The Canon Magazine 49
Creative blur effects
Project 1
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The key to this technique is in mixing flash
with continuous lighting. We’ve used three
Speedlites here – one in front and two
behind the subject. You can use any flash
setup you like, but keep in mind that the
blur will show more clearly if the flash
does not spill onto the dark background.02 Dark room
It’s vital that the room is dark, or else the
ambient light will contaminate the shot
and blur the parts that we want to keep
sharp. So close the curtains and turn off
the overhead lights – or shoot outdoors at
night. The only constant light should be
coming from the lights we set up.03 Constant lights
Two continuous light sources have been
used here. On the subject’s right is a
studio flash head with the flash turned off
so that only the modelling light is in use.
On her left is an LED panel fitted with an
orange filter. As such, the filtered LED and
tungsten lamp both cast a warm hue.06 Camera settings
Our camera is in Manual mode with
exposure setting at 1/3 sec, f/5.6 and
ISO100. A 1/3 sec shutter speed allows for
quick camera movements to be recorded
as blurry streaks across the frame.
Experiment with different shutter speeds
and camera movements as you shoot.05 BolD C lothing
When it comes to outfits and styling, bold
colours like the red skirt work well for this
effect. A textured pattern like the pleats on
the skirt here is also nice, as that texture
can be transformed into attractive blurry
streaks. Too many colours can look busy,
so stick to one theme.04 Dark BaCkDroP
A dark backdrop is best here. If the
backdrop reflects too much light then it’ll
cloud the portrait. We used the grey side
from a vinyl backdrop here. It needs to be
wide enough to cover not just the initial
composition, but also the camera
movements after pressing the shutter.The seTup Shake up your lighting SkillS
learn how to get set up to mix flash and continuous lighting for creative results
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