How to Take Pictures of Moving Cars

Depending on what kind of camera you use, and what kind of movement photo you want, taking a photo of a car in motion has different elements. Capturing motion has two different outcomes: the car is blurred while the background stays in focus, or the background is blurred while the car stays in focus. Different photo effects can be achieved with very little adjustment to both a manual camera and a digital camera.

Things You'll Need:

• Digital camera
• OR
• Manual focus camera

Instructions

Blurring the Car with a Digital or Manual Camera

1. Set the shutter speed on your camera. The "manual" setting on a digital camera should allow for adjustment of the shutter speed. On a manual camera, the shutter speed is adjusted by a knob on the top of the camera, just to the left of the shutter button. In order to blur the car, the shutter must be open long enough to capture its movement. The higher the number, the faster the shutter speed. To capture movement, a shutter speed of anywhere below 1/125 of a second should do it, depending on the speed of the car.
2. Make sure the background is sharp. To keep the background sharp while the shutter is open for an extended time, keep the camera on a tripod or steady surface.
3. Focus the camera. Use the ring around the lens of a manual camera to get the background of the image in focus. Digital cameras will self-focus. When the car is moving towards you, a digital camera will automatically keep the background in focus.
4. Capture the image. Depending on the shutter lag of your digital camera, you may have to press the shutter button down halfway before the car is in your line of sight. With a manual camera, shutter lag is virtually eliminated, and you can press down on the shutter button when the car is in your line of sight.

Blurring the Background with a Digital or Manual Camera (Panning)

1. Set the shutter speed. Again, the shutter speed needs to be set slower than it would usually be at. Depending on the speed of the car, the shutter speed will need to vary. There is no magic number.
2. Keep the camera steady. Again, use a tripod or steady, flat surface for the ideal panning effect. If the camera is shaky during panning, the desired effect will not be achieved.
3. Capture the image. Press down on the shutter button, and pan the camera at the same speed at which the car is traveling. Doing this creates the blurred background while the car stays in one place. Again, depending on whether you are using a digital or manual camera, the shutter button may need to be pressed before the car enters the frame.

Tips & Warnings

• Play around with different shutter speeds in order to determine which works best for you.
• Practice the panning technique on slower moving objects like runners or bikers to get the feel of it.