Adventure Pro photographer Terrance Siemon shares his tips for capturing a clear, fast moving subject with a blurred background for optimal motion blur
Motion blur, or creating movement in a photograph, is a fun technique that can add life to an action shot. You achieve a photo with movement by setting the focus point on the subject and keeping the camera trained on the subject at a slow shutter speed. The key is to keep the focus point (the subject) in that sharp field of view as the camera moves in sync with the subject.
For this photograph I set the shutter speed to 1/80 of a second, which is extremely slow for action photos. I panned my camera across the trail with the mountain biker as she rode through the frame. The goal is to match the pan of the camera to the speed of the rider. If successful the rider stays in focus and the background streaks, giving it the motion blur due to the longer exposure. (It always takes a few tries.)
Camera: Sony a7iii
ISO: 1250
Exposure: 1/80
Aperture: f/4
For more Behind the Lens tips from Terrance, click here.
