Photographers “drag” the shutter by slowing the speed of the shutter to lengthen the exposure to create a motion. A flash burst could also freeze the object in the background.
When you keep the shutter open for a fraction of a second longer when taking a photo with flash, cameras can capture more light in the background, creating a warmer image with more incredible distant details. In other cases, in dimly well-lit areas (in the spaces where wedding events typically take place), for example, receptions and catering venues, you could result in photographs of people that look like they’re in a pitch-black cave.
If you drag the shutter or activate it with the flashlight, the final result is a more vibrant image with more storytelling options.
AROUND WE GO: CIRCULAR MOTION
There’s a reason why it’s”a “wedding party.” Once the music starts, most guests- from grandmas and grandpas down to the flower girls – take it as a signal to party.
With all the whirling, shaking, and gyrating associated with dancing, WPJA members sometimes move shutters to show the dancers’ movements. When paired with flash, this creates some controlled blurring effect on the backdrop with a clear focus on the main focus.
Photographers often employ this technique when photographing reception dancing, mainly traditional circular dances such as those of the Jewish and Greek horas. This creates a celebration and the heightened emotions present and allows viewers to experience the complete chaos on the dance floor.
To illustrate, in the circle dance in which everyone moves between left and right, in concentric circles, the photographer will typically turn with the subject they’re trying to capture, panning the camera laterally across the entire scene to improve the background’s blur and enhance the issue. To achieve the desired effect, the photographer should shift from left to right while the subject moves from right to left, then freeze them with the flash while leaving the people around them blurred.
One of the critical factors in capturing these images is to use the rear-curtain sync feature of the camera, where the flash is activated at the end of the exposure instead of at the start. This lets the camera capture the movement and freeze it afterward with a moment. Flash.
In contrast, when you use the front-curtain sync, which triggers the flash first, and the camera can detect movement, the motion could alter the scene you seek to freeze.
GOING FLASH-LESS
The shutter’s movement can enable you to employ the blur effect to your advantage and create an illusion of the subject moving across your route. This can help capture a feeling of motion, an effect often seen in professional photos that capture auto-race scenes. In other words, capturing a photograph at a sufficient speed to stop the action results in an image that doesn’t have the same dynamic atmosphere.
However, the more considerable distance of a lens is more likely to cause visible motion blur and camera shake when shutter speeds are slower, which can be aesthetically pleasing. In general, a 50mm lens should be used at shutter speeds that are at most 1/50th second to create a sharp image. Going slower than that will likely result in motion blur, whether you like it or not. A 24-mm lens will give the same effect around 1/25th of a second, and a 100-mm lens at 1/100th second. Wedding photographers may endeavor to bring the shutter speed to one-quarter of a minute or less using a wide 24mm lens or a minimum of 1/60 of a second for a longer lens for maximum blur.
On the typical wedding day, numerous moments can be ideally suited to applying this method, from the bride’s hectic preparations at home, through wedding party members strolling through the aisle, and finally, the newly-wed couple leaving the church together as spouses for the first time.
