IMAGE DOCTOR

BLUR SAYS ACTION

Writes Gary Moloney: “This shot of polocrosse was my best image out of 131 taken over two days at a major event at Roma, Queensland, in August last year. I was aiming for movement and a 3D effect; very hard to achieve and hence the high failure rate.”

This image ticks a lot of boxes, with strong interest, action and a panoramic format which suits the subject matter and narrative. The action going left to right across the frame is also good as it follows eye movement. While the blur and dust create a sense of action, there is still enough sharpness in the riders closest to the viewer to hold our attention. The panning is also competently done. Firing off 130 shots paid off – eventually! Using a neutral density filter enabled you to keep the ISO low, and slow the shutter speed with the aperture wide open. One downside of using an ND8 filter is it becomes harder to view through the eyepiece