Motion Blur. So many things that can be done with motion blur. I did one outside early this morning (2 a.m.), and motion blurred a skyline that I can see from my house. A lot of colorful lines, very abstract. No way could you tell what it was. I wanted to try something more identifiable, but didn't want to stray far from home, since I'd been out all morning. So, as I was putting some dishes away, this idea came to me.
I have a butcher block kitchen island. I also have a lot of sun that streams in. I tried lots of angles around the island, but it seemed no matter what I did, my hand was in the way of the subject if I could get the lighting right. Overhead lighting didn't help; it made matters worse. So I did what any person determined to get the shot does. I switched hands. With a big, sharp knife! Shot after shot, click the self timer with my left hand while holding the carrot with my right hand, grab the knife with non-dominant left hand and attempt to position and move it properly. I am embarrassed to tell you how many shots I took with the stupid knife upside down, sharp edge up because I just grabbed it in the 2 seconds and tried to get it into position for the shot. And repetition doesn't help. If you're no good with your left hand, it doesn't get better the more you try it, and the more frustrated you become.
But, I was happy to have gotten this shot, which has the knife in the correct edge orientation (down!), and even includes in the field of view the arc of the knife edge coming down. I'm guessing the vertical reflection of the carrot comes from the repeated up-and-down chops of the knife in the 2 second exposure.
Outtake shot of the abstract city skyline from earlier today:
The skyline is a 2 1/2 second exposure looking from my backyard out to a skyline of 6-8 tall buildings in the background and tilting the camera up during the exposure. The foreground lines are from street lights located in the housing development between my house and the tall buildings (which are about 1 mile away).
Carol, I loved reading how you got to your shot. Made me laugh as I could see it in my mind's eye. I would never attempt to chop away with a huge knife with my left hand - I like my right one too much to take any chances! :-D It's a great shot, with both the blur and the shape of the knife and your composition is also excellent. Good choice of counter and veggie to make it work with your poster too. I have to admit that I really, really love the city skyline perhaps even a bit more as it's just so beautiful but can understand why you didn't use it as you want to keep your poster consistent. Both are great shots! :-) Eury
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maggie! Not to worry about cutting my right hand. It was several inches away from the knife. And the chopping was done in slow motion, since that exposure was also long - 2 seconds. It was just that I wasn't comfortable holding the knife in my left hand and not as precise with fine movement with it - the angle just felt odd.
DeleteI also like the cityscape abstract very much, and never realized how many different colored lights there were until they were stretched by the exposure and movement. Oh, and I did try it in my poster, and it does work, also. :) It would make neat wall art, actually.
The skyline does make neat wall art, whereas the carrot shot is more like for something in a recipe book or with other descriptive text. A great effort on both counts.
ReplyDeleteThis looks really effective buff, well done - it reminds me of a morporkian shot also. At first I thought something looked wrong though because the knife arcing down seemed to be backwards, then I figued you are cutting guillotine style, pivoting the knife at the blade tip like a true professional does and not like I do - hacking away at it like someone chopping wood :-) - what I've also found works quite well having done similar shots, is to dim the lights way down and execute the action in extreme slow motion over abot 20 to 25 seconds.
ReplyDeleteYes, Craig, I do pivot from the pointy end when I slice or chop - more control. I agree with the ultra-slow motion on these kinds of motion blurs, but on this one, I tried a longer shot, but I lost all detail in the knife and it looked like a lighter/grayish area. That was about 6 seconds or so. I actually tried holding it at the top for 2 seconds, moving it down for about 2 and holding it at the bottom for 2. The result wasn't what I had hoped for. So, with frustration setting in and tiring of using my left hand, I just used this shot, which was the best of the bunch. :) Oh, and I do remember Morp's cleaver shot and running away with apron tails.... :)
DeleteNice nails! I can almost hear this photo, very clever. The skyline is very pretty do you often take outside pictures at that time?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! :) No, I don't usually go out quite that late, but I was trying to figure out what I could do a motion blur of, and decided to try that. I do tend to stay up late at night, though.
DeleteYep, that's abstract ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Skyline that is.
DeleteI like the intersecting diagonals of the knife and carrot. And the fact part of your right hand is showing, proofing you still have all your fingers in good shape.
ReplyDeleteOh you lament so, about how the shot was not quite what you wanted... that is the plight of a perfectionist. However MANY people would be delighted to get a shot such as this! I love the movement trails of the back end of the knife and above the carrot... who ever knew someone wiggled the front of a knife when cutting... see, such professional things at that... :)
ReplyDeleteBTW the city lights are gorgeous... the slight back and forth movement, make this look like it is a water reflection...and so very colorful. Very nice.
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