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Open up any ski and snowboard magazine and you’re likely to see a modern action montage similar to this one.
Back in the dark ages of film, multiple exposures of the same frame would have left the moving subject translucent as a ghost.But in this era of digital cameras, affordable tripods and accessible image-editing software, you too can create these impressive works—even if the air or terrain being tackled by your subject isn’t nearly as impressive as what you’ve seen before in this kind of photo.
What follows is a step-by-step method for
how to make your own action montagehow to make your own action montage.One small warning: while this avant-garde technique is not tricky, it does require some specialized equipment and software.
THE LOCATION
These shots only work when your subject is in motion. Slow or fast, it doesn’t matter; it could be as simple as a child skipping down the sidewalk. What is important is to choose a position that allows the subject to cross the frame—either horizontally, vertically or at an angle. Once you’ve got this figured out, lock your camera down on a solid tripod.
THE SET-UP
Long before your subject arrives, set your camera to manual mode and choose a fast shutter speed, something that will freeze the motion of your subject (1/250 sec. for a leisurely stroll, 1/5000 sec. for a speeding race car, etc.).Then adjust your aperture to balance the light metre.
Since your viewfinder will go black as soon as you press the shutter release button, mentally note the edges of your frame then step back and survey your scene without looking though the camera lens.
THE SHOT
If you’re photographing a rapidly moving subject, set your camera to continuous shutter operation.For slower ones, you’ll be able to leave the shutter at single shot speed and release it at random intervals as your subject passes across the frame.
Get your subject moving and press the shutter release just before they enter the frame. Continue holding it down (or holding and releasing randomly to capture slowpokes) until your subject clears the frame.
THE TRICK
At this point you’ll have produced a series of photographs, each one a frozen action shot of your subject.Using photo-manipulation software such as Adobe Photoshop (adobe.com), import your first image and set it as your background.
Now, import the second image, carefully close-crop away everything but your subject, and layer it on top of the first one.Repeat until you’ve worked though all the images and, voila!—your very own action montage will soon come to life.
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