Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

102 exploring techniques

moving the camera

When i am photographing moving subjects, i like to be able

to react instantly and change my composition to suit the

model’s actions. using a tripod in this situation isn’t practical,

but this means that it’s difficult to get a sharp picture. one

of the best ways to deal with this is to follow the direction of

the model’s movements with your camera, deliberately

blurring the background. By moving the camera in different

directions it is also possible to create a range of special

effects, which will vary according to the speed of both the

shutter and the camera movement. Keep in mind that an

effect should only be used to enhance the overall feel of

the picture, otherwise it will simply be a gimmick.

Movement across the picture

Following your model with your

camera creates a dynamic look

which, combined with the use of

a long lens, gives the atmosphere

of sports photography. Any part of

the model’s body moving at the same

speed as the camera will be sharp,

while the rest will be unsharp to a

greater or lesser degree, depending

on the speed of movement.