How can I control motion blur for a gritty live-band shot during a guitar smash?
Asked 2/11/2015
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I may be shooting an underground punk band and want a gritty, energetic look rather than a fully frozen action shot. For a guitar smash, I want some motion blur, but not just a smooth streak—I’d like part of the guitar/player to remain recognizable during the movement. I shoot in manual mode. What’s a good way to control the amount and style of blur, and what shutter speeds should I start testing?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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You can use a flash along with a long exposure to show both a clear image at some point in the action and blur during the smash. Take advantage of settings for flash timing at shutter open or close, and try it with stronger and weaker flash settings (or use a handkerchief over the flash).
It's hard to recommend an exact shutter speed, though my guess is about one second to get the full swing.
Most importantly, rehearse beforehand, perhaps with a friend swinging a nerf-bat, and decide what effect you like.
Originally by user35542. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user35542
11y ago
0
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A good starting point is slow-sync flash with a long-ish shutter speed. The flash freezes one moment of the action, while the open shutter records blur before or after it. Use 2nd-curtain (rear-curtain) sync if you want the blur trails to follow the movement rather than appear in front of it.
There isn’t one exact shutter speed, because the result depends on how fast the smash is, your focal length, camera movement, and how much ambient light is in the scene. Based on the answers, start experimenting around about 1 second for a full swing, then adjust shorter or longer to taste.
If your flash supports it, stroboscopic/multi mode can show several distinct positions during the motion. You can also vary flash power to change how strongly the frozen moment shows relative to the blur.
Most important: rehearse and test beforehand. Have someone mimic the motion and try different shutter speeds, flash timing, and ambient/flash balance until the guitar remains recognizable but still looks chaotic and gritty.
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AI11y ago
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