Using Long Exposures with Portraits

Long Exposure Photography  •  Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Admit it, most of us use the camera with the shutter speed set towards the faster end in most cases. Of course we usually want to avoid any kind of blurriness that might creep into the image. While this makes sense, it’s also a good idea to consider the fact that a little bit of motion blur adds a sense of life and action in the frame. In this video, photographer Pye Jirsa with SLR Lounge demonstrates how you can take your photos to the next level by capturing motion using long exposure:

Using long exposure is a great way of adding some drama to your images. It allows you to capture the hustle and bustle of your surroundings, which can really make your photos come to life. Instead of everything in the frame being perfectly frozen, having some of the surrounding elements blurred with motion makes the image appear more dynamic.

In Jirsa’s case, his idea is to photograph a couple who stand still while moving vehicles are passing by. You can of-course try this type of photography anywhere that has some moving elements in the background. It could be people walking, trains going by, or even some moving water. The important thing that you’ll need to consider is that different situations will demand different shutter speeds. Because of this, you’ll need to experiment with your shutter speed to get the right amount of motion blur.

What other techniques do you know that can make your images more dynamic? Let us know in the comments.