Freeze the Motion
To freeze motion in a photography you need a fast shutter speed. The faster the object is moving the faster shutter speed you will need.
If your camera allows for manual adjustment of shutter speed shoot in either full manual or Shutter Priority and set the shutter speed at about 1/250th second. This will give you a good starting point. If you are still getting blur in the shot you will need to increase the speed.
If you your camera doesn't allow for manual adjustments, try the sports mode.
This sort of shot works particularly well if you can catch an object when it is airborne, ie a motorbike going over a jump or a jump shot in basketball.
Use the continuous shooting mode (paparazzi mode) increases your chances of capturing the perfect shot
You can also use your flash to stop the motion. You will of course have to be relatively close to the action.
Blurred Action
Motion blur in am image can certainly give a sense of movement to an image. It can work well, or turn into a bit of a mess. The trick is to make sure the viewer gets the idea that you intended to image to have blur, not just that it is a blurry shot. One of the ways to do this is to ensure that part of the image is clear and sharp (the non-moving objects) and the moving things are blurred.
A blurred action shot will require a longer shutter speed and possibly a tripod.
If your camera doesn't have manual mode have a read of your manual and you might find a mode that has a longer shutter speed, for example the fireworks mode. If you don't have a suitable mode, but you can adjust things such as the ISO and/or the aperture, go for a low ISO (low number) and a small aperture (larger number). This will force the camera to use a longer shutter speed.
Panning Action
This is probably the most effective way to capture action, and the most difficult.
With panning you follow the motion of the object as you take the photo. Gives gives an image where the moving object remains in focus, but the background shows the motion blur. This really creates the sensation of movement like no other technique can. However, it is rather difficult to get perfect panned action shots every time.
Set your camera in the normal mode, focus on your subject by pressing halfway down on the shutter as you normally would. As you are pressing halfway down to focus, physically move your camera sideways, following the subject and press the shutter all the way, while still moving your camera. This may feel or seem a little strange at first, but it does work. If you don't get enough blur adjust your camera to give a slower shutter speed, if there is too much blur, increase the shutter speed. Keep experimenting until you get the desired effect.
A few other hints and tips.
- Plan ahead, find the best spot - watch your background, and practice, practice, practice
- When photographing people, remember to capture emotion as well as motion.
- Pre-focus on something else of equal distance where the subject will come into view. Press the shutter button half way down to lock focus and exposure. Fully depress the button when the subject appears. Alternatively use set the focus on auto-tracking mode (AI Servo for Canon, Continuous Focus for Nikon).
Examples of Action photography (Click the links below)
The first two images in the DP Challenge link show excellent examples of blurred action and freezing motion.
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