panning

Capturing motion in a still frame is something sports photographers have done for years.  The key - freeze the action, but still show movement, which brings me to the technique known as panning. The photos of Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon (eventual race winner) & Dario Franchitti were shot at the same location, with minimal distractions in the background & foreground.  Shutter priority on the camera, 70-200mm lens (zoomed to 135), continuous autofocus (with the center point in focus), 200 ISO and continuous high on the shutter.  Determining the correct shutter speed takes a number of 'test' shots - as you want the car to be in sharp focus, but the wheels and background to be slightly blurred.  These images were shot at 1/400 of a second.  Focus on the car before you begin to shoot and pan your camera (while shooting) at the same speed as the car;  continue to pan after you quit shooting.  150 miles per hour in one frame.