Trotting race, Appleby Horse Fair, England
© Philip Dunn

Frozen A 'frozen moment' shot using a very fast shutter speed. This is the easiest way to stop the action, but it does call for an acutely developed sense of timing in order to freeze the right moment. A tiny fraction of a second earlier or later and the horses legs would not have been outstretched, and it is this that gives the picture its feeling of pace. The horse was panned carefully as it approached - not to blur the background - the fast shutter speed would freeze that - but in order that I could watch the rhythm of the horse's legs to get the timing right. A plain background has helped the subject stand out clearly, but also the wide aperture needed to compensate for the fast shutter speed, has helped to soften it slightly as well. Go to the other action picture Go back to Action photo index page Go back to main home page