Motion in Photography
Freeze Motion / Blur Motion
Objective
• The student will create freeze motion and blur
motion images by adjusting the shutter speed
while photographing moving objects.
• The student will digitally add artificial
movement to images.
Photography Problem
• Students will work with the shutter priority
settings on their cameras to create freeze
motion, blur and panning photographs.
Shooting Criteria
• Student will shoot a total of 36 images.
– 18 images (freeze motion)
– 18 images (blur or panning motion/light writing)
• Students will record a shot sheet documenting
their shutter speeds and image descriptions.
Thinking Artistically While
Photographing Motion
• Carefully pick the location that has the best
viewpoint for action.
• Be conscious of what is in the background of
your photograph.
• Choosing a plain or visually neutral
background will add emphasis to the subject.
• It is important to focus on timing, the critical
moment at which your photograph best
captures its subject, by taking a lot of pictures
quickly.
Rhythm and Movement
• Recorded Movement vs. Implied Movement
• Implied lines, such as a path, will encourage
viewer’s eye to travel in a specific direction.
• Repeated elements in a photograph create a
sense of rhythm.
NOTE
• When photographing a living subject while
moving it is best to have them moving
towards the center of the image. To keep the
viewer’s eye on the image.
Shutter Speed
• Shutter speed is measured in seconds
or in most cases fractions of seconds.
The bigger the denominator the faster
the speed (ie 1/1000 is much faster
than 1/30).
ISO
• When shooting freeze motion in low light you
may need to increase your ISO to 800 – 3200
to get enough light to create your image.
• This increase may result in lots of grain and
low saturation of color.
Aperture (F-Stop)
• Remember from our last project that your fstop effect your depth of field while shooting.
• The lower the f-stop the more it limits the
depth of field.
Freeze Motion
• Stopping the action or movement of the
subject at a given point or position.
• Use fast shutter speeds: 1/500, 1/1000, or
faster.
• Aim and focus the camera at the point in the
scene where action is to be frozen; keep the
camera aimed at that point and release the
shutter when the subject is properly framed in
the viewfinder.
Blur Motion
• Use slower shutter speeds: 1/60, 1/125
• In bright light use an ISO of 100.
• Aim and focus the camera at the point in the
scene where the action is to take place; keep
the camera aimed at that point and release
the shutter just before the subject reaches the
point where it is properly framed in the
viewfinder.
Four Types of Blur
•
•
•
•
Camera Motion Blur
Subject Motion Blur
Out-of-Focus Blur
Depth of Field Blur
Camera Motion Blur
Nothing is very sharp because shutter speed is too slow and there is camera movement
causing blur.
Subject Motion Blur
Subject blurred from motion but the background is in focus.
Focus Blur
The camera isn’t focused on the subject and results in soft indistinct blobs of light and
dark that lack details.
Depth of Field Blur
Only a narrow area at the point of focus is sharp and the rest of the image is blurred.
Panning The Camera
• Moving the camera in the same direction and at
the same speed as a moving object.
• Causes the moving object to appear in focus,
while the background appears blurred.
• Use slower shutter speed: 1/30, 1/60
• Decide where the subject is to be at the moment
of exposure; start moving the camera a few
moments before the subject reaches that point,
releasing the shutter just as the subject reaches
it, follow through with the movement.
Light Writing
• Use long exposures to capture the blurring of
light.
• The camera documents all the paths of the
light as you move the light source throughout
the frame.
• Use a tripod or rest your camera on table to
control blur.
• Use slower shutter speed: 8 – 15 seconds
Check this out How COOL Is This!
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXYK46mKXR4Ja
n 17, 2011
• - 4 min - Uploaded by ffacker
A quick photography tutorial on how to
create light writing through long exposures
featuring ... views; Long ...
History of Light Painting
• The first artist to explore the technique of light painting was
Man Ray in 1935.
• He worked in several different media, and thought of himself
as a painter above all else.
• Contribution to light painting photography came in his series
“Space Writing”.
History of Light Painting
• He opened the shutter of his camera and used a small
penlight to create a series of swirls and lines in the air.
• Until in 2009, Man Ray’s light writing photographs were
though to be created by a photographer by the name of Ellen
Carey. A mirror was held up to the work and art historians
realized that the light drawing was actually Man Ray’s
signature.
Pablo Picasso Draws a Centaur
Dean Chamberlain
• A photographer that was known for his unique
light painting techniques.
• Models will sit for his photographs for up to
five hours while he paints around them.
• He has created portraits for musicians such as
Paul McCartney, Madonna, David Bowie, and
Duran Duran.
How to Save Your Files
• lastname_firstname_motion1.jpg
• lastname_firstname_motion2.jpg
• lastname_firstname_motion3.jpg
Turn them into the class Dropbox!