After spending some time fixated on frames, I noticed a nice cathedral in the distance and I instantly envisioned the shot: this beautiful old cathedral, perfectly framed by the surrounding trees and lampposts. But as any photographer knows, the image you have in your mind doesn’t always align with reality. I walked around, trying every angle I could think of, but I just couldn’t find a composition that I was happy with. Between the misaligned trees, obstructing lampposts, and the cathedral itself seemingly trying to hide, I simply could not find a decent composition.

Feeling a bit stuck, I started to wander and look for something else. That’s when I noticed two very similar-looking trees, positioned like gateposts, creating a perfect natural frame. They looked like brothers, not twins, but clearly related. Suddenly, a new idea started to form, and the cathedral lost its opportunity for a portrait, not that it seemed to want one anyway.

My first thought was to use the trees to frame the passing cars. I tried to time it perfectly to capture a single car frozen between them, as if it were neatly, but disruptively parked. This proved more difficult than I had anticipated. There was almost always another car right behind it or one coming from the other direction, cluttering the clean shot I attempted.

So, I decided to lean into the movement instead of fighting it. “What if I introduced some motion blur? 🤔” This led me to a concept I’ve always admired in street photography. This technique uses panning to move the camera at the same speed as the subject. If you manage to get it just right, the subject stays sharp while the background streaks into a beautiful blur.

I know it’s possible to create this effect in post-production, but there’s something so much more fun and natural-looking about capturing it organically. The problem is, it can be incredibly difficult to pull off. Each car was moving at its own speed, forcing me to guess the right shutter speed for each car while simultaneously matching its speed with my own hands, all within the narrow frame of the two trees.

Honestly, I don’t think I ever quite nailed it. It was a chaotic process, and the results show it. These are only a few of the numerous photos I took while attempting this concept, but it was still a fun experiment, and I’ll certainly revisit this technique. I might even take one of the shots I’m not thrilled with and add the motion blur in post, just for fun. It’s a good reminder that sometimes the best photo opportunities are the ones you stumble upon when your original plan falls apart.