How to Take Blurry Photos: A Guide to Creative Motion Blur Photography

For many photographers, the initial goal is to achieve tack-sharp images. However, once the fundamentals are mastered, exploring creative techniques like motion blur can open up new artistic avenues. Deliberately introducing blur into your photographs, known as deliberate camera movement (DCM), is a fantastic way to convey motion, energy, and even abstract concepts.

This guide will delve into various methods for capturing blurry photos, transforming what might be seen as a mistake into a powerful creative tool.

Understanding Motion Blur

Motion blur occurs when either the subject or the camera moves during the exposure. Instead of sharp details, you get streaks or a soft haziness that suggests movement. While unintentional blur can ruin a photo, controlled motion blur can add dynamism and artistic flair.

There are several techniques to achieve motion blur, each offering unique visual effects:

Camera Panning: Capturing Speed

Panning is perfect for emphasizing speed, especially in subjects moving horizontally, like cars, cyclists, or runners.

To pan effectively:

1. Set your shutter speed: Start around 1/30th of a second and adjust based on the subject’s speed. Faster subjects may require slightly faster speeds, while slower ones can handle slower speeds for more blur.
2. Choose your aperture: An aperture of f/16 or smaller (higher f-number) helps keep a reasonable depth of field, ensuring the sharp part of your subject is in focus.
3. Position yourself: Stand perpendicular to the subject’s path of motion.
4. Track the subject: As the subject approaches, smoothly rotate your torso and pan the camera to follow it, keeping it framed in your viewfinder.
5. Shoot: Press the shutter button while continuing to pan smoothly. The subject should appear relatively sharp, while the background blurs into streaks of motion.

A photographer panning to capture a cyclist in motion, resulting in a sharp cyclist and a blurred background.

Subject in Motion, Camera Still: Emphasizing Action

This technique is ideal for capturing the energy of a moving subject against a static background. Think of dancers, splashing water, or bustling city scenes.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Shutter Speed: Begin around 1/160th of a second and adjust depending on the speed of the subject and desired blur. Faster movement needs faster shutter speeds to freeze some motion and create selective blur, while slower speeds will blur more.
2. Focus Mode: Use AI Servo or continuous focus mode to track the moving subject and maintain focus.
3. Subject Movement: Encourage your subject to move naturally. For example, capture a dancer mid-leap or someone walking quickly through a crowd.

Still Subject, Moving Background: Creating a Sense of Time

This technique can evoke a surreal or dreamlike quality, making a static subject stand out against a blurred, dynamic background.

Steps:

1. Shutter Speed: Start around 1/80th of a second and experiment with slower speeds for more pronounced background blur.
2. Stability: Use a tripod or brace yourself firmly to keep the camera as still as possible. This ensures the subject remains sharp while only the moving background blurs.
3. Background Choice: Look for backgrounds with strong linear elements or repetitive patterns, like moving traffic, flowing water, or crowds, to enhance the blur effect.

Time-Lapse-Like Effects with Long Exposure

For truly dramatic motion blur, especially in landscapes or cityscapes, explore long exposure photography.

How to achieve it:

1. Tripod: A tripod is essential for long exposures to keep the camera perfectly still.
2. Shutter Speed: Use shutter speeds of several seconds or even minutes. The exact duration depends on the amount of movement you want to capture and the ambient light.
3. Neutral Density (ND) Filters: In bright conditions, use ND filters to reduce the amount of light entering the lens, allowing for longer shutter speeds without overexposing the image.
4. Subject Choice: Clouds moving across the sky, flowing water, or light trails from cars at night are excellent subjects for long exposure motion blur.

Conclusion

Taking blurry photos intentionally is about embracing creativity and breaking free from the pursuit of perfect sharpness. By experimenting with these techniques and understanding how shutter speed and movement interact, you can add a unique artistic dimension to your photography. So, go ahead, experiment with motion blur and discover the beauty in the blur!