Teach you how to use a crane camera correctly!

Date:

2024-05-16 15:28

When everyone attends a party or wedding, they can see a long iron pole with a camera hanging on it, swinging back and forth. Photography enthusiasts all know this as the "rocker arm". Crane arms are also often used when filming movies. Many photography enthusiasts know that panning is a technique often used in shooting, but many people don’t know how to use a rocker. So how to use the rocker arm? The following will show you how to use the rocker arm. Photography enthusiasts can learn about it.
① Pan up and down
Using this shooting method, you can track and shoot targets moving up and down. For example, for an athlete's diving action, the starting point is when the athlete is standing on a high platform and preparing to jump. The camera is pushed closer to lock the target. From the take-off to entering the water, the camera moves down simultaneously with the athlete's whereabouts. It is best to shoot such a scene with a close-up lens. If you move the camera properly, it can be done in one go in just a few seconds, with a strong visual impact. But it is difficult to shoot such a target. The key is that the speed of panning is difficult to control, and it is difficult to move the composition. You must practice shooting several times. Novices generally should not use a lens that is too close to shoot.
The method of panning up and down is often used to display some scenery that is too high to be fully represented in a whole picture, or to show the tallness and majesty of a certain scenery. High vertical buildings are the best targets for panning up and down. Standing in front of a high-rise building, first use a flat shot to shoot the base of the building, and then slowly move the camera from bottom to top to the top of the high-rise building. A small set of lenses brings the entire building's landscape into view, making the high-rise building more beautiful. Seemingly majestic.
②Pan left and right
By panning the camera in a horizontal arc, you can capture a wide panorama or a target moving left and right.
The method of panning left and right is: first face the body in the end direction of the panning lens, stabilize the camera towards the last point of the panning, then turn the body to the starting direction of the panning lens and start shooting. Slowly and evenly rotate your body in the ending direction until the entire panning process is completed.
When panning with a handheld camera, the body generally does not need to be rotated 90°. If it exceeds 90°, people will feel uncomfortable and it will be detrimental to the stability of the picture. Just like panning up and down, the key to using this panning method to track and shoot a target moving left and right is to master the speed of the panning lens and keep it in sync with the moving speed of the shooting target.
For example, we photograph a car moving from left to right. First, we need to plan the route of the car and the starting and ending points of the panning; then hold the camera and stand firmly towards the ending point, turn the upper body counterclockwise to the starting point and wait for the target to appear; once the target enters the frame, start shooting. And rotate your upper body to the right at a constant speed as the car moves. The camera is always focused on the moving car until the end of the panning, without pausing in the middle. When panning, pay attention to the balance of the composition. The target's walking space should be greater than its extra space. To end shooting, you can stop shaking and tracking the target. Stop moving the camera for two or three seconds and let the target slowly disappear from the screen.
Shooting such a set of shots requires planning in advance and a preparation process before shooting. You must prepare your posture and wait for the target to appear. You cannot wait for the target to enter the starting point for panning before grabbing the camera and shooting. If you pull the trigger in a hurry, you will not get good results. Therefore, it is necessary to set an advance amount.
③Move the mirror smoothly
When panning, be sure to move the camera lens smoothly. It is best to use a tripod, which will help you take stable pictures. If you use a handheld phone, the basic posture is: first stand with your feet about 50 cm apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward into a figure-eight shape, and then shake your waist (note not your head, let alone your knees). This can make the panning action proceed more smoothly.
Whether it is panning up and down or left and right, the movement should be smooth and smooth, the picture should be smooth, there should be no pauses in the middle, and it should not be fast or slow. Be careful not to move the camera excessively or move it unnecessarily. The starting point and end point of the panning must be grasped just right, and the technique must be used in a measured way. Also avoid rocking it around like watering flowers. Once you have panned in the past, do not pan back again. You can only take a panoramic shot of left and right or up and down.
④Appropriate panning speed
The panning time should not be too long or too short. Based on past experience, it is appropriate to use a panning method to shoot a group of shots for about 10 seconds. If played too short, the picture will look like it is flying, and if played too long, it will feel sloppy.
A group of panning shots should have a clear beginning and end. The starting and ending images should stay stable for a period of time. Generally speaking, about three seconds is enough. Such shots make people look stable and natural. This is an important point. There is no pause in the frame, and the panning camera will give people the feeling of being unfinished and incomplete.
Of course, it is common to perform different processing according to the needs of art: If you want to add some tension to the picture, you can speed up the shooting a little bit, so that you can achieve the desired effect. Such a picture, our thrilling scene in Hollywood Often seen in videos.
⑤It will be more effective to zoom in and pan the camera
Some people believe that when panning left or right, the zoom lens should be adjusted to the widest angle (W) position for shooting. In fact, many times, it will be better to zoom in slightly, use a medium lens or even a close lens to shoot, making the captured pictures more vivid, interesting and realistic.
The above introduces how to use the rocker arm. For those who are new to the rocker arm, they need to first understand the basic use of the rocker arm, and then practice it. In practice, they can explore the use skills of the rocker arm and how to use it to take pictures. Produce a better-looking picture. When taking photos of parties, meetings, and weddings, it is still recommended that you use a crane to shoot as much as possible, which can greatly improve the shooting effect.