Some advice for action shots?

[Jace]

Or a link to a nice article would be awesome! My boss and his son, plus a few neighbor kids, do BMX at a local track and he wants me to come out and get some shots of them all. Since he IS my boss, and a friend?, I'd like to for no other reason than keep my job secure! lol.

So, I've never done action sports persay, unless you count one pewee football game, which I don't. I'd know to set my shutter speed for at least double my focal length in order to freeze the action, but what should I do if I want to show some motion blurs without making things oof? What about when guys on here shoot a vehicle and it's perfectly still but the background looks like it's flying past?

Thanks for any and all info!

 

[bruce282]

In order to help we need to know what equipment you have, and are shooting indoors or outside?

Bruce

 

[Jace]

Good point!

I am using a Sony a580 and probably my Sony SAL753 70-300mm, though I also have the 18-55 kit lens and a 50mm prime. It is outdoors, and I have a tripod.