Two Primary Techniques For Capturing Motion

The shutter speed used during photography plays an important part in the capture of motion in a photo. A fast shutter speed would lead to a sharp focus on the subject. While a slow shutter speed with blur the moving object. There are two main methods that can be used to capture motion.

1. Background In Focus With Blurred Subject

For instance, if you wish to photograph a fast train against a wall of bricks in the background. You could blue the train while keeping the bricks in the wall in focus. By doing so, you would be able to effectively communicate to the image viewer that the train is in rapid motion. In order to achieve this, you would have to use a slow shutter speed. To maintain steadiness and balance, a tripod is also important. This technique is often used in night time photos with car headlights shown to cut through the image.

2. Blurred Background With Subject In Focus

This second methods would allow the photographer to keep the subject in sharp focus while blurring the background. Using the example of the train against a wall of bricks, you would need to keep the train in focus while the wall would be blurred. This would be effective in conveying the fast movement of the train to the viewer. Just like in the first technique, a slow shutter speed would need to be used. However, instead of positioning the camera on a tripod, it will be panned along the direction that the subject is heading.