Capturing Motion Blur in your Photography

Date February 23, 2016 Author By Evan Category Techniques

Motion blur is most commonly used for high-speed subjects. It’s particularly effective when photographing sports, vehicles or animals. The effect comes from the rapid movement of the object, causing a blurring effect in the image which is captured. Similar effects can also be created using editing software.

The main technique used for creating motion blur images is slowing down the shutter speed. The shutter will need to be open long enough for the object you’re capturing to have moved, so you will struggle with a fast shutter speed. The shutter speed you select will depend on the subject you’re capturing and just how fast it is moving. You might want to try using shutter priority mode, which lets you manually select the shutter speed. The camera will then automatically adjust other settings to help you capture a high quality image.

The other important technique to bear in mind is keeping your camera still. It’s best to use a tripod if you can, and if you don’t have one, rest your camera on another still, flat object where it is safe and secure. Motion blur shots are most effective if just one object is moving, so if your subject is moving, your camera will need to be as still as possible.