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Two race cars chasing each other in a pre-season practice session.

There is a resounding roar coming from out of view. Two cars round the final corner and turn onto the main straight at Fuji Speedway.

I’m a novice photographer. Iconic motorsports photos are oftentimes panning shots.

Panning is when the photographer stands as still as possible, sets their camera to as slow a shutter speed as they can handle, and attempt to keep their arms steady while they match the speed of the cars whizzing by. We want to capture the action as closely as we can by shooting cars with this style.

These two race cars are reaching nearly 300 kilometers per hour as they come into and out of view. It’s almost a miracle if you can track them from one end of your peripheral vision to the other while they pass by.

In this case, for a novice no less, getting a photo of the subject(s) mostly sharp against a motion blurred background is a miracle of its own.

I had no idea until I returned home and began editing photos that I had captured a photo with this style. This was my first time attempting this style.