I love getting that blurred background where a bike or a person running past is in focus and you literally see the motion in a still image. Mango Street made a video to show how to do it with some great tips I had never even thought of. Keeping the subject at the same distance as it passes by sounds more difficult than it is. Cars, bikers, and people crossing the street are all you need, and the shutter won't be open for too long, so it's long enough to remain the constant distance you need. They recommend closing the aperture to f16 and setting your shutter speed to a 1/30th of a second.
The whole idea of the video is to show how to do moving pan photographs. The technique is used to highlight a subject while creating motion blur surrounding it. Going to busy streets and intersections provide you with many moving subjects to take pictures of. While capturing these photos you should position yourself so your subject moves parallel to your lens. This will keep your subject on the same focal plain which will help keep it sharp and in focus. It is recommended to use a shutter speed 1/30 and 1/60 of a second as a starting point. You should also close your aperture a bit. Another good tip is to move your camera at the same speed which your target passes in front of you. Start by identifying your target before it gets close to you and follow it through your view finder. There is nothing more important than practicing this technique until you get it right.Â












