Capturing motion blur in an image is a handy technique for giving a sense of movement, and also setting apart the subject from the background. Here are a few techniques to help get the shot just right:
- Plan to photograph a moving subject – your kids on bikes, a car, runner, etc.
- Use a zoom lens and try to move in close
- If your lens / camera has image stabilization, turn it on.
- Switch your camera to Shutter Priority Mode, and select a shutter speed between 30-60. This is tricky: The slower you set it, the more blur you capture, but the harder it becomes to keep your subject sharp.
- Set your camera to its burst mode
- As your subject is moving past, hold your focus point on them and pan the lens to move with your subject, holding down the shutter button all the while. Your camera will fire off consecutive shots. The more you are able to move with your subject, the sharper they will remain against a blurred background.
Michael Rauwolf Photography 