Photography In A Blurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (Version 1.0)
Let’s get creative. This post is about as technical I get with these posts. I don’t show algorithms or some flow charts comparing the various phases of the sun or moon. I try to keep it simple.
Using manual mode on your camera, you can get funky with your photos and suggest motion in your images or to create something altogether outside the box like the classic softening of moving water or the blurring of a static object. In the photo above of sequoia trees, you’re slowing down your shutter speed and slightly moving your camera during exposure to get this effect. This was shot hand held at a shutter speed of 1.3 seconds, an f-stop of 22 at an ISO of 50. Closing down the aperture to 22 is necessary to reduce light to the sensor since this was shot during the day. You can then use a slower shutter speed to get the blurred effect. Just panning your camera may give you a blurred effect at a higher shutter speed. An ISO of 50 reduces the sensors sensitivity to light which also allows you to shoot at a longer exposure.
The shot below was shot hand held panning along with the cyclists at 1/30 second, f11. The slower shutter speed creates the blur. You should do some test shots beforehand and experiment with the shutter speed to get the look you want remembering to set the f-stop appropriately so the shot is not overexposed. It is amazing some of the cyclists were blurred and some were in focus. I guess some were moving faster than the others. You can also use a tripod for these shots and pan along. My camera doesn’t have a strap on it anymore as I almost always shoot with a tripod.
To get the effect of streaking car lights, you need a tripod and enough traffic to get a continuous line. This was shot in downtown Los Angeles just after the peak of rush hour where there was still plenty of traffic that was moving steadily. Bumper to bumper traffic (frequent in LA) would never give you this look unless you did a really long exposure. This was a 5 second exposure.
So, the next time you’re out shooting, consider using a slow shutter speed to produce something that your Facebook family and friends will like over and over! Buy a good tripod and a filter that fits your most used lens. And if you don’t understand any of this, shoot me an email- MJ
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