The Enthusiast's Guide to Exposure

11. SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS TO BLUR MOVEMENT

TO RENDER A moving object blurry, you can use a slow shutter speed. Why would anyone want a blurry subject? There can be lots of reasons for this: to show motion, to add mystery, or to hide details. Photography is a visual art, and slow shutter speeds are one way we can choose to render a scene in a visually unique manner.

What Is a Slow Shutter Speed?

Slow shutter speeds, like fast ones, are all relative to the motion of the subject. For those who like to keep things simple, shutter speeds of 1/30s and longer can generally be considered a slow shutter speed.

With our example of the runner in the park (the ...