Slow Shutter Motion Photos

It's August, and that brings our county fair to town!

I thought the fair would be a perfect place to try out some

slow-shutter shots!

I talked about creating motion while panning with a slow shutter in this blog post.

But this time, I wanted to focus on a subject that was standing still

while the world swirls around them.

This technique requires it to be darker outside.

I shot these as the sun was just about down.

That way, the long shutter would not blow out the photos.

You can shoot in the daylight if you use a neutral density filter.

Learn more about those in this blog post.

I figured the county fair would be colorful with lots of beautiful lights.

First, I looked for subjects that were standing in one position.

At the fair, this was usually while they watched a  swirling ride.

I set my camera to manual and

put my aperture at f.9.

My ISO was 100

and my shutter speed was 1-second.

I had to adjust the settings as the light changed.

I usually changed the aperture,

but if it was exceptionally bright near a lighted area, I 

sped up the shutter.

Look for various movement

and a stationery subject.

I did this hand-held which was extremely difficult to hold steady for a full second!

Your subject will most likely move a tad, so they probably

won't be in perfect focus.

I had my best results with people glued to their phones!

They sat like statues!

My motto for them:  If you are on your phone...life is passing you by!

I made a ton of movement mistakes and only came away with these few winners.

Sooooooo,

I went back another evening with my friend Terri to have more 

control over the main subject.

Terri writes a wonderful lifestyle blog called Champagne and Grace.

I love to take photos for her

and use them for me to teach you!

This technique was so much easier with a willing model!

"Terri, stand there and don't MOVE!"

This is where I had my best results...with a model who knew to 

stand absolutely still!

You can try this with your kids, your family members or friends.

Stand your subject right in the middle of the action to capture lots of movement.

Or place your subject by a moving vehicle or in this case, a ride!

This really is a fun technique to try out and play with.

Think of dark locations like a busy city street,

or inside a bar...any place with lots of movement!

I can't wait to try this technique again!