TOP TIPS MOTION BLURRED BACKDROPS

Learn how to set up your camera and kit to capture beautiful background blur

01 TIME IT RIGHT

Your shutter speed needs to be slow enough to blur the motion of surroundings. At 1/10 sec there’s too much detail in the reflection, while 4 secs in our main image gives better blur. For faster motion – like a speeding train – you can use a faster shutter speed. 03 FIRING THE SHUTTER

We need to fire the shutter remotely, especially if we’re driving. Having a friend in the passenger seat or outside in an empty car park firing a wireless remote is ideal, or you can set up a self timer to shoot continuously at intervals instead. Never use your phone while driving.

05 TWIRL AN UMBRELLA

If your subject isn’t moving in shot, why not create some motion of your own? A colourful umbrella like this looks fantastic when twirled around by your subject who stays still. This was taken in Tv mode/ Shutter Priority at just 1/10 sec, f/11, ISO100.

02 SECURE THE CAMERA

The camera needs to stay as still as possible, so that some parts of the scene come out sharp while the motion is blurred. The suction cup that we used here acts much like a tripod, only it moves in sync with the motion of the car. 04 SEEK OUT BETTER BLUR

Whatever kind of motion blur you want to capture, it can be tricky to anticipate how it will look in advance. So trial and error is key. Tinted lights like the purple LEDS on the nearby building here can create wonderful streaks of colour.

06 PAN WITH THE SUBJECT

If your subject is moving through the frame – perhaps on a bike or skateboard – try panning your camera with the motion. Get it right and the subject will be sharp with the background blurred. Here the camera is in Shutter Priority (Tv) at 1/30 sec, f/16, ISO100.