How to Create Great “Zooms”

by Sherri on July 13, 2007

tundra-zoom.jpg

Photo #1 - Tundra with kayaks, Alpine County, CA. This photo was shot at 1/15 sec as the Tundra was moving.

"Have you become obsessed with one aspect of photography?" That was a question asked recently on one of the photo forums I contribute to. That got me thinking. Lately, it seems I have a "love affair" with zooming. Zooming is similar to panning, but instead of following the subject with your camera as it moves across your field of view, you zoom the lens in or out during your exposure. This creates a streaking effect around the edges of your photograph, while keeping the center of your photograph fairly sharp.
flower-zoom.jpg

Photo #2 - Bougainvilleas, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. This photo was shot at 1/5 sec. I also fired my flash.

Tips for creating great zooms
  1. You can use either a stationary or a moving subject.
  2. You need to use a slow shutter speed (1/15 sec or slower works best). You will need to use a low ISO, unless you are working under really low light. Try adding either a polarizer or a neutral density filter to let less light in when not working under low light, which will let you use a slower shutter speed.
  3. This is a great technique to use when there is not adequate light to capture a standard image.
  4. A flash can also be used while zooming.
  5. Keep your camera as still as possible. A tripod is recommended, althought I rarely use one for this.
  6. Experiment with different shutter speeds and lenses for different effects.
  7. During your zoom, try to zoom in or out as smoothly as possible for the best results.
Feel free to add your zooming tips. You do not need to register or login to comment on this blog. Happy zooming!
1 Richard July 24, 2007 at 1:53 pm

What was your impression of Cabo like? I’m looking for more places to add to my southwestern / spanish-type images. I get the impression that Cabo is more like a party place though than of historical significance.

2 Sherri July 24, 2007 at 2:34 pm

Hi Richard,

Yes, indeed, it is a party town and very touristy. We went there to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. A great friend has a Timeshare there and gifted us a 1 week stay. We brought home some great photos, but the trip was more of a vacation, than a business trip.

For adding to your southwestern/spanish-type image files, I don’t think Cabo would be your best bet.

Thanks for asking!

Sherri

3 Mark November 5, 2007 at 9:48 am

One thing I have been trying to experiment with in my zooms is dividing the exposure time into 2 parts – stationary time and zooming time. It is somewhat hard to do when only dealing with fractions of a second, but the results end up being quite different vs. just zooming through the whole exposure.

Another helpful tool is the expensive Singh Ray Vari-ND filter. You can dramatically lengthen exposure times with this tool giving you more options to play with.

4 Sherri November 5, 2007 at 1:56 pm

Thanks Mark! I’ll have to give that a try. Another tip I read somewhere, was to pause midway during your exposure, which is also hard to do when dealing with fractions of a second. A tripod is a must for this!

5 cindylou October 23, 2008 at 10:41 am

I too am in constant zoom! I have a great pic if I could figure out how to post one??

obviously a newbie, who stumbled here, looking for places to shoot fall.

6 Sherri October 23, 2008 at 11:54 am

Cindylou – thanks for leaving a comment. Were you able to get any good ideas for your fall photo shoot?

7 cindy October 26, 2008 at 6:10 am

okay here it is” the results of my zoom..not so focused though, its the background that is awesome..iso-800, flash on, high noon, 101 degrees out, close-up, high powered zoom lens.

http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn167/cindy-lou_2008/?action=view&current=DSC_0176.jpg

8 Sherri October 26, 2008 at 7:36 am

Nice shot Cindy. But, if a zoom is really what you are after, you need to use a slow shutter speed and a low ISO (see tips above).

Why don’t you try it again, following the tips I’ve given above. Then, we will put a link to that image as well.

Thank you for your comments and interest!

9 Katie January 6, 2009 at 7:39 am

what if your camera wont zoom while taking a photo?
iv been trying zoom for a while, but because my camera will not allow me to zoom, i end up moving it with my arms, extending then bringing them sharply back while i take the shot. this however never turns out very well. is there a setting im looking over?
i dont have an SLR, its just a Sony CyberShot with a 15x zoom. can you help?
-Katie

10 Sherri January 7, 2009 at 8:48 am

Katie – thank you for asking your question. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s possible to zoom with that type of camera.

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