Too dark for the shot? Get the blur!

The Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey can offer some excellent bird photography opportunities. But as the light wanes forcing shutter speeds to drop, many photographers put the camera away and go home.

Today, I decided to do one of the things I enjoy playing with… the blur. Its not hard to do, but results vary widely. Once you get the idea of how it works –it is all trial and error– you could find yourself looking forward to “blur opportunities.”

The most important thing to do when trying to capture a blur reminiscent of a watercolor painting is to “pan” with your subject. Follow  your subject with your lens and as you take your shot(s) keep following, don’t stop. Practice this simple technique often as it works for getting the sharpest images in ample light as well.

Art is subjective, so you may or may not enjoy the following images, but I like them!

Peregrine Falcon (imm.): Canon 40D, Sigma 50-500EX, 1/45 @ f/9.5