sunday school: how i learned to stop worrying and love the blur

I love natural light.  It is my illumination of choice when shooting photos.  However, since I don't have the power to keep the sun up high on the horizon or to crank up the moonlight to an acceptable level whenever I want, I sometimes find myself at the mercy of the glow from a lamp, candle, stagelight, chandelier, streetlight, cellphone, etc.  I'm sure many of you have also experienced this lack of supernatural power.  What's a Shutterbug Mama to do in a situation like this?  Put away the camera?  Use the flash? Crank-up-the-ISO-and-set-the-aperture-wide-open- then-underexpose-and-fix-the-shot-later?  I have to admit that the last option is the one I usually chose, often with *bleh* results.  That is until I finally came to my senses and learned to stop worrying and Love The Blur.

I came to the realization one day that sometimes life happens so much, so fast, and the light available to take it all in is so limited, as is the ability (for most of us, anyway) to bend the time-space continuum, that even a single moment in time comes out to be a blur.  And you know what?  That's okay.  If that's how life is, then that's how I want to capture it in that moment.

So now, instead of performing technical gymnastics to get a crisp shot, I simply slow down the shutter speed a few notches and let the shot be what it will be.  I now love doing long(ish) exposure photography, especially at night and especially with artificial light.  

And it's not always a lack of light that makes life blurry.  Spend 5 minutes with my daughter Cadence (or any kid, for that matter), and you'll know what I mean.  Sometimes the natural light is there, but when you're dealing with your own little whirlwind, it may not be enough to freeze the frame, and sometimes a blur is the most appropriate way to capture the playfulness and energy of that moment.

Whatever the situation may be, it's so liberating To Embrace The Blur, To Love It, To Make It My Friend.  Cuzamora,  Shama-Lama Mama and  Molly |A Certain Slant of Light know what I'm talking about.

How about you?  Do you Love The Blur too?  Let's see your favorite Blurry Moments!

Comments

[Kate Inglis]

This was a complete and total accident - a slowish shutter speed, and then I followed Evan's path as he ran.. so that he's in focus (shock!) and the rest around him is blurred. I've always loved this shot. But can I replicate it? Hah! Doubtful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetsalty/1429927745/in/set-72157594199059052/

What a great post sarah-ji... love it. We may as well roll with this, following toddlers around, right? :)

[Tracey Clark]

I am a great lover of The Blur. As a matter of fact, I'll get a blurry shot anytime I can. I love my Lensbaby for this reason; motion in the most poetic way. This shot is an all-time favorite of mine. http://www.flickr.com/photos/maypapers/373556204
Excellent post Sarah-Ji!

[Hay]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippyhappyhay/2298085248/sizes/m/

Just a slight blur, I was going to ditch it but I really liked it too much!

[Shelli]

Yes! I have definitely become a lover of The Blur since I am so good at getting blurry pictures of my little one. This is one of my favorites. Thanks!

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#2

[divrchk]

I have learned to embrace the blur. It's not for everyone though... This is my favorite right now. http://www.flickr.com/photos/divrchk/2215105981/ Even with the blur, the photo still tells a story. The facility was dark and she was going fast http://www.flickr.com/photos/divrchk/2265446681/

[Leah]

I am the same way about my flash. I HATE to use it. And D. just moves so fast!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakeline/2279740615/

[Heather]

Blur. Blur is goooooood.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/2303976011/

[kristin]

a post for my hubby. i remembered a particular photo taken by him on his very camping trip with our son last summer. this was during our son's superman era, when all he would wear were his superman pj's day & night. here superman is in flight...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/2304774582/

[kristin]

oops and here is mine... faster than a speeding bullet he is!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/2303901977/

[Kathleen]

Getting the blur was once something that made me cringe! But it can sure be beautiful, as everyone's posts show. I love the expression in this shot...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23630286@N05/2304723418/

[Chris]

I've been coming to your blog for only a short time but I love the photos. Today I feel like I can share something as well. I hate to use my flash. I took this pic just hanging around the house. I like how it came out. I think it shows how much my daughter loves to dance.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16566180@N05/2304037629/

I noticed that a lot of the other contributers have kids in their pics. They're always on the move.

[Raven]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/justexpressive/2304087205/

I actually got the blur because I was doing all the cranking the iso and all that without a tripod. :)

[ginny]

Toddlers make for such great blurs!

http://monkeymemories.blogspot.com/2008/03/love-blur.html

[nicky thomas]

Oooh lovely stuff so far.


Try this one

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickythomasphotography/1323473158/

and this one

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickythomasphotography/853578573/

once again, a great shuttersisters post.

Nicky x

[Tanya]

You've inspired me to embrace the Blur more. For the shot I'm posting here, I tried the "panning" technique. I must've taken at least 10 shots before one finally came out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanyamills/1353401804

[Cocoa]

This is the only blur shot I have posted on my flickr account right now. I'm still trying to make the time to upload all my pics to flickr. I love this shot because the wings of the hummingbird are blurred but everything else is so still, even it's feet!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7914841@N08/2251101947/in/set-72157603801459227/

[Beer Momma]

Gotta love how our little ones are so fast on their feet. :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52656316@N00/2304892694/

[cuzamora]

Thanks for the nod, Sarah-Ji. I didn't upload some of my other blurs from "Dance Night" but here they are:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2305344474/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74752856@N00/2304546567/

[danielle]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23196640@N03/2304606823/

always plenty of blur around my house!

[Milla]

We don't have kids yet, but our dogs allow for many blurry moments. Here are a few:

http://mchappell.blogspot.com/2008/02/puddle-chasing.html

[mel]

Oh boy... blur. I thought it was my enemy, but you've made me realize it's my friend. Thank goodness I didn't delete this one!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21106607@N05/2054056596/in/photostream/

[Hay]

One of the other photos made me remember this, taken using my daughters 35mm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippyhappyhay/2215690581/sizes/m/in/set-72157603716916909/

[kerflop]

I struggle with embracing the blur, but one night we all went bowling at this tiny little old bowling alley in our very small town. All of the photos came out blurry and grainy, but at the same time so perfectly captured the feel of the entire evening, I ended up loving them all:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/verymom/1809909630/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/verymom/1809066199/in/photostream/

[Lawyer Mama]

My favorite blurry moment -

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2296786303/in/set-72157604001383609/

I have a hard time learning to embrace the blur, but I'm getting there!

[Devan]

Love the blur. Here's my fav...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/devangrayson/2263064467/

[Molly]

it's not a little blurry, it's a LOT blurry, but I love it anyway:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeonflower/2304759557/

[Devan]

Okay, found another one that I wanted to share! This was taken at a gymnastics birthday party. It was her first experience with gymnastics and she LOVED it, as you can tell by the look of pure joy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/devangrayson/2304790451/

[Molly]

Thanks for the link! Here are some more of my blurry shots that I still love:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/550040672/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/550460218/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/552410034/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/549366493/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/549421463/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/565489692/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/565939150/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/552790574/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/576949579/in/set-72157600359127874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acertainslantoflight/668136615/in/set-72157600359127874/

Huh. I apparently am really into the blur. :)

[Lisa]

I, too, love the blur!

http://www.lisaaveryphoto.com/Lisa_Avery_Photography/galleries/Pages/mobile_landscape.html

[M3]

Great post.
I just got a new camera and was trying to learn how to pan, so this wasn't an accidental blur, but it's one of my fave shots. It's one of the twins in full flight across the lawn:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emthree/2283967873/in/set-72157603965569463/

[calissa]

Ohhh yeah, I've learned to appreciate the blur too.... sometimes I'm disappointed, but often it captures the emotion and thrill of the moment perfectly! Here are a couple of my faves...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/533076246
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2131115742

[calissa]

oh, I forgot about this one. It's one of my favorites... trying to catch a picture of a bluebird and it took off right when my camera snapped. I was SO bummed, but actually liked it in the end.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2139292571

I'm loving seeing everyone's pictures.... so excited to have found this blog!! :)

[toyfoto]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/8081942/

love the blur

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/2056150744/

also like that I kinda got it twice.

[Lisa]

Totally guilty of deleting blurry photos on instinct. I still need to embrace the blur, love the blur. Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes we get so caught up in the technical aspect of photography that we kill the fun of it. And the story while we're at it. And by we, I mean me because I'm a control freak who just can.t. let. go. Looking forward to seeing everyone's photos! :)

[Susan]

I really hate my flash so by default love the blur. It's much better than the alternative of washing everyone out or disrupting an event with a flash. Here's one I like from my dd's bday.
http://flickr.com/photos/suswhit/2065339061/in/set-72157603298626746/

[christie]

both of these turned out exactly the way i'd hoped.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/enckline/2277510147/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/enckline/2266122490/

[Mrs. Eaves]

Better late than never!

http://camerashy.atomictumor.com/bos-whose-gastrointestinal-system-is-still-full-of-woe/

[Jenny Rebecca]

So happy to see this post the morning after I was playing around with my low light lens and no flash at a party.
Here's my blurry husband: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanglord2/2306655812/

[Christina]

Wonderful post! I am learning to embrace the blur more and more

a couple favs of mine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/1120859255/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinator/1525795981/in/photostream/

[camerashymomma]

give in to the blur! great post!
here's my blurry boy always in action:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/457297110/

[pooky]

This is a different kind of blur: I pointed to the moon and then shook the camera as I shot. Amanzingly, only the moon was shaken and the tree remained still.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowpooky/1556392619/

[pooky]

This is a different kind of blur: I pointed to the moon and then shook the camera as I shot. Amanzingly, only the moon was shaken and the tree remained still.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowpooky/1556392619/

[Sheri]

Total blur-o-holic here. I mean, with my uber-amateur photo skills, I have no choice but to get off on it.

A few faves:

http://todayispretty.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/paper-airplanes/

http://flickr.com/photos/storygoil/1940705856/in/set-72157603762223107/

[kristin]

blogging for the boy
http://mainemomma.blogspot.com/2008/03/all-about-boys.html

[Y]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyunexpectedcom/2277204643/

I've embraced The Blur. ;-)

[Mandy]

Very timely post, coicidentally, I've had a lot of them lately, both due to low light (art museum-no flash allowed) and fast kids(tball season)! I took this one with no flash, and like you mentioned hi iso and lower speed, so a bit blurry and grainy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandaroo/2308647415/
this one my daughter was flying by during her tball game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandaroo/2308641661/in/photostream/
Not sure how I feel about them, but one of a kind moments that I have to keep!

[Missy]

Here's one of my blurs~

http://missymckerroll.blogspot.com/2008/03/another-photo-post.html

Very good post. Now I have to go back and reconsider some of my "blurry" photos!

[Missy]

One more...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missymckerroll/2309675189/

[Carla]

I didn't know others felt the same way.

http://screencast.com/t/4FS9tFNXDWN

[Danielle]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainporkchops/2265311198/in/set-72157603848289900/

Glimpse of a monster springing up from under the covers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainporkchops/2264511809/in/set-72157603848289900/

Wet Eyelashes.