Freezing the Action
Posted by David Peterson on 07 Nov 2006 as Sharp Images, Tips
Perfect Action Shots are actually quite hard to photograph. Action shots are of moving subjects, and unfortunately most cameras aren’t that good at taking photos when the subject is moving. You’ll often get a blurry image (called motion blur) because the subject has moved in the frame while the shutter is open.
There are some tricks to help you freeze the action (and remove motion blur), but still give the illusion of movement.
Increase Shutter Speed
Blurry images happen because the subject (or the camera) moves while the camera’s shutter is open.
With a fast moving subject (like a race car, or a child on a swing), a solution is to use a faster shutter speed. Your subject won’t move as much while the shutter is open resulting in crisper images with no motion blur. If your camera has a ‘Shutter Priority’ mode, choose that and increase the shutter speed to at least 1/200 sec – or even more if your subject is moving fast. Try a few test shots and keep increasing the shutter speed until your image is crisp.
In this photo, the camera was following the child resulting in a pleasing motion blur effect.
If you don’t have a shutter priority mode, decrease the ISO setting. A lower ISO (like 50 or 100) will decrease the shutter speed automatically because you have effectively told the camera’s sensors that there is lots of light around.
The problem with a very fast shutter speed is that you not only freeze the action, but you also freeze any illusion of movement. It can look like your subject is not moving at all – particularly race cars.
Follow The Subject
The solution is to follow your subject with the camera. Shoot only when they are in the right position (like closest to you). Because your camera will be following your subject while the shutter is open, the subject will be much sharper than the background. The background will be quite blurry as it will have moved relative to the camera during the same time. The result is a very pleasing motion blur that we all associate with moving objects.
Thanks for John Barratt for the use of his photo.
Related posts:
- What is Anti-Blur Mode, and can it help my photography?
- ISO Explained!
- How To Take Photos With Motion Blur To Give The Illusion of Movement
- Fixing Blur Caused By Slow Shutter Speed
- The Top 4 Causes of Blurry Photos, And How To Fix Them
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[...] shutter speed, aperture, and ISO speed before your friend takes the picture. If your friend is shooting action, make sure you take a little time to explain that you have to use autofocus to focus on a spot, and [...]
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hi david,
i’ve been receiving your photo tips thru email and i thank god for subscribing….i really learned a lot by following your advices and tips…i gave up reading the manual of my prosumer camera in favor of your columns because it is much easier to understand….photography is somewhat difficult especially with all the different jargons being used but with you around, i’m using my camera almost everyday now…..
more power and here’s a thousand San Miguel beer (Philippines and Asia’s famous beer) toast to you!!!!
lynn,
set to high iso and fast shutter speed. but check what apeture you get as it will change depth of field and you may lose the focus. its tricky stuff but your camera should be able to handle it. A fast lens helps too.
I have a Nikon D50
How do I set my camera to take sports shots in a high school gym?
Bad lighting and fast motion, a nightmare for a beginner.
Ah, decreasing ISO will *decrease* shutter speed (increase exposure time) since you are telling the camera it is less sensitive to light, so it needs more of it.
Every sportshooter knows that you crank the ISO up as high as possible. The problem with consumer point-and-shoots is that you typically start seeing alot of noise abobe ISO 200. DSLRs can go to 800 or more before seeing the same noise.
Another tip for focusing on a subject moving closer or farther if your camera has the feature is setting the autofocus to AI Servo in the menu. The Canon Rebel XT does have this feature: Menu 1 > AF Mode > AI Servo > Set. The camera will continuously focus when the button is pressed half way and you should have a correctly focused photo!
Reply to Cindy:
Your scenario is a tough one!
You are correct in thinking that the subject would likely be out of focus if it is comming closer. One way to help with this is to use a smaller aperature if the available light allows for that. Instead of f5.6, for example, use f11 or f15 or even f22 which will give a greater depth of field (fancy term for saying a sharper foreground AND background). It might be helpful to use aperature priority for this situation.
I have a Canon Rebel XT. When I want to shoot something in motion, say a dog running towards me, if I focus on him when he is away from me, what happens when it is time to take the shot as he gets nearer? Won’t it be out of focus? Does the camera take into account that the subject is closer? Thanks for all the help. Cindy
Every bits of information recieved from here helps me to be a better user of digital camera.
Many thanks,
Gene
What kind of shutter speed should
i was in dark place if i dont use thflash.i have an eos 3000v(film)
In low light a flash, if you are close, will stop the action. If you are panning at the same time the background will be blurred and often a little different color because the light source is different, but can give some great shots. Dancers at a wedding are excellent subjects for that technique.
One thing to keep in mind is your available light. As you increase your shutter speed, you’re effectively letting in less light. Which isn’t a big deal during bright daylight hours, but it makes shooting motion blurs during the late afternoon & evening under artifical lights much more difficult. The best thing about digital…experiment with different settings. See what works best.
While panning, I think you will not need as high a shutter speed, since you will need some blur for the background. Let me try it out on my digital
I’ve done panning with film, but used about 1/30 second shutter speed. They came out fine – subject in focus, background blurred (similar to the baby on the swing). Is there a difference when shooting digital? Would you use a faster shutter speed? I’ll have to get out and experiment with my Nikon D70s. Thanks for the great tips. :o)