Blurring crowds

Shutter speed: 8 sec (Flickr)

Intentional blurring is a creative photographic technique that I like to do. I have tried zoom blur/burst and panning with some success, at least to me anyway. Next I want to do is motion blur, particularly on crowds.

Picture of the Day #5

Pinoyborian Flickr

While waiting for my train to London, I was struck with the play of lines and the grey morning sky in the platform I was standing on. I thought this would make a good picture. The photo looks a bit 'sterile' without people in it. But, I chose this image over the other two photos with a walking man because this composition looks stronger to me. Converting it to black and white completes the image as it is less distracting and lets you focus on the composition (play of lines with the grey sky) instead.

Sweet hello

Photo: Pinoyborian's Flickr

My last images in 2013 were macro/close-ups of roses and a couple of sweets. I've already made several close-ups of roses last year but I was particularly excited with the sweets. I have wanted to take macro images of sweets after reading a magazine tutorial.

Picture of the Day #2

I took this picture in autumn last year while practicing the zoom burst technique. This was taken in my son's school. The ground was covered with fallen cherry leaves, mostly coloured yellow. I chose this particular composition where one leaf was surrounded by others. I thought it would make a good focal point for a zoom burst picture. I loved the results of the original coloured version, which I featured in the zoom burst post. It turned out better than I expected.

Multiple exposure nature portraits

Last spring, I bought a set of 3 photography magazines to keep me updated with techniques and latest news on gears in photography. One of the magazines was an issue of Photography Monthly (Issue 146 | April 2013). In pages 49-53, I came across the wonderful multiple exposure portraits of Christoffer Relander (www.christofferrelander.com), a Finnish photographer. In the featured photos, Relander combines images of people and trees. I thought to myself back then that I would try it.

But I didn't know how to take multiple exposure images and try as I might I can't find a tutorial to follow. Until a few weeks ago. I was going through various photography tutorials in YouTube when I came across PhotoExtremist's tutorial on multiple exposure nature portraits. Bingo! The multiple exposure portraits in the said tutorial are similar to Relander's. So, I gave it a try. (Note: if you want to try this technique, check that your camera has the option on multiple exposures. I knew beforehand that my Olympus Pens have it.)

There are 2 main steps in taking multiple exposure portrait shots: 1) in-camera using multiple exposure option and 2) post-processing.

Panning

Shutter priority, f22, 1/20s, ISO 100 (Olympus Pen E-PL1 + 14-45mm @ 14mm)

Aside from zoom burst (or zoom blur), there is another technique you can use to imply motion in your images. It is called panning.

Zoom burst creates motion by turning your zoom lens while your camera is stationary. On the other hand, the panning technique requires the photographer to move the camera parallel to, and at the same speed as the action or subject focus. Oftentimes, slow shutter speeds are used in this technique.

Panning enables the photographer to keep the main subject, e.g. moving car or cyclist, clearly in focus while the background is a blurred motion.

Creating beautiful 'zoom burst' images

Photo: Pinoyborian's Flickr

Making creative images with my digital camera is one of my goals. However, as a beginner photographer I have many limitations. So, I buy copies of the magazine Photography for beginners to help me with my learning. In one of the magazine issues I came across the zoom burst technique.

The zoom burst technique is quite simple to do and quick to create. Images from this technique implies motion, with a centre subject that is sharp and the surrounding elements giving a directional blur. A camera with zoom lens is ideal for this technique although moving your body to zoom will also do.