Taking Police Car at Night

[YarisSi]

I'm not going to steal it.

Want to take picture of police car with sirens and lights going at night. I want to pan it (is that right term) but how do I take it at night.
Do I just stick on widest appeture and 1/250?

[Martin_S]

Biggest flashgun you can find, from the front, and hope the bastards are sufficiently blinded that they run into a lamppost and kill themselves.

[simpo two]

YarisSi said:

I'm not going to steal it. Want to take picture of police car with sirens and lights going at night. I want to pan it (is that right term) but how do I take it at night. Do I just stick on widest appeture and 1/250?

Several ways to skin this cat.
If you choose the long shutter speed route - say 1" or longer - you'll get a trail of lights (and a dotted blue one!), which can be a nice effect.
I don't see much point in panning because if you're after the blurred backgound/still car effect, it won't work after dark.
The other option is to use flash. You can either freeze the car dead, or, camera permitting, use 'rear curtain synch' which will give you sharp illuminated car with a trail of lights behind it.
Suggest you practice first to get the settings right and to see which you like best!

[CVP]

Only one problem to using flash guys is police cars are covered in loads of reflective tape / stickers so your flash will gte these completely overexposed.

I'd humbly suggest that instead of going for night time, try something more at dusk where there is a still a reasonable amount of ambient light but the car will have all lights on. I'd go with a shutter speed of about 1/15th to 1/30th and pan. Hopefully you'll get the effect you are looking for.

HTH

Chris

[V6GTO]

Also, to make sure you actually SEE a car to take photos of, you'll need to be near tha police station. I think you Might attract a little unwelcome attention to yourself. I don't think they'll take to kindly to your taking photos, no matter how good your motives.
Martin.

[YarisSi]

Thank you
I will give these a go.
Simon

[YarisSi]

I live in Greenstead Estate at moment and I hear them go past every 5 minutes.

[simpo two]

V6GTO said:

I think you Might attract a little unwelcome attention to yourself. I don't think they'll take to kindly to your taking photos, no matter how good your motives.

Bollox to them - they take plenty of photos of us! If they get arsey, tell them it's a free country. After all, if you're not breaking a law, they can't touch you!
CVP has a point about the reflective bits though.

[bacchus180]

as simpo two suggested, rear curtain sync, practice, practise, practise, use a long exposure, like 1 or 2 secs and fire the flash at the end, panning all the way, ..... when you are practising... watch everyone hit the anchors as they think its a gastso... and keep your nikes on for a fast getaway!!

[docevi1]

CVP said:

Only one problem to using flash guys is police cars are covered in loads of reflective tape / stickers so your flash will gte these completely overexposed.

I took this at Pirelli Rally a year or so ago.


The car was completely bland when not taken with flash.

Kinda amusing that, they all have "Reliability" on the side and all 6 Polo 1600 entries with this on broke down on the first stage or something

[Captain Pugwash]

basically, dont, I think you will find that its against the law to take a piccy of a officer on duty, also you will proberly get a free ride in one. I did once at the scene of an accident, didnt go down well at all.

[YarisSi]

How can they show police on news and newspapers then.

[EmmaP]

I have found the police extremely helpful in the past when approaching them to gain permission for taking photographs (admittedly not of them, but when seeking to avoid getting arrested for breaching certain laws.) I found them to be extremely good humoured.

I would advise you to ask permission first as not doing so would wind them up understandably and end up with you, more than likely, not being able to use the shot, making the whole excercise a complete waste of time and energy

[.Mark]

EmmaP said:

I have found the police extremely helpful in the past when approaching them to gain permission for taking photographs (admittedly not of them, but when seeking to avoid getting arrested for breaching certain laws.) I found them to be extremely good humoured.

You can't leave it at that! Please do expand on the comment

[simpo two]

Captain Pugwash said:

basically, dont, I think you will find that its against the law to take a piccy of a officer on duty

So fine me, big boy

[hongkongfooi]

Martin_S said:

Biggest flashgun you can find, from the front, and hope the bastards are sufficiently blinded that they run into a lamppost and kill themselves.

It this kind of mindless comment that grips my s**t.

How about this happening when I am on my way to save your bloody life (or not now).....grow up!

Back to the sane question that was asked in the first place, i am not aware that it is an offence to take a photo of a police officer or car and to prove it the originator of this topic is perfectly able to email me and organise a time when i am on duty to take a couple of drive by shots but clearly it has to be in Sussex.

helpful enough?

[simpo two]

hongkongfooi said:

Back to the sane question that was asked in the first place, i am not aware that it is an offence to take a photo of a police officer or car

That seems much more sensible. And just to show you there's no hard feelings, here's one of you guys... watching you watching us


That car seems to have excessively large alloys...

[YarisSi]

Thank you for the kind offer but I won't be able to get there. I'll give locals a go.
Thanks everyone for advice.
Si

[EmmaP]

.Mark said:

EmmaP said: I have found the police extremely helpful in the past when approaching them to gain permission for taking photographs (admittedly not of them, but when seeking to avoid getting arrested for breaching certain laws.) I found them to be extremely good humoured. You can't leave it at that! Please do expand on the comment

Ok then. I knew you'd ask. Completely OT, but funny anyway. Six years ago I was doing a series of photographs based on Renaissance paintings. For my re-creation of Botticelli's St Sebastian I wanted to photograph a naked man with piercings up some scaffolding, on a building site. As the site was in the centre of town I thought it best to seek permission from the police and my model refused to do it unless I got clearance as they did not want to be arrested for indecent expopsure.

One of the top police at Nottingham Central left what has to be the funniest answer phone message for me. Me and a friend still laugh about it now. I wish I had kept it. He thought it was hilarious that I was proposing to do an early morning nude outdoor shoot in winter. He wished me warmer weather - for the sake of my model. Need I say more.

I was supposed to do the shoot before 8.30 on a Sunday, but sod's law, there was a big cement delivery at 8.30 (we were a bit behind schedule). We didn't get going for nearly an hour, by which time people were out strolling along the waterfront. I will never forget, for as long as I live, the look on an old dear's face as she walked past the site. Her friend had to almost drag her away.

[murph7355]

Lots of helpful advice.

Thought I'd cap it off by noting that you'll need a mic' and sound recording device to capture the sirens nicely