Photographers have the power to capture the world around us, to tell a story without worlds and language. Unfortunately, photographs are still images, but many of the best photographs are not static, they contain movement.
How?
Photographers use motion techniques to communicate a sense of speed, activity, and the passage of time.
By using the Motion Blur technique, the photographer can create dynamic images of moving subjects, including crowds of people, vehicles, people playing sports, animals.
This technique is a relatively easy technique to use once you have the basics down (Your First Steps as a Photographer).
If you have mastered the basics, and if you want to try this technique, the next steps will help you:
1. Decrease Your Shutter Speed.
This is the most important factor when capturing motion blur photographs.
What is the shutter speed? It’s the “curtain” inside your camera (in front of the sensor) that opens to let light in when you take a shot.
A fast shutter speed will freeze motion or movement, while a slower speed will cause your subject to blur.
Remember that to choose which shutter speed is the best for your photograph you have to consider the velocity your subject moves. Therefore, there isn’t a perfect answer to the question “Which shutter speed will blur motion?”.
The slower your subject is moving, the slower your shutter speed will need to be.
Remember the “curtain” in front of the sensor? Well, if you decrease your shutter speed, more light will reach your camera’s sensor. This means that your photos might appear overexposed, to resolve this issue you will need to adjust either the aperture, ISO, or use filters.
2. Smaller Aperture (higher f/stop number).
The wider the opening, the more light reaches your camera’s sensor.
The aperture is measured in f/stops. A high f/stop number (f/22, for example) indicates a very narrow opening and a low f/stop number (f/2) indicates a very wide opening.
3. Shutter Priority Mode.
If you’re not comfortable shooting in manual, you can use the shutter priority mode.
4. Reduce Your ISO Setting.
ISO represents how sensitive your camera’s sensor is to light, the higher the number, the more sensitive to light your sensor will be.
For capturing motion blur, you should use a low ISO, since your shutter speed is going to be low.
5. Neutral-Density Filters.
These filters are like sunglasses for your camera lens. They can also block some of the light entering your camera, which allows you to take longer exposures.
Tip: ND filters are really helpful if you wish to capture motion blur with long exposure during the day.
6. Tripod.
This is a must in every long exposure photography and motion blur is not an exception. You should definitely use a tripod for this technique, and if your shutter speed is less than the reciprocal of your focal length.
You should also look into a remote trigger to completely remove the risk of any shake.
Do not confuse this technique with panning!
Like we explained you can use this technique using your camera, but you can also achieve this with a program, app or software, even if most of the times it looks too artificial.
You can check out VirtualRig a “Professional software for realistic motion blur simulation in traditional photography and CGI”.
But if you are looking for a tutorial, then we have a suggestion for you:
Or if you are curious to see a photo without the motion blur technique:
Learn more photographic techniques, like Double-Exposure and Light Painting.
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