For the next few weeks, let’s push the envelope a bit and stretch our photographic technique. I’m taking these challenges from my e-book 32 Photo Etudes: Studies in Composition, Focus, Light, Motion.
An etude (pronounced a-tood) is a technical study. The term comes from music. A photo etude is an exercise designed to enhance a particular photographic skill.
This week’s photo challenge is a motion etude.
Photograph Motion
Photography can uniquely stop time, freezing a fleeting moment that would otherwise pass us by. Photography can also show the passage of time through techniques like long exposure.
In my book 32 Photo Etudes, I’ve written an entire section on photographing motion that includes multiple etudes. Some of the etudes talk about how to freeze fast motion, others show the reader how to blur motion for a photographic effect.
Many of the exercises require the use of manual modes so I’ve opened up this challenge a bit to be accessible for all sorts of cameras and settings.
This week’s challenge is broader – photograph any sort of motion.
Freezing motion – making a moving subject stand still – is one thing modern cameras do well. We can freeze the motion of anything from raindrops to race cars to birds in flight. Sports are perfect subjects for freezing motion, but so are wild animals.
Technical Tip: Use a fast shutter speed to freeze action.
We can imagine the motion, but perfectly freezing an action can sometimes make it feel static. A little bit of motion blur gives us a sense of direction and reminds us that there was a time before the photo and the action continued after the photo was taken.
Popular are photos of blurred water or clouds. We love the way all the bumps and waves smooth out. This effect is accomplished using a long exposure. How long is up to you.
Technical Tip: Use a slow shutter speed to blur the motion. Experiment with how long you leave the shutter open. The longer the shutter is left open, the smoother the water becomes. Neutral density filters are often used to reduce the light coming into your camera and allow longer shutter speeds.
Photography can create a unique sense of time that we can not normally see in reality. Zoom blur, light trails, and panning are fun photography techniques that play with time.
Technical Tip: Light trails are created by using a long exposure rather than short shutter speeds when photographing something in motion – like cars. Light trails show up best at night. The camera really needs to be on a tripod to make this technique work.
If you want to try a new technique, like panning or zoom blur, check out the specific exercises in my e-book 32 Photo Etudes: Studies in Composition, Focus, Light, Motion.
Check Out CreativeLive’s Free On-Air Classes
This week, go out and find some motion. The motion can be slow, like leaves blowing in a breeze, or quick, like falling snow. Our lives are full of motion and action, this week, try to capture some of the motion in a photograph.
In each Photo Etude, the assignment is to create 12 photos, but for weekly challenges 12 isn’t necessary, just try your hand at the technique to get the hang of it. If you want to share multiple images to discuss with others, feel free to share on this Facebook Album.
If you want more photo etudes, the e-book is available on Kindle or directly through my website. To see a sample, check out the post I wrote when I published the book.
Some good effects with panning, and an interesting zoom blur!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That horseplay is awesome..
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] In Motion – Weekly Photo Challenge / Made by Humans – Cee’s Black & White / Black & White Weekend / Variety – FOWC / Canal – RDP / Humble – WODC […]
LikeLike
[…] Wits End Weekly Photo Challenge […]
LikeLike
[…] week Jenn at ‘Traveling at Wits End’ challenges us […]
LikeLike
[…] An example of motion […]
LikeLike
[…] Weekly Prompt Photo Challenge: Motion […]
LikeLike
Something I really need to work on.
https://junkboattravels.blogspot.com/2019/02/walking-woman.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Posted as part of Wit’s End […]
LikeLike
You covered the motion options well here. It’s something I love playing with myself. Here is some automotive motion for you: https://travelwithintent.com/2019/02/17/cuban-motion/
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion […]
LikeLike
[…] Photo Challenge is MOTION. I have plenty of photos that fit the bill, but I particularly like this one as it shows motion of […]
LikeLike
[…] The new Wits End Weekly Photo Challenge is Motion. […]
LikeLike
Finally got my contribution posted.
https://davidmsphotoblog.com/2019/02/20/motion-at-night/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a good idea but lost my train of thought
The topic is a good one Jenn
Here is my contribution
http://bushboy.blog/2019/02/20/motion/
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] week’s Weekly Photo Challenge from Witsend–Travel is for the […]
LikeLike
[…] Motion […]
LikeLike
[…] For the Wits-End Challenge: Motion […]
LikeLike
Adding my contribution to this week’s challenge — one of my favorite types of motion is that of water propelled by gravity, and I love this photo, taken this past summer in the mountains of Chiang Mai, Thailand.
https://naamayehuda.com/2019/02/20/in-motion/
Na’ama
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] The word prompt from Jenn at Wits End: Motion […]
LikeLike
[…] Witsend–Travel is offering a weekly photo challenge with the theme of motion. I picked up the link from sonofabeach96, a blogger whom I regularly follow. […]
LikeLike
[…] witsend-travel.com/weekly-photo-challenge-motion/ […]
LikeLike
[…] Motion […]
LikeLike
[…] Motion […]
LikeLike