Motion Freeze combines a long exposure with a flash at the end. The camera first captures the ambient light and movement in the scene, creating trails and atmosphere, then fires the flash to lock your subject into sharp focus.
The result is a photo that feels both moving and still at the same time.
Your camera, a subject, and a scene with some movement or ambient light. Night-time streets, parties, traffic, dance floors and anywhere with bright lights in the background are all good places to start.
Set the camera to Freeze Flash mode (look for the flash icon). Frame your subject with some moving or ambient light around them. Lights behind your subject can work especially well, creating streaks and trails around the sharper, flash-lit figure.
Hold the camera as still as you can, or place it on a tripod or steady surface. Because Freeze Flash begins with a long exposure, any movement in the camera itself can affect the whole frame. Of course, a little camera movement can also create something interesting. It just depends how chaotic you want things to get.
Press the shutter button. The camera will begin a long exposure, recording the ambient light and any movement happening in the scene. During this part of the shot, moving lights can stretch into trails while your subject’s movement builds into the image.
At the end of the exposure, the flash fires automatically. This final burst of light freezes your subject sharply against all the movement that came before it. For the crispest result, ask your subject to pause briefly when they expect the flash to fire.
Once the exposure is complete, the photo will eject. Shield it from light and leave it face-down while it develops. Then see what happened between the blur and the flash.
Start with someone standing in front of moving traffic or colorful lights, then experiment with dancing, spinning, walking, or waving objects through the frame.
You can also try moving the camera slightly during the long exposure before holding it still for the final flash. The background may twist or streak while your subject stays surprisingly sharp.
Motion Freeze works best when there’s a contrast between movement and stillness, so give the camera plenty of both to work with.
Watch @linusandhiscamera as he explores the creative potential of Motion Freeze.
To achieve the kind of real analog creativity that's earned you'll need to know your way around the Mod. From creative modes to mood and brightness, learn where every control sits, and exactly how it all works.
Light Painting keeps the shutter open for longer, giving you time to move a light through the scene while the camera captures its path. The result can be glowing trails, handwritten words, shapes, outlines and all kinds of strange luminous experiments.
Split Shot lets you expose two different parts of the frame separately, bringing them together in a single instant photo. You can use it to create half-and-half portraits, mirrored scenes, unexpected combinations, or collage-like compositions.
