MOTION BLUR

You can right several wrongs in a picture during post-processing, but you can’t rescue a blurry image; this is one advice that has been repeated to me constantly over the years. Image blurring is caused by accidental camera movement and it is one of the main reasons we discard otherwise dissent images. There is enough advice out there on how to avoid blurry images, from use of tripods, image stabilizers to hand-held techniques; The emphasize is on razor sharp images. However, according to Lou Jones, there is no written rule that says everything must be static. Deliberate blurring some subjects within otherwise sharp images is an effective way to show action, movement, or to create a particular mood. Completely freezing a subject will make you lose the drama and excitement of the event. Motion blur can be achieved by using an ideal shutter speed setting which controls the appearance of a moving subject. Fast shutter speeds <above 1/300 sec> stops (freezes) movements while slow ones <below 1/60 sec> blur moving subjects. Try panning during exposure by moving the camera in the same direction as the subject motion. This will make the subject be in focus and cause the foreground and the background to blur. I tried this during a rugby match where a player was racing past, holding the ball and I followed his motion by turning the camera while releasing the shutter. This is effective at relative slow shutter speeds of about 1/30 sec and below.

A player in full flight! during the 'Wazee kwa Vijana' (USIU Alumni vs Students) rugby match that I shot for the PR department.

          

   Camera - NIKON D3100

   Focal Length - 50mm
   Shutter Speed - 1/30 sec
   Aperture - f/5.7 

   ISO/Film - 200
   Category - Sports 
   Uploaded - July 25th 2013  
   Taken - July 20th 2013

   Location - RFUEA Ground, Nairobi
   Copyright - Stephen Mukhongi