Blurred images put ideas in focus: express meaning by extending time, implying motion.

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We can express photographic ideas not only by stopping time, but also by extending it. We can extend it by deliberately creating blur to suggest movement. There are several simple ways to put such implied movement into our images: We can combine slow shutter speeds with fast-moving subjects, we can pan the camera along with a moving subject to blur its background, or we can contrast subjects in motion with subjects that remain still.

There is nothing inherently wrong or bad about blurred images. Some photographers cherish critical sharpness as if it were a virtue in itself--they automatically delete anything short of a tack-sharp picture. However, images that are clearly frozen in time and those that extend time and imply motion through blur are simply different forms of photographic expression. That is why we have variable shutter speeds available on our cameras. If we look at blur as a tool to convey meaning, rather than as a technical "mistake," we will be on much stronger ground as expressive photographers.

Here are three examples of how blurred pictures can express meaning. The first (above), which I shot in New York City's Grand Central Station, features a gesturing commuter who appears to be leading the morning charge across the marble floor of the great station. He seems to be looking elsewhere as he confidently strides forward (a New York City survival tactic, perhaps?). I chose a slow shutter speed (one-fifteenth of a second), moved the camera from right to left at the same brisk pace that he walked, and pressed the shutter button. This technique is called panning--it retains detail in the moving figures yet blurs the background. The result is an image filled with urgency. I converted the image to black and white because the original colors in this photo played no part in my message.

I made the second example (above) in a train station a world apart: the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai. The teeming station, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, stands at Mumbai's heart. My camera's image-stabilization feature allowed me to make this shot hand-held at one-fifth of a second and still hold most detail. The only exception is the blurred woman at left. She is moving toward us faster than the speed my shutter can handle, resulting in blur. Her burst of energy contrasts with the relaxed, crossed-hands posture of the two people at right. This contrast creates tension: We see the woman rushing toward us, yet the other people in the picture do not.

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In my final example (right), which I shot at the City Market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a jewelry saleswoman casually inspects some chains. It was dark inside the indoor market, forcing me to use a hand-held shutter speed of one-tenth of a second. That slow speed worked to my advantage. Her gaze is constant, yet because she puts the chains into motion, they seem ephemeral, almost intangible, as they spin and catch the light. The implied movement makes them seem more desirable. Another expressive aspect is the light from a window on the left side of the frame. It illuminates not only her face but the moving chains as well, making them sparkle and dance.

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take your best shot

Send photos for possible use in this column to The Douglis Visual Workshops, 2505 E. Carol Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85028 USA.

Phil Douglis, ABC, directs The Douglis Visual Workshops, now in its 39th year of training communicators in visual literacy. Douglis, an IABC Fellow, is the most widely known workshop leader and columnist on editorial photography for organizations. Douglis offers training programs as one-on-one tutorial workshops in digital imaging and photographic communication. These tutorials provide flexibility in cost, length and content; extend from one to four days; and can be adjusted to cover everything from basic digital photography skills and photo editing to photographic expression. The tutorials are offered in Phoenix, Arizona, on dates selected by participants. For registration information, send an e mail to [e-mail]. You can view Douglis's multi-gallery cyberbook on expressive digital travel photography at www.pbase.com/pnd1.