Capture sharp drive-by scenes

Don’t let travelling at high speed stop you from shooting beautiful landscape images from inside a moving vehicle

Sometimes, the best subjects or most spectacular landscapes are right in front of us but we can't access them. For example, when passing mountains, cliffs or bridges by car it may be too dangerous to leave the vehicle. Or, if you are travelling by coach or train, there is no way of stopping immediately.

Taking photos as you pass is the only option, but this can also offer a new perspective of famous landmarks. Sitting in a car, bus or train has the advantage that the viewing angle is different from the well-known photographs we see all the time. Taking drive-by shots can be a great pastime on longer journeys, so you don't miss any of the breathtaking scenery and also capture the mood of travelling and adventure.

In general, there are two types of drive-by photo. The artistic out-of-focus picture and the ones that are clear and sharp and give a glimpse of the landscape in all its detail. The former has an interesting visual effect that can make us dream of travelling. Here, different exposure times can be used to create various intensities of motion blur.

Intentional camera movement can also produce some great effects. To create sharp drive-by images, consider the technical settings needed to develop a sense of speed. Shutter speed has the priority here - the faster the vehicle, the faster this setting should be.