Motion Blur (on purpose) in Sports Photos

[TexPhoto]

Sometimes I like to slow the shutter way down, and let the subject, or the background, blur. It helps to show the action as it was happening. It's also wicked hard to get just right and very challenging. Have you tried this? What are your experiences

And show off some of your Photos!


Untitled by RexPhoto91, on Flickr

 

[jdramirez]

I try it... I normally fail miserably.

 

[TowcesterNews]

Use it a lot with motorsports - picture below as 40th of second, often go down to a 25th.
https://flic.kr/p/obrS8s

 

[c.d.embrey]

Something different!

Blurred motor-racing photos have become a cliché. I've shot them in the past, but I've switched to a 1950-60s deep-focus fast shutter speed look.

To be noticed you need to be different from the crowd, not copying the present trends. And your pitcher is definitely different, the elongated left arm is eye catching. Keep working on this style.

For me, the background is too soft. There is too little contrast between the out-of-focus background and the blurred pitcher, i.e. too much mush. With the slow shutter speed you should be able to stop-down more than you have. I may be wrong, but it's worth trying.

 

[Besisika]

Me too.
See some.

OASIS_00001 by Besisika, on Flickr

Cyclocross-007 by Besisika, on Flickr

GRDP00004 by Besisika, on Flickr

 

[Foxdude]

Tried some sort of panning, results..not so great but ok for me. That's not really what I like to do.

 

[rdalrt]

I like motion blur/panning shots and try them often. However, I prefer something in the image to still be sharp as a focal point. Like in Besisika's shots above.

 

[Famateur]

Sometimes I like to slow the shutter way down, and let the subject, or the background, blur. It helps to show the action as it was happening. It's also wicked hard to get just right and very challenging. Have you tried this? What are your experiences

And show off some of your Photos!

REX58204 2 by RexPhoto91, on Flickr

Different. I like it!

 

[wsmith96]

This was my first try at the local track.

 

[bdunbar79]

Sorry, I don't save a lot of my photos. I had some from 2013 still on my D drive:

 

[Ryan708]

I wouldnt call these "showing off" my photos, but I dont have many with motion blur. These are some casual shots of some friends back-yard dirt racing, but a quick thundershower made it slick, and these guys were SLOW. The first shot is 1/60th and the second is 1/30th, any faster than 1/60th and it looked like a bunch of parked junkers haha. I should have brought my ND filter to get the DOF a little shallower

 

[Roo]

I get what you mean ie not panning shots as such but just capturing the motion blur of the subject. I tried it recently at a tennis tournament but the keeper rate isn't very high. The second shot is a panning shot which I'm more used to

 

[Tinky]

Mainly motorsports (hey I'm in Scotland, it's easier to fit a big engine than actually train)

I have a feeling these were all from my XTi with the 200 f2.8L prime

 

[jdramirez]

Here's one I took... this was the first time I shot hockey... again... didn't go well... not awful, but nothing something I would be proud of.


This shot was with a wireless shutter release, a monopod with chicken feet that I balanced perfectly to remove movement (as much as one can with a freaking monopod), f/7.1, 1/4 second shutter, iso 100, and ignore the big copyright... I didn't feel like going into lightroom to remove it...

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

occasionally it works for me to view as long as its subtle and functional. Its really difficult to do, I've only seen a very few images that impressed me, and I am a total failure at producing anything I like. A lot of it is personal opinion and preference.

Sometimes, like last week, there was not enough light, so I had a shutter speed that was not fast enough. However, I was not trying to show a blur

 

[jdramirez]

... and I am a total failure at producing anything I like.

I'm so in the same boat. SS self loathing... maybe not loathing... but maybe a general distaste. When something comes out really well, I love it for 6 months and then I think... why did I like that so much... damn law of diminishing returns.

 

[Oceo]

After developing a successful technique to do stop-motion images of butterflies in free flight I'm working up a similar technique to those described in this thread to give a better impression of butterflies in free flight. Attached are a couple of examples of the work in progress. The Zebra Heliconian image was taken at ISO 200, 1/60 sec. f/16. The image of the Giant Swallowtail was taken at ISO 2000, 1/160 sec., f/32.

 

[climber]

Here are few of mine...

 

[climber]

...

 

[jhaces]

Whole set about that {disclaimer: bullfight pictures, not graphic though}
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jhaces/sets/72157632806980513/
Untitled by jhacesr, on Flickr