Last Updated on 01/15/2015 by Chris Gampat

For many, many years photojournalists have been using a technique called the Flash and slash–but it can easily be mistaken for sloppy work by the untrained eye. But as told by the folks at Ultimate Photo Guide, it isn’t a mistake and instead just a creative trick to show emphasized motion.
The flash and slash technique involves the use of flash and second curtain sync. It’s used to dramatize movement while keeping a single subject perfectly sharp in the frame. Photojournalists tend to use it with panning or turning their camera in some way or another. In fact, it’s a very highly used technique during very high profile and chaotic events. Sometimes it’s even used in sports.
The video on how to do the flash and slash technique is after the jump.