Panning with fast shutterspeed.

The shutter speed setting controls two critical factors of image capture: A) the amount of light that reaches the film in direct correlation to a given f stop to produce a proper exposure; B) the amount of movement that’s recorded to either freeze the action or deliberately create a blur. It’s the latter with which I’m concerned.

Photographically, subject movement is determined most obviously by its speed. With equal importance, it’s contingent on the direction in which the subject is moving. A subject moving parallel to or across the film plane will be recorded differently than a subject moving perpendicular to or directly toward the camera. In addition, a subject that is closer to the camera will be recorded with more motion than a subject farther away. Other factors that determine depicted movement are at what point in the action the shutter is released, if the camera is panned, if zooming the lens occurs during the exposure, if flash is used to freeze high speed action, if filters are used, and the film speed or digital ISO setting.

Within every action there’s a stall point when the subject reaches its apex. A breaching whale, once it jumps as high as it can, for a split second stops in mid air before returning back to water. Learning to anticipate this moment has two benefits. In that the action stops, a slower shutter speed can be used to freeze the motion and it’s usually this point in the action that’s going to be the most dramatic. Whether you’re photographing your kids in the backyard, a basketball player going in for a lay up, or an animal in stride, knowing how to anticipate this moment will improve your photography.

Flash to freeze movement.

LET’S GET CREATIVE
Implied motion can be engineered via a number of methods; panning the camera, zooming the lens, moving the camera during an exposure, using the wind, making long exposures, and using a double exposure technique whereby one image is focused sharply and the other is completely out of focus creating a halo effect around the subject. All give the viewer a feeling that the subject is in motion.

Panning allows the photographer to use a slower shutter speed to freeze the movement of the subject because the photographer is moving the camera in conjunction with the action. The net result is a sharp subject against a blurred background. This effect evokes a feeling of speed even though the subject’s movement is stopped. To obtain this effect, prefocus on the path the subject will be moving. Practice moving your camera smoothly with the subject as it passes in front of you. As your subject nears the predetermined spot at which you will make the image, begin to follow it. When your subject reaches that location, press the shutter and continue following it. The speed of your subject will determine what shutter settings will yield the best effect. If you’re shooting digitally, check the LCD and determine if a faster or slower speed will net a better effect.

Zooming the lens while making an exposure of a stationary subject is another way to give the viewer a feeling of implied motion. If the subject is centered, a series of radial lines will converge from the perimeter of the frame inward creating a 3D effect. By offsetting the subject from the middle of the frame, the radial lines become more pronounced from one side or the other changing the effect. Whether the lens is zoomed from the wide to tele setting or visa versa determines whether the movement seems to be coming toward you or moving away. For best results, mount the camera on a tripod. This will produce radial lines that are smooth and straight. Should you want lines that are not uniform, handhold the camera during the zoom. To really exaggerate the effect, move the camera up and down or side to side while making the exposure.

Neutral density filters are essential tools to control shutter speeds. If the light is bright and a special effect calls for a shutter speed of one second or slower, neutral density filters are invaluable to reduce the amount of light reaching the film. When I photograph water, I like to leave myself lots of options. One is to freeze the action showing back lit droplets suspended in mid air. Of equal impact is to slow the water down past the point at which even the human eye can’t experience it thereby creating in intriguing image. This requires shutter speeds in the range of 1/2 sec. or slower. Even in the shade on a bright day this can’t be accomplished using an ISO 100 or faster speed film. Neutral density filters cut down on the amount of light reaching the film, thus changing the exposure or density. In that they’re a neutral gray, no altering of color appears on the film, hence the name; neutral + density. Using them allows the photographer to use slow shutter speeds to give water the slowed down, cotton candy effect.

Motion depicted for impact.

Try mastering each of the above techniques one at a time. Write down your results and try to recreate them to test if you’ve mastered each. As your consistency increases, try a new method or incorporate one into the one you have down pat. Use these ideas as starters and then shoot more. The more you try them, the faster they’ll become second nature.

Neutral Density Filter

Wind blown effect.

Zooming the lens

Russ Burden
303.791-9997
russburdenphotography.com
rburden@ecentral.com

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