How do you take this band picture!?

Question

Hola everybody. I bought my first slr, a Nikon D300. I was selling these cameras at a retail store for a good 6 months and I know my way around f-stops, shutter speed, aperture priority. All that fun stuff, but one thing I haven't figured out is how you can take a picture like this:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk110/dansnell2007/No%20Such%20Thing/CorbinHeadbang.jpg

It looks as if the shutter was left open a little longer than normal, it has that blurry, shifty kinda look to it, but its still clear. I'm stumped.

This is my album:

http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk110/dansnell2007/No%20Such%20Thing/Chance/

(Most of them are trash, the lighting in the bar didn't help at all.) I tried taking them just like that picture they turned into blurry messes. I tried increasing shutter speed, and slowing the speed but still just not as good as that one. Any help, is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance!!!

Answer 1

It might be slow shutter speed but the photographer followed the boy's movement so parts of it appeared more clear. Its a common motion photography technique i saw it in a textbook once. Hope I helped :D

Answer 2

It's a technique called "slow sync" flash. Basically, you make an exposure that mixes ambient light with electronic flash. The flash freezes the exposure, and the ambient light provides the motion blur. It takes a bit of practice to understand how to do it well, but if you Google "slow sync flash," you can find a number of tutorials on the technique. I've included a link below.

Answer 3

You need practice.

The pic in question...I've done that, with a bit of luck and a fair slow shutter speed, 1/15 or so, but no flash. Ugh. I hate flash. Timing is everything.