Motion photography is a very narrative artistic resource, you can show from a baby playing to the most exciting race
The fixed image can transmit many things and among them, movement. One of the most impressive and useful aesthetic and narrative resources in photography is photography in motion. There are few things that attract as much attention as freezing an instant in an image.
What is motion photography?
One of the main characteristics and objectives of photography is to capture moments, both static and dynamic. The latter are the most difficult to capture, which does not mean that it is impossible.
Something fundamental when it comes to wanting to take photography in motion is to know perfectly the concept of shutter speed. As we mentioned in the blog of night photography,“Shutter speed, or exposure time, refers to the amount of light that is allowed to enter the sensor at a given time and speed. Its objective is to freeze or not the movement of what is photographed”.
For its part, the shutter is a mechanical device located on the camera sensor that is responsible for controlling the time that light is in contact with said sensor. The longer the sensor is open, the more light enters and the blurrier the element will be, on the other hand, the less time it is open, the more frozen the image will appear.
The most common movements, from day to day, can usually freeze at speeds between 1/500 and 1/8000, shutters considered high. Although, the reality is that there are movements that are so fast that it is not possible to freeze them at that speed.
How to capture motion
Logically, the main thing for any type of photography is the camera. In the market there are many options, both in prices and types of cameras, although the most used are DSLR or mirrorless. You can see here a list of the best cameras for beginners or amateurs.
Adjust shutter speed
One of the most effective ways to capture the feeling of movement is by lowering the rate of fire. All the time that the shutter is open and recording the movement of the subject, it will provide a greater capture of the movement and, therefore, a greater sensation of speed. Of course, the photograph will not be completely clear.
Showroom
Let's talk about the amount of light, one of the key factors for photography in motion, as long as a good relationship of values is made with the shutter speed. The slower the shutter speed, the more light the sensor will pick up, so the shot is likely to be overexposed.
Stability
A great trick for photography on the move is to keep the camera as steady as possible, even if that's not always what we're looking for. It is very likely that if the camera is unstable and everything you want to capture has movement, the final photograph will be in poor condition.
