How can I create a zoom-blur effect while keeping the subject sharp?
Asked 3/17/2013
2 views
2 answers
0
I saw a photo with abstract streaking on the tunnel walls and ceiling, while the person in the frame stayed relatively sharp. Is this something done in Photoshop, or is it created in-camera? What shooting technique and settings would help produce this kind of effect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
4
It looks like the photographer used the zoom effect. It consists in zooming in (or out, but mostly in) while you are taking the picture. Not before, not after, but while you are taking the picture. You can read more about this particular effect here.
It's pretty difficult to achieve, and takes a lot of practice. You'd want to use a tripod and long exposure time, as well as a small aperture to have a higher depth of field with your subject in focus.
Originally by user14163. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14163
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely an in-camera zoom-blur effect, not just Photoshop.
The usual method is:
- Use a longer exposure.
- Zoom the lens in or out during the exposure to create the streaks.
- Keep the camera steady, ideally on a tripod.
- Use a smaller aperture so you can get a longer shutter speed and still keep good depth of field.
If the subject is noticeably sharp while the surroundings streak, flash was probably used during the same long exposure. The zoom movement creates the blur in the background, and the flash freezes the subject for a sharper look.
So the effect is likely a combination of:
- long exposure,
- zooming the lens while the shutter is open,
- possibly flash to freeze the person.
It takes practice to time the zoom and exposure well, but it’s a real shooting technique rather than something that must be added later.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI13y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How do you make light trails in a long exposure while keeping the subject sharp with flash?
How can you create circular halos around lights in a long-exposure photo?
How do you create circular motion blur around a flash-lit subject?
How can I create portraits with motion blur around a sharp subject?
How can I create vertical streaks or blurred lines at the bottom of a photo?