Last week I talked about using long exposures to show water as silky flow over waterfalls. The same technique can be used to show movement for other subjects.
During the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is an exciting chase scene with motorcycles ending with the bad guy sliding through a wall of fire. I took in this show twice on my last visit to Walt Disney World and caught this scene two different ways. The first with a fast shutter speed of 1/800th of a second.
Motorcycle sliding through fire during the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show with a fast shutter speed.
Nikon D70/18-200VR, 1/800s, f/7.1, ISO 200, 135mm focal length
During my second showing, I had a better angle for the slide action and slowed my shutter down to 1/80th of a second. Ten times slower than the first photo.
Motorcycle sliding towards a wall of fire during the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show with a slow shutter speed.
Nikon D70/18-200VR, 1/80s, f/16, ISO 200, EV +0.6, 170mm focal length
The motorcycle and rider are blurred as they slide towards the wall of menacing fire while the rest of the image is in sharp focus. This technique works for any moving subjects like amusement park rides, race cars and any place you find things that move.
