Blur In photography blur can be used to suggest movement. When I say blur I do not mean out-of-focus images, in fact, using panning the subject can be quite sharp while the background is blurred and the opposite for a long exposure of a moving subject. Effective blur can be created by an object moving while the camera is set for a long shutter speed or by moving the camera itself, or both. An effective image is created when some part of it is sharp but other parts are blurred which the eye reads as movement.
Some methods used to make good blurring are panning, tracking and long exposures. In both panning and tracking the camera is moved at the same speed as the subject, following it and creating a blurred background but a relatively sharp subject. As I understand it, panning is when you follow the subject with your camera as it passes you. Tracking is when you and your camera are traveling at the same speed as the subject along side it. Long shutter speeds will blur a moving subject while non-moving parts of the picture remain sharp, as in the waterfall shots in the headers.
Here is a link to more information on panning: http://www.ephotozine.com/techniques/viewtechnique.cfm?recid=221 And here's hint to help make panning more smooth if you are hand holding the camera. Stand with your feet apart with your toes aimed in the direction of the end of the pan and then wind yourself up by turning to where you want the pan to start. This way your body will unwind smoothly during the pan and you won't find yourself off balance at the end.
As for long exposures, in the case of waterfalls for instance, an exposure as short as a half second can show movement but you will want to try different amounts of time up to 6 or even 8 seconds. A tripod is a necessity for long exposures.
Have fun experimenting! ~Sharon
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