Welcome to the first Exploring with a Camera of the new year! Over the last few months, I’ve been very attracted to more impressionistic photographs. I’ve been enjoying them both as an end product that is a photograph, and as the starting material for digital paintings. Since I’ve been exploring how to create these “fuzzy pictures” (as one friend called them), I thought Artistic Blur would be the perfect Exploring with a Camera topic to dive into.
For this exploration, I’m defining “blur” as anything that gives an impression of softness in the edges of the photographic elements. It may not be “blur” as defined technically in a software program like Photoshop. Artistic Blur is creating this softness on purpose, for artistic effect, either in-camera or in post processing. This month, we’ll look at the ways you can create Artistic Blur in-camera. Next month, in Part 2, we’ll cover creating Artistic Blur in post-processing.
There is a fine line between the a good result with Artistic Blur in-camera and a mistake. Blur due to incorrect focus, camera shake or similar problems would usually be considered a mistake and not an artistic effect. When a photograph is intended to be sharp, it should be sharp. If it’s slightly blurry, usually it just looks wrong. Intentionally creating blur to look artistic takes a lot more effort, and trial and error, than the type of blur you typically get as a mistake.
There are quite a few ways to intentionally create blur in-camera. For all of these, experimentation is the key to success. Playing around with camera settings and approach will be required for each subject and situation to find something that works well. Sometimes you’ll get something great on the first try. Don’t worry if that doesn’t happen! Be prepared for many, many failures to get one photograph where it works. But when it works — WOW! It’s wonderful.
Long Shutter Speeds
Movement during a long shutter speed, either of the camera or in the surroundings, is the most common way to create blur. You can move the camera with your hands, zoom during exposure or capture movement happening around you. Using shutter priority or manual mode, set the camera to a long shutter speed. (If you don’t know how to do this in your camera, download my free Digital Photography Basics eBook to learn more.) You will need to experiment with what shutter speed gives the “right” amount of blur for an artistic look, but start at 1/6s of a second and go from there, adjusting up or down as needed. I’ve found that shutter speeds shorter than 1/6 will tend to look more like mistakes than something intentionally created.
Below are a few ways to generate the movement during the exposure. I’m giving the camera settings here to help you understand how I created the image. I’ve noted if it’s a mobile image; more on that later.
Straight camera motion. ISO400, 35mm, f/22, 1/13
Rotating camera motion. ISO 50, 4.13mm, f/2.4, 0.7s (iPhone 5)
Swoosh camera motion. ISO400, 35mm, f/20, 1/6s
Zoom during exposure. ISO400, 65mm, f/10, 1.3s
From a moving vehicle. ISO50, 4.13mm, f/2.4, 0.6s (iPhone 5)
Moving crowd. ISO1600, 35mm, f/1.4, 1/8s
Movement from both camera and boat. ISO1600, 28mm, f/5, 0.6s
In addition to long shutter speeds, some cameras or apps have the ability to overlay multiple exposures in-camera. When you move slightly between each exposure, you reduce the definition and overlay multiple edges in the final image. My dSLR doesn’t have this feature and I’ve yet to play with any apps that do this, so no examples for you! More on combining multiple exposures in post-processing in Part 2 next month.
Mobile Photography Note: You don’t have the control of camera settings on a camera phone like you do with a traditional camera, so you have to find apps that allow you to achieve the same effects. For the iPhone 5 images above, I used the Slow Shutter Cam app.
Out of Focus
Intentionally unfocusing can create dreamy effects! Turn your lens to manual focus, and then play with different amounts of “out-of-focus-ness” (not sure if there is a term for that). Also adjust your aperture setting. Both focus and aperture settings will affect the size of the bokeh generated by any point light sources or highlights, like these Christmas lights.
ISO400, 35mm, f/4.5, 1/13s
I haven’t played with using out-of-focus blur to create artistic images in my iPhone yet, so I think that’s my personal challenge for the next couple of weeks as we explore this topic. Check back! I’ll share what I learn.
Shooting “Through”
Another way to create in-camera artistic blur is to photograph through something else that provides the blur. This can be through rainy windows, atmospheric effects like mist and fog, or even something held over the camera lens, like plastic. A few examples:
Foggy car window (iPhone 5)
Plastic film over lens
Plastic film over lens. A hole was poked in the plastic to allow one point in focus.
Heavy fog
Distortion created by photographing through a rainy window (iPhone 5)
Reflections
Reflections can be a great source of artistic blur! When you have water on a surface, you can get distortion from the underlying surface and elements, often creating a blurry effect. I love this! Any rainy day you can find me running around in parking lots with trees, looking for interesting images in the puddles.
Reflection in a parking lot puddle. (Texture also applied in post-processing.)
Glass also provides reflections which can be an interesting source of blur, basically another form of shooting “through.” While the camera is in focus, the out-of-focus reflection creates an interesting interaction in this image.
Looking through a reflection.
So what do you think? Are you ready to explore creating Artistic Blur with your camera? If you haven’t done this before, have a great time experimenting, and then come back here and share your results. Feel free to share any new or archive shots of artistic blur created in-camera, through the end of the month.
Now, go! Explore!
Kat, this sounds like fun! I’ve been admiring your “artistic blur” images! Thanks for the camera settings, that will help me a lot!
Awesome Cathy! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Another fun topic to explore, Kat! I use software to create the blur — does that count? I will definitely try some of your suggestions. Thanks!
Software and post-processing will be in Part 2 next month, Gina. This month is about getting artistic blur in-camera. Have fun exploring!
Lots of playing to be done.
Yes, lots! Thanks for the inspiration. I checked my manual to make sure I didn’t have the multiple exposure option, and I don’t. So sad.
You know I love this type of imagery and you are so good at it, I love them all.
I know, and you are fabulous at it too. I look forward to seeing what you have to share this month! I hope you link in.
This sounds like something that I will enjoy trying out! Thank you for all the tips you have given here!
Great! I look forward to seeing what you get!
I awoke to a magnificent sunrise, black trees silhouetted against the peachy-pink. clouds. I almost tripped over myself trying to get outside with the proper lens. (these opportunities last nano-seconds.)
Gorgeous, in-focus photos. Then I opened my computer and read today’s posting. So excited…so much fun. Next sunrise, will be Artistico Blurro for sure. Thanks for all the work preparing this.
smiles: sharon
Oooooh, a sunrise in artistic blur! I can’t wait, Sharon.
One of my very favorite techniques – intentional blur! As you start a new year, I am hoping to join in on your topics and conversations! Your site is so inspiring.
Yay Sue! Glad to have you exploring with us.
I love all of your photos and am pleased when I get the perfect “intentional blur”. The sad thing is when my non-photographic friends respond with “what happened with that?” or “you’ll have to practice more with that new camera”. They just don’t seem to get it and I find it fruitless to try to explain! Sooooo…I’m going to practice more so I can enjoy being in my own little “blurry” world! Looking forward to more of your techniques. Have a great day! Barb
Don’t worry if non-artistic friends don’t appreciate the blur, it happens to all of us. Go with what you like! I hope you share here — we will appreciate your blur!
Your article is so timely, I have been playing around with this too and I was just tring to figure out how to do this with my iPhone so I can’t wait to see your additional tips. Love all of your examples too. 🙂
Awesome! It’s lots of fun. 🙂
I have had more fun with this topic! Can’t wait to see what you have us try for Part II.
I have really enjoyed this exercise, Kat. Sometimes it was difficult to get just the right amount of blur, but I did get very nicely carried away by the artistic and abstract elements!
Thank you to all those participants in this exercise who have dropped by to leave a comment on my blog. It’s always very helpful to get an outsider’s vision on how we have seen and felt things ourselves.
I enjoy visiting all of you too so I may perceive your vision through your eyes!
If I miss anyone, come in and remind me!!
Oh I finally linked up, and will have more to share next week too. We had a really wonderful foggy morning here so I’ll have some of those later, and I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with flowers again. It’s amazing what a little warmer weather will do for me! 😉
I was practicing with my zoom like I did with the Christmas lights, but didn’t share those, I would have had to give everyone sea sickness pills. Wow, a couple were really cool, but made me want to fall off my chair dizzy! haha
Yay, I made it! My intention is to do all the Exploring With a Camera series this year, and I almost missed the very first one. I found this to be a hard one. I am such a “literal” photographer that I have a hard time breaking the rules – things like deliberately trying to take unfocused shots, or moving the camera instead of holding it steady. Maybe I should work on loosening up! Anyway, I learned from the experience as always, and look forward to a year of Exploring with Kat and friends.
Yay! Glad to have you.
Hey Kat. Thank you for the great and helpful information. As you may recall Exploring is one of my most favorite!! I always learn something and make myself more aware. I am looking forward to part 2. Guess I can tune in soon and should remember that February is a short month and I need to get going!
I like that red leaf shot with the high key effect and the moving from car and boat shots are cool. Looking thru is also a favorite. It creates a great somber mood.
Thanks again.