The importance of motion in photos
I was shooting Le Book all last week, a French company that puts together a book of creative and production companies for others to browse when looking for help in either of those areas. I was at the trade show they have once a year, and, as they are French, they asked me to capture the glamour of the event. I suggested I hold the camera at angles and slow my shutter down to get the feeling right. The employee I was talking to interrupted and said “yes, capture some motion.” The French also seemingly have an inherent knowledge on how to capture glamour to go along with their interest in it.
Perhaps he was a photographer himself, but his statement got me noticing motion in other photos. In the introductory class I teach on photography, one of the first things we talk about is how to eliminate blurriness. There are, of course, many times where motion adds a “je ne sais quoi” to your shot.
This New York Magazine photo accompanied a restaurant review. The photo caught my eye because I didn’t find it particularly up to par with their usual work but the movement shown in the hostess/server redeems the photo. It conveys the fact that she is the one on the move, working, while the guests are still, enjoying their meal. Subtle storytelling!
When shooting events where motion is so inherent, its nice to see it captured as well as this. While we are at it, this picture makes me hear this song:
Enjoy.
