I saw a picture in which a boy running was sharp, but the background was blurred. It was not out of focus, but had some sort of movement. How does one do that?
Ritika Chawla , New Delhi
Firing the camera’s on board flash kept the subject sharp while panning horizontally helped create the lines of motion in the background. Photograph/Raj Lalwani
You are referring to a technique called panning, in which you move the camera in a direction parallel to the subject’s movement. A slow shutterspeed is needed. How slow, depends on the speed at which the subject is moving. It could be 1/60sec (good enough to pan a car) or even 1/4sec (to pan a person walking slowly). Panning is much like playing a cricket shot. A smooth back lift and follow through are important. Your hand movement will need to be steady and at the same pace as the subject.
This article originally appeared in the October 2014 issue of Better Photography.