Creative Collective 017: Slow Blur for Creative Effect

Nature in Motion – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

The rule-of-thumb that I was taught in photography school is that the minimum shutter speed should be the closest number to the focal-length of lens for sharp handheld photographs. This, of course, is assuming good techniques (such as how you stand, how you hold the camera, and how you breathe while capturing a picture). Fujifilm X cameras are crop sensor, so we have to take that into account. For example, the 23mm lens on my Fujifilm X100V is 34.5mm full-frame equivalent, so the minimum shutter speed for hand-held (not on tripod) pictures should be 1/40, perhaps 1/30 if you’re good. If you go less than that you are in real danger of “camera-shake” blur—fuzzy pictures from your movement. Even above that, if you aren’t careful, you could get it, so I personally try not to go slower than 1/60 handheld on my X100V if I can help it. If you aren’t using good techniques at all, you might even have to use 1/125 or faster to ensure sharp pictures.

But what happens when you purposefully go slower? What happens when you deliberately shake your camera during exposure for creative effect? Let’s find out!

5 comments

  1. tim85141745ed5a · February 15, 2022

    I like to think that I know how to hold a camera, but the X100V is so small and light that I get shake earlier than with other cameras, and try to stay north of 1/125 for sharp images. The flipside of that is that it’s great for ICM. You can even whirl it around your head by the strap (carefully! double-check your attachments first!). One thing I like to do is take both a sharp and a shaky picture of the same subject and merge them (I use Photoshop, but the built-in double exposure option would also work).

    • tim85141745ed5a · February 15, 2022

      That should read “north of 1/60”—1/125 or faster.

    • Ritchie Roesch · February 17, 2022

      Yeah, it’s easy to just whip it around, so going a little faster with the shutter helps. Next time I’ll have to try your technique, sounds interesting.

  2. lulupitstick · February 22, 2022

    Why am I still unable to read this article when I’m subscribed? In fact, I think I’m double subscribed.

    Please let me know, -Laura Pitstick

    >

    • Ritchie Roesch · February 22, 2022

      It could be your browser. It seems that Google Chrome works the best, and viewing on a computer seems to do better than mobile. Also, using the WordPress Reader seems to work, too.
      https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/93223312/posts/3833536441
      I’ve had a couple reports of this issue, and it seems to be related to some sort of interaction between WordPress and internet browsers. I’ve reported it to WordPress, but I have not seen them fix it yet. It seems to only affect a few people, and I’m not sure what the common denominator is to answer “why.” But when it has happened, using Google Chrome on a desktop or using the WordPress reader has seemed to “resolve” the problem.
      I saw the double charge, and refunded one, although it might take a few days to reflect in your bank account.
      Sorry for the trouble!

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