Before you start
Equipment needed: Any interchangeable lens camera (ILC), a tripod and external flash (optional)
Objective: Learn how to take sharp pictures of fast-moving subjects.
Time required: 15 minutes to read Apart from night photography, fast-moving subjects such as active children and speedy cars are the hardest to photograph. More often than not, you'll end up with blurred or out-of-focus shots if you used a point-and-shoot. However, an ILC lets you control the exposure settings, which means you can ramp up the shutter speed to freeze the action.
For this lesson, we'll teach you how to adjust your exposure options and other useful tips to capture that fleeting moment.
Use fast shutter speeds
Your ILC lets you control the shutter speed. You can do this in either manual or shutter priority mode. However, you have to adjust the aperture in manual mode. If you think this slows down the shooting process for you, use shutter priority and the camera will decide what aperture to deploy.
(Credit: M Pincus)
One thing to note about using fast shutter speeds such as 1/500 or 1/1000 second is that you will limit the amount of light that's reaching the image sensor. Hence, you have to use a bigger aperture (smaller F number) to compensate for that. Alternatively, you can bump up the ISO sensitivity setting to achieve the same results.
Keep your focus
A fast shutter speed helps to freeze the action, but it's futile if the camera's lens is not focused on the subject. However, if the subject is moving around within the frame, you'll need to keep focused as it moves.
Most ILCs on the market have a continuous AF function that will adjust the lens to focus on the subject. Other shooters have what is called an AF-tracking feature. This allows you to tag the subject, which the camera will automatically recognize and focus on even when the subject changes position.
That said, these AF options are not foolproof. If the subject is moving too fast, some cameras might not be able to focus quickly enough and the end results is still a blurred shot. One way to counter this is to anticipate the trajectory of the subject and focus on a particular spot within the frame that you want to take the photo in . Focus on the spot before the subject reaches it.
Pan the camera for a streaking effect
(Credit: Martin Terber)
You may have seen some photos of cyclists moving at high speed and the background is streaked while the rider and bicycle remains sharp. Such pictures can be achieved by using a technique called panning (move the camera sideways on a fixed point, such as a tripod).
To get such effects, pan the camera as you take the shot. Determine where the subject is going to enter the frame, then follow as it moves and snap the shot. Follow through with the panning motion even after you press the shutter to get the streaking effect.
Instead of using a fast shutter speed such as 1/500 second, you need to employ a slower shutter speed for panning. Choose shutter speeds of 1/90 and below and experiment to see which suits the shooting conditions you are in. In this situation, it is advisable to use shutter priority mode for easier adjustment of shutter speeds without having to worry about aperture value. This is not an easy technique to master and you'll probably end up with a lot of blurred shots. But keep practicing and you'll soon get the hang of it.
What about shooting in low-light environments?
If you are shooting at night or in dimly lit places, use the onboard flash if your ILC has one, or attach an external flash to the camera. Using a flash not only allows you to employ a faster shutter speed to capture the action, it also freezes the subject.
Mini assignment
This assignment requires you to use the techniques taught, such as deployment of fast shutter speeds and panning, to take shots of subjects in motion. Experiment with various exposure settings and see what kind of results you can achieve.
If you want your pictures to be evaluated, resize the images (as shown below) and rename them as such: _.jpg, such as johndoe_motion.jpg.
Send the pictures to us and we will give you feedback on your shots and how to improve on them.
Resizing pictures
If you are using Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, open the photo in the program and go to Image > Resize and set the width to 1,000 pixels. Use the Save As option and save the picture in JPEG format with the compression set at 6 to minimize file size for sending over the Web.
Alternatively, you can use Windows Paint and go to Image > Attributes and resize the image as mentioned above. Again, use the Save As option and save it as a JPEG image.
» Week Six: HDR photography» Week Seven: Fast-moving subjects
» Week Eight: Portrait photography
» Week Nine: Video recording
» Week Ten: Accessories & maintenance