# Photographing fan blades in rotation



## Durga Prasad (May 14, 2007)

I use Panasonic FZ 50.  I tried to photograph the still image of pedastal fan blades while the fan is 'running' . I tried all combinations of shutter speed, aperture and ISO without using flash. I get only a blur of the blades similar to what we  see with normal eye.  Is there a solution?


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## Digital Matt (May 14, 2007)

Depending on the speed of the fan, you might need a shutter speed of 1/500 or greater to freeze the motion.  You might even need to go as fast as 1/2000 or 1/4000 if the fan is on high.  This means you'll need a lot of light.  Your best bet is outside at high noon.

Is this for a photo class?  This is a pretty typical photography 101 project.


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## Torus34 (May 14, 2007)

Very dark room and strobe.


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## sabbath999 (May 17, 2007)

How about just turning the fan off?


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## CBRfanatic (May 22, 2007)

sabbath999 said:


> How about just turning the fan off?


i thought the same exact thing...


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## DSLR noob (May 22, 2007)

Well I just tried all sorts of shutter combinations. I went from the highest my meter wanted me to do in the room (1/200) and went down to speeds as slow as 5 seconds. As long as I used flash, the fan blades looked stopped, and the fan setting is 2/3. I can't see with the naked eye. the blades are white and the flash reflects the position of the blades at that exact moment, even of a 5 second shutter. Simply put, I could NOT blur the blades with a single curtain flash.


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## Sandra Lero (May 23, 2007)

There are two different way:

1. Capture a still blades and processing in PS
2. Spin a blades just a little and then shoot with shutter speed 1/60 or similar.


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