How to capture events in motion:

I recently visited Castle Combe race track to watch my dad play at being a racing driver for the day – a present we’d bought him for his 60th birthday.

On seeing the additional cost for the privilege of a professionally shot photo, I thought it was important that I try to capture the moment myself as best I could.

Super-cars rushing by at high speed present a bit of a challenge for a novice photographer like myself. When trying to catch fast movements like this, I’ve found the key is in the shutter speed.

If you take a photo of a fast moving object using a slow shutter speed, the object will appear blurred. This is not always a bad thing. Sometimes a bit of blur can really emphasise the movement and bring life to the picture. Too much blur and you’ll be left wondering what it even was you were trying to photograph.

These photos were taken using various slower shutter speeds:

In contrast, using a faster shutter speed can enable you to freeze the movement much more sharply. This gives you a clearer, more detailed image.

The photos below were taken using faster shutter speeds:

When varying the shutter speeds, you also need to be aware that a slow shutter speed will let in more light while a fast shutter speed will let in less light. Therefore, to make sure your photos still come out correctly exposed, you may also need to vary your ISO and aperture settings. (For more info on shutter speed, ISO and aperture please see my earlier blog post – The Big Three).

These techniques aren’t just applicable to photographing high speed car chases, you can apply them to any situation where you want to photograph a moving object. Here is an example of how a slower shutter speed creates a lovely blurred effect on these windmills spinning in my garden:

CNL

Katie x