Photographing Movement

Capturing an image in static form is often something for which we strive. There are instances however when the desired effect is to portray a sense of movement in the frame, to add an element of "action", or to present the subject in a more dynamic state.

Exercise: Shutter speeds.

Although I made arrangements to photograph  a friend making a repeated number of "jumps" on his bicycle for this exercise, we were let down by very poor weather every time we made plans conduct the shoot. So I reluctantly went for the obvious "car driving past" scene. Although it does demonstrate perfectly the difference a change in shutter speed can make to an image, I was looking for something a little more creative. I wanted the vehicles driving by to be travelling at approximately the same speed so I set my tripod up near the approach to a roundabout.

Photograph 1. 1/2000 sec.

For photograph 1 I used a shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second. The very short exposure has frozen the moment and the image is static and lifeless. The car looks as though it could be parked.

Photograph 2. 1/1250 sec.

In photograph 2 a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second was used. Again there is very little to tell the viewer that the subject is actually moving. This exposure is also too short to convey a sense of movement.

Photograph 3. 1/500 sec.

1/500th of a second was the exposure used for photograph 3 and in this image there are very faint traces of blur, almost indiscernible. The picture does however still look static.

Photograph 4. 1/250 sec.

In photograph 4 the exposure of 1/250th of a second has a more noticeable effect on conveying a sense of movement. In this image we can now clearly see that the wheels have started to blur. It would be possible for a casual observer to determine that this is a picture of a moving object.

Photograph 5. 1/125 sec.

At 1/125th of a second, as used in photograph 5, there is noticeable movement of the subject. The entire car has started to blur whilst the background remains clear. 

Photograph 6. 1/50 sec.

In photograph 6, exposed at 1/50th of a second, the subject has started to lose a little of it's shape due to the position it occupied within the frame both at the start of the exposure and at the finish of it. The wheels appear oval instead of round, and the bodywork of the car seems to be "stretching" backwards.

Photograph 7. 1/30 sec.

In photograph 7 a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second has been selected. The rear wheel is almost indistinguishable here and the writing on the door of the van is unreadable. The vehicle appears to be moving much faster than it actually is.

Photograph 8. 1/20 sec.

At a shutter speed of 1/20th of a second, as demonstrated in photograph 8, the subject has now started to lose its shape entirely. While it is still obvious that it is a car, it would be impossible to determine which type of car it is. As the front and rear ends of the main subject occupy relatively short spans of time within the exposure they have developed an opaque property with the static background appearing to show through.

Photograph 9. 1/10 sec.

In photograph 9, the 1/10th of a second shutter speed has rendered the wheels of this car almost invisible, the vehicle appears to be floating. It is still discernible as a car but the effect of movement is extreme. It would be easy for the viewer to think that this vehicle is travelling very fast indeed, an effect of the relatively low shutter speed.

Photograph 10. 1/6 sec.

For the final photograph of this exercise a shutter speed of 1/6th of a second has been selected. Whilst the background remains clear, the subject matter has been turned into an indistinguishable blur, almost entirely opaque. The shutter speed of 1/6th of a second means that the car has travelled some distance through the frame between the start and finish of the exposure resulting in an almost continous blur. 

 Exercise: Panning with different shutter speeds.

Photograph 11. 1/2000 sec.

For photograph 11 I used a shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second and panned with the subject. Even though the camera is panning along the line at approximately the same speed as the car, the high shutter speed has frozen any movement meaning that both the subject and the background have remained clear.

Photograph 12. 1/1250 sec.

Photograph 12 was taken using a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second. Again, the fast shutter speed has resulted in both a clear background and main subject, despite the camera following the movement of the car.

Photograph 13. 1/500 sec.

At 1/500th of a second as shown in photograph 13, the image still remains fairly sharp throughout, with just the slightest signs of blur seeming to appear in the trees and bushes. Certainly the image retains a static property.

Photograph 14. 1/250 sec.

In photograph 14, with a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second selected, there are the first real signs of blurring easily visible, more noticably to the background. Whilst the bodywork of the car remains reasonably sharp, the wheels have started to show signs of movement too. 

Photograph 15. 1/125 sec.

A shutter speed of 1/125th of a second was used for photograph 15 and clearly shows signs of movement. Again, the bodywork of the vehicle has stayed fairly sharp but the wheels are obviously turning and the background has started to show signs of significant blur. The image looks far less static than the previous four.

Photograph 16. 1/50 sec.

In photograph 16 the relatively slow shutter speed of 1/50th of a second, combined with the panning technique of following the main subject has resulted in a much more dynamic image. The background now appears to be rushing past and the blurring of the wheels gives the impression that the car is moving quite rapidly.

Photograph 17. 1/30 sec.

In photograph 17, taken with a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second, there is a real sense of speed. The background is pleasantly blurred but the details of the vehicle have been retained, right down to the expression on the drivers face.

Photograph 18. 1/20 sec.

In photograph 18 a shutter speed of 1/20th of a second has again completely blurred the background but now also has an effect on the main subject matter. While we are still able to pick out the face of the driver it is now much less sharp than previously. 

Photograph 19. 1/10 sec.

The slow shutter speed of 1/10th of a second used in photograph 19 has resulted in an overall blurred image despite the use of a panning technique. The background is now speeding past at a high rate but the main subject matter is also starting to lose a little of its shape. The sense of movement is exagerrated by the longer exposure.

Photograph 20. 1/6 sec.

A shutter speed of 1/6th of a second was used for photograph 20. Any individual items in the background have blurred into one. The main subject is still quite easily identifiable but it is difficult to determine if the driver is male or female, such is the effect of the longer exposure.

A couple of really interesting exercises. 

In the first set, with a fixed camera position, it was quite informative to discover that with a long enough exposure, an object moving through the frame can become opaque or even invisible . In this first exercise I think my favourite image would have to be Photograph 6, taken at 1/50th of a second. There is an obvious impression of movement but at the same time it is still possible to enjoy some small elements of detail in the main subject.

In the second exercise I think it shows that my panning technique needs a little work, especially as the exercise was conducted with the camera mounted on a tripod. In this set of images I prefer Photograph 17 taken at 1/30th of a second. The main subject has remained fairly sharp against a quite blurred background giving a good impression of speed.