Image Bank - Blurring

Blurring in photography is all about capturing the movement of an object, where the blur appears to represent a fast-paced action. The blurring technique is really effective in blending colours together - or contrasting. Because of the fast-paced actions, the colours all appear to run into one another, which in some cases may show complimentary colours, and in other cases the colours may contrast - usually depending on the lighting. With the darker backgrounds, the benefit is is that all of the colours appear to contrast well. With lighter or patterned backgrounds, the colours seem to merge more than they do contrast. 

The use of bright lights works really effectively in all blurred photographs. With the top two images, neon lights in various forms create electrifying patterns and enhanced colours which contrast and stand out really well against a black background. The use of these lights are an advantage to any photographer because they can be used in any way to create interesting and artistic patterns and shapes. Especially with the first image, the lights create an interesting pathway for the viewers' eyes leading towards the centre of the image which is also an advantage for some photographers. 

What I do find interesting with some of these pictures is how the viewer perceives them. With the leopard picture in particular, although the blurred motion around the animal suggests that it is moving fast, because the focal point of the leopard is kept still, it gives off the idea that it might actually moving slowly - even though we know it probably wasn't. Blurring is a good technique to show shape also, like in the cat and mouse picture, because the background motion is so heavily blurred, that it gives the object a very definitive shape.