How to take an extraordinary photos

[ChrisSmithWeb]

If you are pretty good at taking low light photographs then you can learn how to do some really cool motion blur effects with your digital camera.

Background Blur

You’ve probably seen photos of race cars where the background is blurred and the car is in focus. This is done with a photography technique called panning.

To achieve this look, set your shutter speed to 1/30. You may need to test this speed and adjust to a slower speed as needed. Stand by the path were your subject will be passing by. As the subject comes near, focus on it and press the shutter button. If you have shutter delay, make sure to press the shutter button before you want the picture to be taken.

Follow the object with your camera. This can be done easily by bracing your camera with your hands and swiveling your waist instead of turning the camera. Mounting your camera on a monopod is another good option for easy, shake-free swiveling.

Action Blur

Another technique you can do in low light is to show motion in only a very select area of the photo. This can be a bit tricky, but the results are fantastic if you get it right.

Set your digital camera to high ISO and turn off the flash. Have your subject be still except for an arm or a leg. Halfway depress the shutter button to focus on your subject, then fully depress the shutter button. Hold your camera totally still while the picture is taken or mount it to a tripod. Any camera shake can ruin your results.

As you can see from the example photo, the subject is in focus except for the hand and balloon, which was moving when the picture was taken. This many take some practice to master since most human subjects rarely sit still. The best subjects to practice on are people that are sitting.

[collinong]

Do you have any examples to share of photos you have taken using these techniques?