Capture: Freezing Time

A still photograph of a moving subject has always held a certain fascination. Perhaps the most notable photographer who was interested in freezing time is the English photographer Edward Muybridge (April 1830 – 8 May 1904). Muybridge is best known for his pioneering work on animal locomotion in 1877 and 1878, which used multiple cameras to capture motion in stop-motion photographs, and his zoopraxiscope, a device for projecting motion pictures that pre-dated the flexible perforated film strip used in cinematography. A feature length documentary of muybridge’s work can be watched below:

Even though Edward Muybrige showed us the frozen moment nearly a century and half ago, the equipment and skills have been out of the reach or most photographers until recent times.

Perhaps the most difficult photographic technical skill, until recently, has been the ability to freeze fast moving subjects and it has been a craft that is normally left to experienced professional photographers or skillful amateurs using the most expensive DSLR cameras. Sony, however, has now made it easy for entry level Alpha and RX owners to track and freeze fast moving subjects with its technology it calls 4D focus. The latest Sony Alpha mirrorless and RX cameras are more than up to the task of tracking and freezing fast moving action. It is all a question of choosing the appropriate settings. In a recent movie tutorial I share the settings I use for reliably sharp images.