Freeze Moving Objects While Blurring The Background

We’ve all seen those great photos of fast-moving objects apparently frozen and sharp but on a motion-blurred background conveying the idea of speed and movement. How is it done though? It’s an impressive technique but takes a little practice and is known as panning.

To freeze action but maintain a blurred background we must follow the moving subject by panning the camera at exactly the same speed. We must choose a shutter speed that will freeze the subject but still blur the background. The result will convey the idea of speed that a static photo could not.

It is a slightly tricky technique but with digital cameras and their abundant memory cards, it’s something that we can practice until we perfect it. The following guide will explain in detail all the steps required to achieve a great result.

The Steps to Achieving The Perfect Panning Photograph

Suitable Subject Matter

Firstly we need to decide upon a suitable subject that we can exploit to produce the desired effect. That means a dynamic scene with a moving subject against a suitably lit background; a static subject just wouldn’t work and a very dark background wouldn’t register any blurred background movement.

The above motor racing venue is perfect for trying out this technique. Sunny, with a colourful backdrop of spectators and fast-moving vehicles.

Racing cars or bikes on a well-lit circuit would make a good subject. You could also experiment with running people, low flying aircraft or birds, sports, street traffic, trains, buses or animals in motion. Really, anything that is moving at a steady speed in a single direction.

Where to Stand, How to Move

Get into place before the action starts. Stand where you will have a clear view of the subject as it comes into view. Make sure you have enough room to rotate your arms and the camera in the direction of movement of the subject.

Choose your lens; you’ll probably want to use a zoom lens if you’re at a venue with restricted access like a racing circuit or airfield. Frame up the position you want to freeze the subject with enough space around it by zooming in and out to achieve the desired composition proportion.

Now stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and pointing roughly towards the point where you will release the shutter to capture the subject. Practice rotating your torso left and right in a smooth action while keeping your feet planted where they are. Keep the movement perfectly horizontal without changing the elevation up or down. You must avoid hitting any other objects or people during the panning movement.

Camera Settings

The shutter speed is the most important setting for this to work. It’s essential to choose the right shutter speed, it should be one that can sharply freeze the main moving subject as we follow it while panning but slow enough to create motion blur of the background. I start with 1/60th of a second and see how that goes, we can always adjust later.

We should select the Shutter Priority mode so we can choose the shutter speed and the camera will select the correct aperture for a good exposure. Set the ISO to automatic. If the lighting conditions are difficult we can adjust the ISO manually to achieve a good exposure by maintaining the desired shutter speed and aperture.

Set up The Shot, Focus Lock Technique

When you are ready, just before the action is about to start, look through the camera at the location where you want to capture the subject. Adjust the zoom to capture the anticipated subject and background. If possible, focus on the ground where the subject will appear and hold down the shutter button halfway. That will lock the focus on that particular point.

Keeping the button half-pressed, swing the camera towards the place where the subject will enter the scene. When it arrives start to track the subject by smoothly panning, rotating your torso until it arrives at the point that you focussed. Without stopping the pan, press the shutter all the way down and continue panning at the same rate. When you can’t pan any more or the subject is out of shot just stop the movement.

Review The Results

Let’s have a good look at our first panning photograph. It is highly unlikely that it will be perfect but we can learn from any mistakes that are obvious. If the technique doesn’t appear to be working you’ll try it again with another moving subject, it takes practice after all. If, after a few more attempts results are still unsatisfactory try adjusting the shutter speed.

If the main subject is still always blurred, increase the shutter speed. If, however, the background is not conveying the idea of speed through motion blur, try decreasing the shutter speed and repeat the process.

Set up The Shot, Auto Focus, Continuous Shooting Technique

This time we will recruit some electronic assistance from our DSLR. In the camera settings select the “Auto-Focus” program that will automatically and continuously re-focus on a selected, moving subject. This is called “AI Servo” on a Canon camera and “AF-C” on a Nikon. In this mode you probably won’t hear the beep constantly when the lens finds a focus point, instead, you hear the constant chattering grind on the lens motor as it re-focuses.

Next, select the “Continuous Shooting” mode in the Drive menu. This will give us a better chance of capturing a perfect shot as the camera will take multiple rapid frames while the shutter button is held down.

This time swing the camera back towards the place where the subject will enter the scene. When it arrives half-press the shutter button to start the autofocus tracking. Start to smoothly pan, by rotating your torso. At the same time and without stopping the pan, press the shutter all the way down and continue panning at the same rate. This will snap off a series of shots as we pan and follow the subject. When you can’t pan any more or the subject is out of shot, stop the movement.

As stated beforehand, this technique requires a little practice. Not every attempt will result in a perfect panning photograph. Eventually, you will start to see more consistent results and some of them will be really stunning; worth the effort.

Review The Results

This time we will have a collection of photos to review. Some will be disappointing but there is a chance that at least one will have worked and will look stunning.

Sometimes, after a few attempts, it just works, conveying the impression of action and speed. This is an extraordinary outcome for a still photograph. It is a great technique to learn and with practice, your photographs will look very professional.

Releated Questions

What is Shutter Speed in Photography?

This is the most important setting for achieving great panning shots but it also has other creative roles in photography. To learn more about this powerful setting click here.