Technique: Panning for Motion Blur Effects

The third creative technique I started using was a slower shutter speed and panning as the runners went by.

I love the sense of motion this creates. I can get those same low-angle action shots, but instead of everything being frozen, there’s actually some movement in the frame. And that’s kind of the point—these people are moving quickly, and it’s nice when the photo reflects that.

The technique itself is using a slow shutter speed and panning with the runner so you keep them as sharp as possible, while letting parts of the image blur. Their limbs will be a little bit blurry—which you actually want—and the background drags across the frame. It’s not just out of focus, it’s blurred from motion.

What I’m really going for is the principle of movement—taking the elements and principles of art and design and applying them to trail running photography, using slow shutter speed and panning with the subject to make that movement visible.

It's a great technique to use when the light is blah and the environment is aestechally dull.

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Mat Coker is a trail running photographer based in Ontario, Canada.