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Travel Photography: The 7 Rules to Take Good Blurred Pictures
Travel Photography: The 7 Rules to Take Good Blurred Pictures
Harry
Fisch. – Bath in the Ganges at night
(Publicado en la revista USA SLR LOUNGE)
Taken on
occasion of a Nomad PhotoXpedition Workshop in
Varanasi, at 5 a.m., this photograph manages
to reflect the magical moment of bathing on the banks of the Ganges.
Being obsessed with definition and light might have spoiled such an extraordinary
shot. Beyond aesthetics and composition, common to every photographic activity,
technique plays an important role in this kind of pictures.
Rule # 1:
There Are No Rules
Creativity
rules, actually. There are photographers such as Antoine D'Agata who turn
blurry photographs into a form of expression, almost the author's signature.
Others like
Mc Curry use it only in specific situations to signal movement. The appropriate
speed doesn’t actually exist, unless you can repeat exactly the same conditions
Rule # 2:
Blurring Is a Creative Argument
Motion for
the mere reason of motion is, just the same as a circus act, a useless effect.
A blur in photography makes sense when it fulfils a function in the message the
photographer wants to convey and within the language itself.
Rule # 3:
Think About What You Want to Express
Sometimes a
happy accident may achieve good results. The truth is that you have a much
better chance if you think about what you're doing before doing it. A “blur” is
a creative resource that should be reasonably controlled and always planned. Do
you want to reflect speed? Mystery? Movement? Each result requires different
planning. See it in your mind before planning the photo.
Rule # 4:
In Photography, Continuous Movement Means Chaos.
Not everything
should be blurred. Photography is an art made up of contrasts: light/darkness,
crispness/fuzziness, nearness/farness. The best result in a “blurry” or poorly
defined photo is usually obtained when only part of the picture is undefined.
The clearer the stable part the higher the contrast and it is precisely this
difference, this contrast, which causes the feeling of movement in the
observer.
Rule #
5: Make Mistakes!
Take
several test shots with different speeds, being aware that you are only preparing
for the future and final photo. Observe the results and take particular care of
exposure. We have already said that a blurred picture requires planning. So ...
take your time! Digital photography allows you to use trial and error much more
due to being able to view the photo immediately. Get into the best situation
according to your image design and set the camera controls according to what
you intend to do. Calmly.
Rule # 6:
Choose the Best Speed
And which
exactly is it? It depends.
The motion
of a racing cyclist is not the same as that of somebody strolling about in a
gallery or the faithful bathing in Varanasi.
Furthermore, the degree of motion that you want to reflect is a defining
factor. In the case of the photograph of the bathers in Varanasi, I only intended to create an aura
of mystery. An almost imperceptible movement, something like what is seen in
dreams. But with the Bodhnath pilgrims, I wanted to convey the dynamism of the
people around the stupa.
For still
photos, when subjects are sitting or standing -almost motionless- exposure can
be as slow as 1/4 second. If, in addition, the subjects remain still, it may
happen that despite the slow exposure, motion is almost imperceptible. On the
street, with people walking, it can be 1/8 second or 1/15.
If you want
to produce a mass denoting movement, for example, people strolling about at an
exhibition, you sometimes have to use open exposures, allowing people to
“tarnish” the image with their motion, making a contrast with what stays
static.
Rule #
7: Luck Needs a Bit of Help
If there is
something that needs luck, it’s photographing motion...
When you
are looking for the aesthetics of the unpredictable, of motion or of
blurriness, you should contribute something on your part to get luck to help
you. I usually put myself in place at the chosen site, shooting photo after
photo at different speeds. Sometimes I look at my watch and I notice that I’ve
spent 30 minutes at the same place, with one eye on the camera and the other
one on my surroundings, waiting for luck to come by, with patience and
dedication.
