it is impossible to do a rig shot at the desired location.

 

[James Falco]

Really Jeff,

Because when I google images for BMW ads I can't find a single shot of a driving car that looks remotely like its done in camera.
As a matter of fact they all look like they are shot in studio with strobe lights in a giant soft box.

Hey don't take my word for it just look at the images below:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3w4Yf9NlCDA/URL_elZV1wI/AAAAAAAAOj0/XLrxrC3kPNE/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+3.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbpcvtQ5Jgo/URL_oFG-uvI/AAAAAAAAOkM/-dK-5C279po/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+4.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cvxo90E1BU/URL_owI2LgI/AAAAAAAAOkU/ArsAExdKwlU/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+5.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYyYa6fG714/URL_1Mm1BeI/AAAAAAAAOkw/fWinSS1nEeo/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+6.jpg
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2013/bc/2013-BMW-4-Series-Coupe-Grey-2-2560x1600.jpg
http://best-wallpaper.net/wallpaper/1920x1200/1201/BMW-red-Cool-Car_1920x1200.jpg
http://bmw.imagehostinghosting.com/di-new_2013_bmw_3_series_coupe-bb1d017f0c9914f6700f0ad71ad384b7.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9259/251020110030258496552.jpg
http://www.6post.com/goodiesforyou/6/grancoupe/marketing/ad4.jpg

 

[Patrick Grossien]

Even with using multiple frames to extrapolate and remove blur

Jeff, feeling stupid over here... how does that procedure work to remove or lessen the blur?
what tools are you using for that? can you elaborate a bit or share a link? thanks, mate!
maybe I'm just missing something and you're talking about some standard procedure I can't grasp at the moment

 

[Patrick Grossien]

Really Jeff,

Because when I google images for BMW ads I can't find a single shot of a driving car that looks remotely like its done in camera.
As a matter of fact they all look like they are shot in studio with strobe lights in a giant soft box.

Hey don't take my word for it just look at the images below:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3w4Yf9NlCDA/URL_elZV1wI/AAAAAAAAOj0/XLrxrC3kPNE/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+3.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbpcvtQ5Jgo/URL_oFG-uvI/AAAAAAAAOkM/-dK-5C279po/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+4.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cvxo90E1BU/URL_owI2LgI/AAAAAAAAOkU/ArsAExdKwlU/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+5.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYyYa6fG714/URL_1Mm1BeI/AAAAAAAAOkw/fWinSS1nEeo/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+6.jpg
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2013/bc/2013-BMW-4-Series-Coupe-Grey-2-2560x1600.jpg
http://best-wallpaper.net/wallpaper/1920x1200/1201/BMW-red-Cool-Car_1920x1200.jpg
http://bmw.imagehostinghosting.com/di-new_2013_bmw_3_series_coupe-bb1d017f0c9914f6700f0ad71ad384b7.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9259/251020110030258496552.jpg
http://www.6post.com/goodiesforyou/6/grancoupe/marketing/ad4.jpg

A lot of car shoots (at least the ones I know from Porsche) were done on location, but not done with a single shot.
Trick was to do multiple passes with a fixed camera, background w/out and w/ car, and lighting important car lines separately if necessary and then combining these shots into a single image through post.

 

[paul ross jones]

Really Jeff,

Because when I google images for BMW ads I can't find a single shot of a driving car that looks remotely like its done in camera.
As a matter of fact they all look like they are shot in studio with strobe lights in a giant soft box.

Hey don't take my word for it just look at the images below:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3w4Yf9NlCDA/URL_elZV1wI/AAAAAAAAOj0/XLrxrC3kPNE/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+3.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbpcvtQ5Jgo/URL_oFG-uvI/AAAAAAAAOkM/-dK-5C279po/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+4.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cvxo90E1BU/URL_owI2LgI/AAAAAAAAOkU/ArsAExdKwlU/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+5.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYyYa6fG714/URL_1Mm1BeI/AAAAAAAAOkw/fWinSS1nEeo/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+6.jpg
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2013/bc/2013-BMW-4-Series-Coupe-Grey-2-2560x1600.jpg
http://best-wallpaper.net/wallpaper/1920x1200/1201/BMW-red-Cool-Car_1920x1200.jpg
http://bmw.imagehostinghosting.com/di-new_2013_bmw_3_series_coupe-bb1d017f0c9914f6700f0ad71ad384b7.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9259/251020110030258496552.jpg
http://www.6post.com/goodiesforyou/6/grancoupe/marketing/ad4.jpg

some of these are pretty bad examples of car shots.

these shots in your list are by motion rig-
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2013/bc/2013-BMW-4-Series-Coupe-Grey-2-2560x1600.jpg
http://best-wallpaper.net/wallpaper/1920x1200/1201/BMW-red-Cool-Car_1920x1200.jpg


know of a few car photographers who use post for blur, but not many. you still need the shot as separate plates, i.e., the bg as a clean plate without the car. there is a lot of work in adding motion to the reflections on some cars in post. yes, everything can be done in post, but decent post work is expensive.

paul

 

[James Falco]

some of these are pretty bad examples of car shots.

these shots in your list are by motion rig-
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2013/bc/2013-BMW-4-Series-Coupe-Grey-2-2560x1600.jpg
http://best-wallpaper.net/wallpaper/1920x1200/1201/BMW-red-Cool-Car_1920x1200.jpg


know of a few car photographers who use post for blur, but not many. you still need the shot as separate plates, i.e., the bg as a clean plate without the car. there is a lot of work in adding motion to the reflections on some cars in post. yes, everything can be done in post, but decent post work is expensive.

paul

You are absolutely right. On both shots backdrops are shot as they are, but as a separate pass. Car with fast shutter and backdrop with slow shutter to exaggerated the MB.

///

 

[Eric Santiago]

I am visiting the local Fair this week-end with my Scarlet.
I am hoping to do a motion blur type action shot with the giant swing ride.
Any suggestion with the mb plate as far as shutter speed?
Id like it to be in slo-mo but any frame rate/res would suffice.
The second plate (actual focal point person on a swing) will be a challenge as well.
Am I attempting something easy/stupid here?

 

[Vithya Sharma]

Woow Supper Capture

Getting the perfect shot on Epic has been always a combination of HFR or HDRx never both as HDRx cuts in half the FR, and I never shoot anything then the full Raw capacity, never lower quality to have Higher FR, but what has been key is the correct exposure with shooting almost always at 45degrees not 180, then I reshoot for Video capture at 180degrees if needed, but I found that for critical picture perfect shot, as I used to get with DSLR's and MF medium, I need to shoot a take or two for Frame Pulling, and a take or two for Motion, while many times I have done both in one shot, several times I excelled in doing one for one shot and expose, and control the Shutter Angle and speed.

This guys were moving so fast you have no idea, well actually you should since a F1 Pit Stop needs to be seconds and GO!!

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Jeff, feeling stupid over here... how does that procedure work to remove or lessen the blur?
what tools are you using for that? can you elaborate a bit or share a link? thanks, mate!
maybe I'm just missing something and you're talking about some standard procedure I can't grasp at the moment

Can't go into details about my secret sauce.

In a nutshell though, it's a VFX technique. When we know details of the shot, exposure time, object distance and/or tracking speed and other factors that may prove useful. we can determine the blur length and track blurred objects and extrapolate from the blurred source to reconstruct certain things, usually defined edges or reduce the apparent or perceived amount of blur. Same thing when using HDRX mode with a crisper X-track that can be used to isolate and sharpen edges, reduce or cancel out some of the motion blur. Tools used: After Effects, Nuke, even Photoshop. Plus some other little widgets from The Foundry, some simple plugins/ tools I've made or worked with others to make for our needs.

The Magic Motion effect available in RC-X for HDRX shots is an automated version of this process as it uses the X-track to blend and adjust the amount of motion blur. That's not all you can do with such a technique, the Magic Motion is just one possible use rolled into a generic control.

 

[Eric Santiago]

The Magic Motion effect available in RC-X for HDRX shots is an automated version of this process as it uses the X-track to blend and adjust the amount of motion blur. That's not all you can do with such a technique, the Magic Motion is just one possible use rolled into a generic control.

Is there a link you can direct me too for examples on the Magic Motion?

Would appreciate it

 

[Jeff Vogeding]

James,



Look at what you are saying. Your describing how you think they did it. I've actually been there. Take my word. I know some of the best automotive photographers in the world. This is the industry standard way to do the type of shot you describe as others have said in this thread. There is one other way. It comes and goes as a trend, and some manufactures are getting more and more inclined to use it. FULL CGI of of the car. These days it gets harder to tell what is CGI and what is real. Cars in actual photos are retouched so heavily they almost look CGI. CGI is still expensive but for many types of shots is more practical..

Really Jeff,

Because when I google images for BMW ads I can't find a single shot of a driving car that looks remotely like its done in camera.
As a matter of fact they all look like they are shot in studio with strobe lights in a giant soft box.

Hey don't take my word for it just look at the images below:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3w4Yf9NlCDA/URL_elZV1wI/AAAAAAAAOj0/XLrxrC3kPNE/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+3.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbpcvtQ5Jgo/URL_oFG-uvI/AAAAAAAAOkM/-dK-5C279po/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+4.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cvxo90E1BU/URL_owI2LgI/AAAAAAAAOkU/ArsAExdKwlU/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+5.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qk-adUw9m0g/URL_xz6HqXI/AAAAAAAAOkk/5ZQMDViV210/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+7.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PYyYa6fG714/URL_1Mm1BeI/AAAAAAAAOkw/fWinSS1nEeo/s1600/2014+BMW+M6+Gran+Coupe+6.jpg
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2013/bc/2013-BMW-4-Series-Coupe-Grey-2-2560x1600.jpg
http://best-wallpaper.net/wallpaper/1920x1200/1201/BMW-red-Cool-Car_1920x1200.jpg
http://bmw.imagehostinghosting.com/di-new_2013_bmw_3_series_coupe-bb1d017f0c9914f6700f0ad71ad384b7.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9259/251020110030258496552.jpg
http://www.6post.com/goodiesforyou/6/grancoupe/marketing/ad4.jpg