Panning - follow the action with the camera so that the subject stays in the same position in the viewfinder. This blurs the background rather than the subject because it is the background that is moving relative to the film rather than the subject. Since the subject is not moving rapidly relative to the film much slower shutter speeds can be used. A 15th of a second is good for bicyclist. You can use even slower speeds for runners, and faster for cars. Experiment for the best speed to get the effect you want. The trick is to follow through the whole action smoothly and not stop the pan when you trip the shutter. Try some dry runs without film for practice.
Zone focusing - when you know a certain action will occur within a given space you can set a shutter speed to stop the action and pre-focus with a depth-of-field to cover the area then concentrate on tripping the shutter at the right moment.
Catching the peak - some motion has peak points where the action slows or stops momentarily (jumping, swinging, springboard diving, etc.). It is possible to anticipate the pause and take advantage of it to get the greatest impression of action with the least actual motion.
Electronic flash - most electronic flash is 1/1000th sec or faster and will freeze most ordinary motion. You will get the greatest impression of movement if you freeze the action while the subject is in an "impossible" position (ie. suspended in midair). Electronic flash works best when the ambient light is dim, otherwise you will get a secondary image from existing light. If you have access to a strobe light (a repeating electronic flash) you can use a long shutter speed and get multiple images that track the movement.
Controlling the blur - since not all parts of the subject are necessarily moving at the same speed (i.e. - a runner's hands and feet are moving at different speeds and direction from his/her torso) you can chose a shutter speed that will stop only the torso motion. The resulting blurring of those areas in the photo will heighten the feeling of motion and speed in your picture.
Know your subject - It should be obvious that an intimate knowledge of your subject will go a long way toward successful action photography. In high school I frequently photographed basketball games with some very good results because I was familiar with the game and knew when and where the action would happen. I positioned myself for the best vantage point. I was ready for the action when it happened. When I was asked to photograph a football game the results were poor because I didn't know the game. If you aren't already familiar with the activity you want to photograph, spend some time learning about it.
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