Blurry or sharp?
Meet Our Team
[gravityform id=1 ajax=true title="false" description="false" tabindex=1]
Dec 22, 2008 | by Kevin Loughlin
Black Skimmers are fast. In low light it can be difficult or impossible to get a “sharp” picture. But is a totally sharp image necessary to be considered a “good” photo? Neither the image above, nor the one below are sharp. They are not out of focus, just blurred due to a slow shutter speed. Using the technique called “panning” I was able to get a motion blur in each of these images that, at least in my opinion, creates an artistic appeal.
Panning is when you follow your subject with your camera and shoot while “following through”… never taking your lens off the subject until well after the image has been exposed. Many photographers keep their motor drive on high speed and just keep shooting, blindly hoping one image will be usable. I prefer to know my subject and shoot at optimum times during the motion, keeping an eye on my background as well as the movement and direction of my subject.
I like both images. If you don’t, well that’s okay, too. Art is subjective. I know neither one of these images could be used for a field guide. If I was shooting for a guide I would put myself in the optimum conditions to do so.
The next two images were in better light. I wanted to get a sharper image to truly show their skimming action. I still used the panning technique, but with a higher shutter speed there was little to no motion blur. However, the first image you can see is slightly out of focus. Trash. Out of focus is very different from motion blur. Though “soft” shot can sometimes be artistic, in this case it was just out of focus.
The next two images were in better light. I wanted to get a sharper image to truly show their skimming action. I still used the panning technique, but with a higher shutter speed there was little to no motion blur. However, the first image you can see is slightly out of focus. Trash. Out of focus is very different from motion blur. Though “soft” shot can sometimes be artistic, in this case it was just out of focus.The bottom image is sharp. A good image for a book to show an identifiable action of the skimmers. A wall hanger? Not really. So what makes a good image then? Composition, exposure and an interesting subject… and a little dash of artistic flare. Everyone’s eye is different, and other photographers may have captured these subjects very differently in the same situation. That’s one reason I enjoy teaching workshops… it gets the creative juices flowing to see how others see the same subject.
Everyone’s eye is different, and other photographers may have captured these skimmers very differently in the same situations. That’s one reason I enjoy teaching workshops. It gets the creative juices flowing to see how other see the same subject. Not to copy, but to inspire and be inspired by others is a gift!
Everyone’s eye is different, and other photographers may have captured these skimmers very differently in the same situations. That’s one reason I enjoy teaching workshops. It gets the creative juices flowing to see how other see the same subject. Not to copy, but to inspire and be inspired by others is a gift!Check our web site for these upcoming photo workshops:
Waterfall Photography in Pennsylvania
Glacier National Park Family Photo Safari