02 November 2010

Blurred Trees in Chadron, November 2, 2010

Motion-blurred leaves in Chadron, Nebraska, November 2010. (Photo by Daniel Binkard)
I like playing with motion blur, whether it's caused by the subject or the camera. Vivid fall colors make a good subject for the technique. This scene had plenty of contrast from the tree branches, which create a jagged set of lines to break up the curves. I also like the overall shift in brightness from dark at the bottom to light at the top, thanks to the bits of sky poking through the leaves. I don't usually include camera settings, but a few notes may be useful here. 200mm and 1/15 second, with my camera movement describing a “C” shape.