Blur It!

This lesson was adapted from http://w4.nkcsd.k12.mo.us/~manderso/educ/lessons/vizphoto/s2_005.htm

Your Goal: Use blurred motion with a clear purpose and with a clear result. In other words, try to get a shot in which the blur really expresses motion. (See the examples in the following post.)

Experiment with slow shutter speeds while photographing people in motion. If you're outside, you'll find this assignment easiest on a gray, overcast day, since you won't want much light. It may be best to take these photos at night or inside.

Be sure to turn OFF your flash.....

Remember that all cameras are different.  To get long shutter speeds, you may need to set your camera on "fireworks" or on "landscape mode"  Other slow shutter speed settings you might see on your camera could be called Night Scene, Indoor, or Sunset. Try out different ones if you have more than one setting.  DSLR owners should use Shutter Speed Priority Mode (Tv or S) and set the shutter speed to a larger fraction such as 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/30 (it will vary depending on the amount of light where you are).

You may want to try shooting in one of these ways:

1. Aim your camera so your subject is moving into the frame. Begin following your subject's motion and then release the shutter. Keep moving with the subject as the shutter opens and closes. This will produce a blurred background with your subject more or less "frozen."

2. Mount your camera on a tripod or find some other way to hold it very steady. (Use the timer to release the shutter) Aim so your subject is moving into the frame and release the shutter. This will produce a steady background with your subject moving across the frame as a blur. If you use a long enough exposure time, figures will appear ghostly or disappear entirely.

3. Aim your camera so that your subject is moving across the frame. As the subject moves into the frame, move your camera against the subject's path of motion, releasing the shutter as you pan across the subject. As a variation, try moving your camera toward the subject or in a rotation as you release the shutter.

Possible subjects include runners; almost any sports activity; moving vehicles (especially at night!); a group of people jumping or in motion (like during passing time); twirling, swinging, dancing. Your subject should contrast with the background (light on dark, dark on light, complimentary colors, etc.) Although your images will document a human activity, movement or action is the real subject matter. Your images may not reveal the character or personality of the people involved, but should suggest human vitality and creativity.

Make at least forty related images that are blurry. (YOUR PHOTOS NEED TO BE RELATED, LIKE IN A SERIES!)

You may only manipulate your images by cropping, contrast, or color - you may NOT use blur filters.

Examples will follow in another post.