Photographing Moving Subjects Quiz – Test Your Photography Knowledge

Bird wings beat fast, and 1/2000 to 1/4000 second freezes the wingtips as well as the body. At 1/250 to 1/500 second the body may be sharp but the wings blur. Small birds with faster wingbeats need the higher end.

Shutter priority lets the photographer set a specific shutter speed fast enough to freeze the intended motion while the camera automatically adjusts aperture to maintain correct exposure. Full manual mode requires more adjustments as light changes, and aperture priority gives no direct control over shutter speed.

A subject crossing the frame moves across the sensor, so its image slides over many pixels during the exposure and blurs quickly. A subject coming toward you mostly grows slightly larger, so its image moves much less in the same time. Crossing motion therefore needs a faster shutter speed.

At 1/4 to 2 seconds, moving water travels far enough during the exposure to blur into a smooth, silky texture while rocks and banks stay sharp on a tripod. Fast speeds such as 1/500 second freeze individual droplets. In bright light an ND filter may be needed to reach these speeds.

Panning tracks a moving subject by rotating the camera to follow it during a slow exposure. The matching movement keeps the subject relatively sharp while the stationary background smears into horizontal streaks that convey speed and movement.

A fast shutter speed lets in less light, so the difference has to be made up elsewhere. Opening the aperture lets more light in and raising ISO brightens the signal, which together keep the exposure correct at the faster speed. A smaller aperture and lower ISO would both make the image darker.

Light trails need each car to travel a long way across the frame while the shutter is open. At 10 to 30 seconds on a tripod, headlights and taillights draw continuous lines through the scene and the cars themselves mostly disappear. Short exposures such as 1/4 second record only short streaks.

A walking person moves slowly enough that 1/250 second freezes the body and limbs. At 1/60 second a stride often blurs, while 1/1000 or 1/2000 second is more than needed and costs light. Faster subjects need faster speeds.