Depending on your artistic vision, photo blurring can be a blessing or a curse. You may actually want your photos to be "artistically blurred". In the recent ad campaigns for W Magazine, Alexander McQueen and Giorgio Armani, the photos were intentionally blurred to create a soft illusion. It is a great way for photographers to break away from the clutter of crisp and sharpened photography that we've been used to seeing. 


Photo: Giorgio Armani 
 
 
Photo: Alexander McQueen
 
 
Photo: W magazine


How can you create an effect like this at home? 
 
1. Set your digital camera to a slow shutter speed (1/15 to 1/4). This will cause any movement that happens during the seconds that your shutter is open to be blurred. 
 
2. Set a wide aperture so that the background of your photo can be blurred to create depth. (f/6- f/8).
 
3. Find a moving subject, or slightly move your hands while the photo is being taken. 
 
4. Choose a lower light environment (preferably dim or indoors). 

And viola! After learning to artistically blur your photos, you might just want to leave you tripod at home. 



 
What do you think about artistically blurred photography?