Tell camera to follow an object?

[Haugen]

I have a wide shot of my dad cutting grass with his lawn mower. I want to zoom in on him and let the camera follow my dad. I have watched tutorials on camera tracking and motion tracking. But I can't figure out how I can follow the lawn mower when zoomed in. Any tutorials you can link to?

I'm new to this, and the lessons on adobe didn't tell me how to do it. Just point me in the right directions. I'm out of words on how to search for the right tutorial.

[Haugen]

I'm back! I got it! But I wanted better resolution, so I edited the jpeg images. 7,5GB... Since I made it with the clip I send you, I took it that I could repeat it with the full resolution. I did it there as well. Tok some time to stabilize, so I jumped the stabilizing part the third time just to see how the result would be without stabilizing first. And I think it was good.

What I really was after was to attach a camera to dad, hit analyze and when done, the camera would keep dad in center all the time. Without me creating any keyframes. I could zoom as much as I wanted. AE would still keep dad in center.

I did it, and now I know how to do it, and with the technique in my head, I will carefully plan my shoots to make it easier on me.

So many thanks for all your help! It is so much appreciated. Thanks in abundance!!

Not sure what post I should mark correct answer...

[Roei Tzoref]

What I really was after was to attach a camera to dad, hit analyze and when done, the camera would keep dad in center all the time. Without me creating any keyframes. I could zoom as much as I wanted. AE would still keep dad in center.

so did you track the mower? specify the steps so we can learn what solved it for you. you can also attach a project file if you want

[Haugen]

The first time I tracked the mower using your set up, but something went wrong at the end, so some keyframes got deleted. I undid, but I only made it worse, so I started over. This time I was tracking the spot Rick found. After this I got a stabilised shot. To get dad in center I simply zoomed in on him, keyframed, started the footage, moved frame so dad was in center, keyframed and so on all to the end. I figured out I could do this without tracking the spot. Just keyframed dad in the center all the way.

I'm not on my iMac. Will send over project file in 9 hours or so.

[Roei Tzoref]

ok. Seems you decided going the Rick way (as you should) but without the stabilize part. This could work but you will have to create additional keyframes to counter move the camera move and not just the dad. this could give unconsistent movement if you are not careful.

[Haugen]

Yep, went for Ricks version (still want the project file?). I went for your way until I screwed up. I'm going for your way for my next project as I want to learn most of this, and by doing a thing in different ways I hope it will give me more knowledge and understanding.

The movement was ok. If this was a project a was to release online, I had to work a lot more on it. But this is my first time, and it's "only" my dad.

[Roei Tzoref]

Yep, went for Ricks version (still want the project file?).

no need. then this response by Rick is the correct answer Re: Tell camera to follow an object? lot's of good information here in this thread so definitely try different techniques when you need to. Good luck

[Haugen]

no need. then this response by Rick is the correct answer Re: Tell camera to follow an object? lot's of good information here in this thread so definitely try different techniques when you need to. Good luck

Thank you all for you help! I'm so thankful for your time you have giving me (and others as well) here. Thank you!