No need for speed

A SLOW-MOVING CAR CAN CREATE STUNNING MOTION BLUR WITH A FEW SIMPLE SKILLS

Suction mount

A suction stand lets us attach the camera to the window of the car. This small arm with a tripod-like head sticks to the window to create a firm bond capable of holding a heavy camera. Of course, ensure that the stand will hold the camera before speeding off, and wrap the strap around the wing mirror, just in case!

Camera settings

Our camera is in Manual mode here with a shutter speed of 4 secs, the aperture at f/18 and ISO1600. The four-second exposure length transforms the surrounding lights and details into luscious motion blur, while the narrow aperture ensures plenty of depth of field in the car and subject.

Prepare the car

For the face to come out sharp we need to keep the car as dark as possible, so that the only light falling on the face comes from the flash. All interior lights need to be off, and ideally try to keep any street lights shining from outside to a minimum. Give the window a wipe clean before you begin.

Choose a quiet spot

Shoot somewhere safe and quiet – preferably an empty car park – and look for places with colourful lights nearby (the purple streaks in our main image were from a pub with downlights). If possible, connect your camera and phone with Wi-fi to check the reflections on the fly – but don’t use your phone while driving.

Drive slow

The car doesn’t need to be moving fast to create an impression of speed. We barely did more than 5mph here, whilst turning through 90 degrees to add a circular curve to the blur. Cars vibrate a lot, especially when the engine is on. If vibration is ruining the shot, try rolling the car with the engine off.

Use off-camera flash

A pop of flash will help to freeze your subject while the surroundings blur. Off-camera flash is best – try setting up a Speedlight or portable flash in the car and then use a wireless trigger attached to the camera to fire the flash. Our flash here – a Godox AD300PRO – was at 1/128 power.