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Slow shutter speed in wedding reception

slow shutter speed in wedding reception

Blog June 10, 2019

Shooting slow shutter speed when subject is moving on a wedding reception creates a motion effect, in addition that your picture will be different and capture the energy celebration of the event and blur the background in motion while the subject is still in sharp. 

Each venue reception is lit differently, To understand the flash and the slow shutter speed is very simple. Try to put any object in front of you and then close your eyes so everything is dark, then open your eyes and close right away, you will notice the object and the background is clear. Now try panning your head from left to right and as you move your head open your eyes and close quickly, Your head represent as camera movement and your eyes is a flash.

The only thing you will remember clearly is the object in front of you and the backgound is blur. The movement from the camera cause the background to be blur because of the slow shutter speed and the subject whether its moving will be freeze from the flash. Another tip is to use a rear curtain flash it works better for me, some photographer use front curtain but all I can tell you is to try both see what you discover.  Try to experiment different motion blur like panning, circular, up and down,  zoom and shake movement from the camera.

slow shutter speed circular wedding reception

Circular motion blur

 

slow shutter speed shake in wedding reception

Shake motion blur

 

slow shutter speed panning in wedding reception

Panning motion blur

 

slow shutter speed up and down in wedding reception

Up and down motion blur

 

slow shutter speed zoom in wedding reception

Zoom motion blur


Let me give an example how to blur on the image below the exposure was not recorded. Picture 1 was taken no flash and camera is on the tripod while picture 2 subject is dancing with flash on camera handheld, both picture 1 and 2 no movement from the camera. 

slow shutter speed 2nd curtain 1

 

Now adding the panning movement from the camera you notice picture 1 everything is blur because of slow shutter speed no flash and picture 2 the subject is freeze because of the flash and the background is blur because of the slow shutter speed with the movement from the camera on panning motion.  

slow shutter speed 2nd curtain 2


Hope this article help you understand to be more creative with your shots, your picture will stand out uniquely from other photographer that shoot normal freeze in action. When your client share the picture in social media for your sure they will get a lot of likes and comments when they posted that kind of picture and your name will spread rapidly because of your style is different from other photographer.

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