When to Use Creative Blur in Photography

In photography, a lot of time and attention is usually spent on getting an image ‘sharp’ (i.e. free from blur). This is done by focusing correctly, using a fast enough shutter speed, perhaps using a tripod or otherwise bracing the camera, selecting an aperture that is in the ‘sweet spot’ for that lens, and so on. However, sometimes a photographer decides that a photo would look better if it incorporated some blurred elements.

A good example of the use of blur arises when photographers photograph motor racing sports. With a high shutter speed, cars and motorbikes can be rendered completely frozen. This gives no indication of how fast the vehicle is moving, or in fact whether it is moving at all. In these situations, professional photographers select a slower shutter speed that renders at least the wheels (as these are the fastest-moving parts) blurred, as this allows the person viewing the photo to get a clue that the vehicle is moving.

A more complicated technique for motor racing and some other sports is to track the movement of the vehicle while keeping it in frame by moving the camera, and releasing the shutter while the camera is in motion. Done correctly, this will render the body of the vehicle sharp but the background blurred, which conveys a sensation of speed in the photo.

Another classic example of creative blur comes in portrait photography. It’s common in portrait photography to use an SLR with a large-aperture telephoto lens. This allows the portrait to be taken so that the person’s head (or head and shoulders) are sharp, but everything behind them is blurred. This is done so that the background does not draw attention away from the subject, which it can do if it is sharply in-focus. This also mimics the effect of looking at someone from very close up.

Creative blur also commonly crops up when photographing moving water. It is a common and effective technique to photograph things such as waterfalls with a slow shutter speed. This gives them a ‘milky’, smooth appearance that looks better than water which is unnaturally frozen mid-droplet.