A more common fast shot is that of a moving vehicle.  This, at least needs some preparation:  mainly where to stand.  The rest is a matter of technique or of trust in the camera.

With the recent release of the 21.1MP Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon also released on its website some  pictures taken with the camera.  One of the sample pictures was of a rally car, flying in the air during competition.  This was shot head on (or at least at an angle) as the car was approaching the photographer.  The picture was taken at 1/8000 sec., ISO rating of 1600, f/8.0 aperture value, with a long 600mm lens.

With fast exposure times, high ISO rating, the picture could have been taken as the camera was handheld.  Unfortunately, because of the long lens, the camera had to be mounted on a tripod and the photographer had to wait for that point when the car leaps into the air.  The preparation is in knowing that the car will be at a certain point and you can focus the camera for that shot.  At these speeds, you do not rely on the autofocus.  The aperture value ensured a good depth of field, which is the photographer’s margin of error for this kind of photo.

With the object rushing towards you, the camera has to be steady.  It doesn’t need to be moving.

However, there’s another kind of photo shot where the vehicle is moving in front of you, zipping from left to right (or right to left).  With this, the preparation above would work fine as well, though I usually follow a more technique which gives a more dynamic picture.

Again, taking this shot takes some preparation.  After choosing the spot, composing the shot based on the background and envisioning the car (or bicycle or motorcycle or runner) in the foreground, you can focus for the expected distance from the object when it passes by.  From the moment the object comes into view until it has passed by, follow it with the camera.  When it gets to the point you’ve already prepared for, take the shot.

Again, this needs a high ISO rating and a quick shutter speed.  But the aperture could be medium, an f/8 so that there’s more allowance for the object to be in focus and not blurred.

To explain, what’s going to happen is that the object will be in sharp focus even as the background is a blur because you were moving the camera.  The object will look as if it was at standstill because you were following it with the camera when the picture was taken.  And to ensure that, with a digital camera, you have to use the manual settings for the focus.

Sounds almost too easy.  But it still needs practice.