Advertisement
Advertisement
Read Next
Polar Bears, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(© Ian Plant) It’s... Read More →Argentina’s Puna de Atacama
(© Ian Plant) I recently had... Read More →5 Favorites From Patagonia
(© Ian Plant) I just... Read More →Tales From the Ultrawide (Part 2): the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens in the field
(© Ian Plant) Welcome to... Read More →Advertisement
Featured Articles
Read More
Best Cameras For Wildlife Photography
To capture the decisive moment in animal activity and behavior, choose a camera with the AF performance, speed and image quality that are up to the task.
Read More
Dolly Sods
Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia.
To access this content, you must purchase Outdoor Photographer Membership.
Read More
Challenge Accepted
Tips and techniques for getting started in adventure sports photography.
Read More
Nikon D850 Hands-On Review
The D850 is a compelling upgrade from the D810: more resolution, better high ISO performance and many comforts that make shooting in the field much easier.
To access this content, you must purchase Outdoor Photographer Membership.
Read More
Florida Photo Hot Spots
A guide to the variety of stunning locations for nature photography in the Sunshine State.
Read More
Autumn In The Northeast
Suggested places to find picturesque views in this iconic region for fall color.
To access this content, you must purchase Outdoor Photographer Membership.
Make motion your subject
Published April 29, 2011
Updated May 5, 2016
(© Ian Plant) Photography is the art of taking a dynamic, three dimensional world and squishing it down into a static, two-dimensional image. Our job as photographers is to find a way to recreate the sense of energy, motion, and perspective that we perceive in the real world. One way to do this is to make motion over time part of your subject.
Motion-blur can add energy, direction, and depth to your images. A very common example of motion-blur found in nature photography is illustrated here—flowing water in streams and waterfalls. Such images are relatively simple to make: just put your camera on a tripod and exposure for one-quarter second or longer. The hard part is ensuring that the direction and flow of motion-blurred subjects supports your overall composition and artistic statement. Here, I was able to use the moving flow of the water to create a leading line, helping to encourage the viewer to travel from the foreground deeper into the scene. Although the motion of the water is technically “frozen”—literally suspended in time—in the final photograph, it does not appear that way to the eye. Rather, the illusion of motion is created by visual cues, not unlike when a cartoonist adds motion lines behind his or her subject to imply movement to the reader.
The trick with photographing moving subjects, including water, is to strike a proper balance between stop-action and motion-blur. Too little motion, and the subject appears frozen. Too much motion, and the subject loses texture and detail. Somewhere in the middle is usually just right—but of course, that “just right” spot is very subjective, giving you plenty of wiggle room to explore your own artistic vision.
To learn more of the story behind the making of this image, visit my daily photoblog.