THE CHALLENGE

When the camera remains stationary—usually on a firm support, such as a tripod—and there are moving subjects inside the composition, you have an excellent opportunity to imply motion. The resulting image shows the moving subject as a blur, while stationary objects remain in sharp detail.

Your options for motion-filled images are many: waterfalls, streams, crashing surf, planes, trains, automobiles, pedestrians, joggers—the list goes on. Some of the not-so-obvious motion-filled opportunities include a hammer striking a nail, toast popping out of the toaster, hands knitting a sweater, coffee being poured from the pot, a ceiling fan, a merry-go-round, a teeter-totter, a dog shaking itself dry after a dip in the lake, wind blowing long hair, even the wind whistling through a field of wildflowers.

Choosing the right shutter speed for a motion-filled image is often a matter of trial and error. This can be frustrating, especially if the motion you’re photographing is not repetitive. There are also challenges associated with your shutter speed choice. If you opt for a too-slow shutter speed, you risk overexposing your image. A quicker shutter speed could mean a better-exposed image but a lack of fluid motion in your subject.