Silverman Loc: Michigan

As a continuing amateur Photographer, I want to capture moving vehicles in a Sharp frozen position, with a blurry environment around the Vehicle. What settings must I set on my Camera? I have attempted this with negative results, and no good Captures at all.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

A high shutter speed to freeze the vehicle and track the moving subject. A tripod or monopod with a panning head or a gimbal head will help.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

It will depend on the speed of the vehicle/aircraft. Too fast a shutter speed will freeze the motion of both the subject and the background. So, the subject speed will play a part in the shutter speed selection. This will take some effort and experimentation on your part.
--Bob

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

To practice, sit out front of your house, or at a highway and shoot a lot of photos. If some come out great, that setting is what you need. It will depend on the light, time of day, speed of the vehicle and ability of the camera & lens. Have fun. It is the best learning opportunity.

therwol Loc: USA

It's called panning. You follow the subject with your camera and use a shutter speed that will blur the background. If you get lucky, your subject will be sharp because you're moving the camera along with it. It takes practice, and it's still a crapshoot. The second article recommends taking a burst of shots when you do this.

https://www.canon-europe.com/get-inspired/tips-and-techniques/action-panning/

https://digital-photography-school.com/6-tips-master-panning-photography/

Grahame Loc: Fiji

There are two options available to you that will each give a 'different' type of blur.

a) You can simply use a high shutter speed, that necessary to freeze the motion of the vehicle, and a wide aperture. This gives normal out of focus blur to the background/foreground.

or

b) You can 'pan' the vehicle, moving your camera to follow the vehicle, and using a 'slower' shutter speed to give motion bur to everything but the vehicle. Personally I find this best done handholding the camera, a tripod/monopod being a hindrance. These cars were fast, for slower cars a slower shutter speed say 1/60s you may find preferable.

Here's a couple of examples,

1/160s, f/8, 120mm


1/125s, f/5.3, 150mm

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

slower shutter speed and follow the car with the camera as you click. You'll get the car and the background will be blurred

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

You are going to need at least 1/1000 second or faster for airplanes even if you pan and shoot. Here with a horse race 1/2000 sec. The pan shot at 1/20 second. It take practice to get good at pan shots. I'm not good at it.

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

I agree with all above. Special note, if planes are propeller driven then do not try to freeze the prop. That is considered a rookie mistake. Slow down shutter until you get some blur there. Maybe 1/250 or so. Adjust to taste.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

There is an old rule of thumb: Don't go any slower for the shutter speed than is the focal length. This prevents induced blur from holding the lens. (think binoculars or telescope) Exp. 200mm lens then no slower than 1/200 sec or 600mm lens then 1/600 sec. On propeller planes.. the prop is always turning a bit slower than the speed of sound at the tips. Most propellers are turning at 1000 up to 2800rpm generally. Bigger planes have longer props and they're turning slower at the hub. If you are good at math you can figure the speed to stop or blur the prop. I usually start at a little faster than 1/600 sec (my longest lens is 600mm) Shoot check view and re-shoot if needed. Remember ..all rules can be broken

User ID

No ! No high shutter speeds for action panning ! Youll lose the whole panning background blur thing. I use anywhere from 1/15 to 1/90, with normal lenses and middle distances.

When applicable Ill add slow synch fill flash. Thaz gotten very easy now with trailing curtain synch.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I don't mean ultra-high SS, just high enough that wobbles while panning/tracking the subject don't blur the subject but the foreground and background blur just fine.

MrPhotog

Be prepared to discard a lot of attempts.

Even when you have practiced the technique of panning, and experimented to get the best shutter speed, getting one good result out of 5 attempts is a good day.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

You need to shoot with a slow shutter speed but you need to be able to “pan” with the image.
When I photograph my friends flying their Nanchangs, I shoot at 1/320 to 1/250th to get prop motion.
At the drag races, I may shoot at slower speed but it’s a trick to catch a top fuel dragster going 300+ m.p.h. You need to pan them the whole way down the track.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

When I taught PANNING I recommended that my students practiced moving there camera side to side and tripping the shutter while CONTINUING THE PAN and not stopping the camera during the pushing of the shutter. That is the most important thing about shooting while panning, do not stop your movement while pressing the shutter.
You can use any slow shutter speed you want. The slower the shutter, the more background blur you will get, and the slower the shutter, the more your main subject will show movement. Your job is to find that balance between shutter speed, subject speed, and background blur.
I suggested my students use shutter speeds of 1/15 to 1/60 sec. and see what shutter speed they liked best, your effect will also depend on the speed of the subject, the faster the subject, the greater the background blur because you are panning more quickly to keep up with the subject, also depends on how close you are to the moving subject. Also the effect depends on the lens you are using, wide creates an interesting blur, but you should be close.
And to be honest, everyone will have there own favorite blur.
Below is an image of a king fisher in a full out dive, they dive very quickly, the lens was a 600 mm and I was shooting at 1/2000 sec. but the background blur was created by the speed of the Kingfisher and the distance of the background from the subject. There are so many variables that experimenting is sometimes the best way to do it. I would suggest a digital camera as you can see the results right away.
I also suggest you get a volunteer to run past you at various speeds and you at various shutter settings. If your shooting film you must record you shooting data yourself, if your shooting digital this information will be recorded for you.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.