How to Achieve Motion Blur
Motion blur isn’t something most people think about outside of shooting their child’s Little League game. The fact is that conveying motion in photography is as valuable art, and although not useful in every situation, motion blur can offer a glimpse into a moment. Here are some tips to help improve your ability to capture motion blurred shots, and to think outside the box about capturing some.
Shutter Speed Plays a Big Role
Your camera’s lens only “sees” an object when the shutter speed is open. The viewfinder will show you what you’re focused on, and everything else around will blur the longer the shutter remains open. A slower shutter means more motion blur, but that’s essential for night shots. Make sure your night shots don’t capture too much motion.
It also helps to have a tripod handy, as you don’t want residual blur from a shaky camera.
If you have an excess of light, opening your shutter for a longer period of time will wash the photo out. In these situations, you’ll need to play with the ISO of your camera. Lower lighting conditions are ok because you’ll have the shutter open for longer. You might still get some bright spots, but you can work with that in an artistic sense.
What to Shoot
Find a stream near your house and the tricks outlined above will help you shoot “frosted water” type photos. Capture images of traffic at a busy intersection for incredible-looking light trails that seem to lead off into the distance.
About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or Facebook.