Metro, departing
Montreal, QC, August 2008
For this week's Thematic Photographic theme, blur, I wanted a chance to share some pictures that might otherwise not make it out of the virtual shoebox. We've been conditioned to believe that only the sharpest pictures deserve to be kept and shared. Anything remotely fuzzy or blurry is either tossed out entirely or relegated to the dusty shadows of the archives.
That's kinda too bad, because blurs can be fun. We spend much of our day moving around, so it makes sense to reflect movement in our photography.
Then there's the perfection thing: As much as I try to achieve perfection in every shot I take, the bad angel on my other shoulder constantly reminds me that the world isn't a perfect place. And since photography is supposed to more or less reflect how we see things, then it's easy to conclude that not every picture needs to be tack sharp either.
So as you decide which pictures to share this week - and I do hope you'll share many - please focus on the ones where focus may have taken a back seat, where motion tells the story in ways that would have made your parents' generation cringe.
Your turn: Give me your best blurry pictures. We've got a week to explore the dickens out of this theme. I know you're up to the challenge. If you're just joining us, here's some background on Thematic Photographic:
- Every Wednesday evening, at precisely 7 o'clock Eastern, I post a new Thematic Photographic entry.
- Each entry has a unique theme. This week's is...blur.
- You post a similarly themed image over on your blog.
- You paste a link to your entry in a comment here.
- If you've already posted something that fits (on a blog, Facebook, MySpace, wherever) simply post the link to the existing entry.
- You may post as many photos or links as you wish. For the next week, I'll be supporting this theme with a related picture/posting each day. I encourage you to do the same. This is all about sharing, so feel free to share to your heart's content!
- Please share this link with friends, too, and encourage them to join in. The more, the merrier.
Hi Carmi!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to tell you I think this pic is cool.
I didn't realize what it was til after I studied it a bit more.
I'll be playing this new photo game with y'all if you don't mind. Bennie got me started!
/Edit to comment earlier:
ReplyDeleteIf I can find a pic that I haven't deleted I'll be playing this game this week. Or I'll get out there and try to take some new ones, but if not this week, future weeks. I bookmarked your site so I'll be able to keep up on this.
Very cool idea/concept too btw. Blogging is getting 'stale' for me these days, and since I've been out there with my camera a lot more lately, this is a good way for me to post but not really post.
Thanks again.
Can you believe I got two in a row?!?!? They aren't as pretty as yours but I like them!
ReplyDeletePS - They're on my blog!
Carmi -
ReplyDeleteI love your 1st choice for this theme ... it makes me :)
Mine is up - Pix from the Fair :)
~Heather
I'll try and have a go over the weekend as I know I still have loads of blurry despite the digital age!
ReplyDeleteCheers
Sometimes blurry is good! I love that train shot.
ReplyDeleteHere are a few I deem to be keepers:
abstract twinkles
wrong white balance
funny caramel
That is the coolest photo, Carmi!
ReplyDeleteI'll see what I can come up with! Should be a fun one!
Sweet shot!! The motion of the train and the rock solidity of the platform... a study in contrast...
ReplyDeleteI found a couple among my already-uploaded shots that fit the bill pretty neatly. See what you think.
Thematic Photographic 20: "Blur"
Carmi, love your shot - It's in motion. Mine are up.
ReplyDeleteI am up here:
ReplyDeletehttp://herroyalness.blogspot.com/2008/10/thematic-photographic-8-thematic-theme.html
Hi, Carmi,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I missed last week's theme. There were some good entries. I have one up for "blur."
Being with my two-year-old granddaughter should give me lots of opportunity to get some blurs as she dashes about.
Hola! Here is my contribution:
ReplyDeletehttp://sealaura.blogspot.com/
happened to take it this AM, so happy I get to share it, although @first I was sad it came out blurry.
my goodness! people are quick on the posting tonight!!
ReplyDeleteCarmi......great picture....love it.
here's mine.
http://mayfairplace.blogspot.com/2008/10/it-only-takes-whisper-of-rustling-wind.html
I'm planning on posting a picture or two to go with your theme this week.
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteHere's mine Fast Track
ReplyDeleteVery cool shot! Did you use a tripod for that???
ReplyDeleteYou know I am so loving the blur theme...my life seems like a blur with two you kids.
I even have a set in my Flickr called "learning to love the blur"...so, done and posted.
I am SURE I will have some more this week.
Happy Wednesday!
I love the shot Carmi. I was driving through a tunnel today and was tempted to whip out the camera. The semi on my right kinda swayed my choice though... maybe next time I'll be a passenger.
ReplyDeleteCarmi,
ReplyDeleteI posted! Hard to come up with pic for this theme but I managed to find one.
Carmi, I had more photos than I thought. Just found another blurry pearl.
ReplyDeleteThis theme makes perfect sense. So much of life is indeed a blur. Kids grow up fast; each day races by so quickly that one often has to huff and puff just to try to keep pace. Clear, still pics show us what we would see, if we had -- if we took -- the time. Much of life tilts by at breakneck speed, though, and the blurred pics are therefore somewhat reassuring: things don't have to always be set neatly in place in order to joyfully experience them.
ReplyDeleteWell, that, and they look cool all burred.
I am so sad that I went thru my photos a few weeks back and deleted a bunch, including some blurry ones. Blast it! Oh well, I'm sure there's got to be some that I overlooked.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing other people's blurs!
Since we just finished cross country, I've got lots of blurred shots to choose from. :-)
ReplyDeleteHere's mine.
I don't have anything blurry at the moment - but I'll make one just for you!
ReplyDeleteJ'ai toujours un doute d'être bien dans le thème
ReplyDeleteI love that shot. You can practically feel the wind blowing your hair as the train rushes through.
ReplyDeleteMine's up. I've been playing around with very shallow depths of field. Lots of blur there.
I started to take some senior pics of my daughter last night but the light was fading. Since they were all blurry anyway, I twisted the camera while clicking to make a patterned blur. Fun!
ReplyDeleteLove that shot, Carmi! Mine's up...it'll give you motion sickness, tho! (http://fondofsnape.com/?p=1913)
ReplyDeleteI took a picture just now with a blurry background(a bee on a mum with a blur in back). I realized afterwards it would be a good idea to try one where the subject itself is blurred. I'll have to think about that...
ReplyDeleteOoooh! This photo is very cool! I am not sure I will get anything posted this week... but had to let you know I will be sure to check out others' posts... and I really liked your image here.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a lot of fun. I have a ton of themed photographs at home. I probably do this soon.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, thanks for your comment on my blog. Coming from a journalist your compliment carries weight.
blur, what i see when I drive at night, hehe
ReplyDeleteyou must have been jogging pretty fast to get such an image of the subway train, carmi!
ReplyDeletewell done.
Ollie and me are a bit blurry but he's still the cutest kid in town - related to me.
Cheers,
Gord H.
http://itstrikesmefunny.blogspot.com/2008/10/ollie-and-me-even-if-photo-is-blurry.html
You are spot-on with this theme! I've got stacks of pictures that didn't come out just right, but are still pretty cool when viewed objectively. Frequently, it's the blurryness or motion which defines the clarity of the main subject.
ReplyDeleteWell done. Love your idea.
Wow! Look at all the comments already! To see the somewhat blurry Ride of Paul Revere click here!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteExcellent with the motion blur here. The cool blue streak of the train is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI am pre-posted for a few weeks because of busy-ness and business so I don't have any shots up for the theme right now.
Found some photos that fit the "blurry" challenge.
ReplyDeleteBlur
Carmi, who knew Blur would rival Nature?? This is an interesting week. Thanks again for making us think.
ReplyDeleteI am having a fun time with this! Took some photos of my daughter all a blur.
ReplyDeleteThematic Photography: Blur
Here is my first contribution. It is more of a "slight out of focus" than a true blur, but it is one of my favs from the summer. I haven't posted it anywhere yet because of the focus issue. Thanks so much for having this theme!!
ReplyDeletehttp://notafraidtouseit.blogspot.com
I found some blurry pictures that I think you'll enjoy - they are up here!
ReplyDeleteGreat theme!
To follow up the blurry ride of Paul Revere, I have a blurry shot of Bill Medley.
ReplyDeleteHi Carmi,
ReplyDeleteI joined in with your thematic photo theme this week. I think its the first time I have joined in....turns out I am not too bad at blurry pics. Well I quite like them anyway. lol.
Anyway, I couldn't decide on just one so I have a few pics up on my blog - here.
Nikki
Loving this theme. Perfect for me right now with only my iPhone to get pictures onto my computer while my USB cable/camera won't transfer them!
ReplyDeleteHere is my contribution
Thanks a lot for initiating this meme.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't resist one more blurry contribution. Waiting for Coffee is probably my blurriest time of day.
ReplyDeleteWow what an interesting blog. I have made my first post. It can be seen here: http://theworldthroughchrissyslens.blogspot.com/2008/10/thematic-photographic-20-blur.html
ReplyDeleteLook forward to seeing what this Wednesday post will be in realation to.
Chrissy
Great theme, Carmi. Your metro shot turned out so crisp that it's almost hard to believe it's blurred. I really like it.
ReplyDeleteI found a shot I took awhile back that wasn't supposed to be a blurry photo. But it worked out quite nicely. It's at my photoblog.
This is so addicting. One more for the night and I got to get to bed.
ReplyDeletehttp://theworldthroughchrissyslens.blogspot.com/2008/10/thematic-photographic-20-blur-post-2.html
Here's my contribution, with a bonus poem to go with it
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like fun....here's my contribution for the week:
ReplyDeletehttp://lantman2468.blogspot.com/2008/10/thematic-photographic-theme-blur.html
Love the train pic.
ReplyDeleteI had some great ideas about this subject but didn't have the time to get out and get the shot so I've pulled something from my archives. I was surprised how many blurred shots I've kept. The one I wanted to use wasn't in digital format so I settled on this ...
http://finallyfiguringitout.blogspot.com/2008/10/thematic-photographic-blur.html
I'm hoping to get some fresh shots for next week's theme.
if i ever manage to duplicate the tunnel effect, i'll let you know how it's done. =D
ReplyDeleteHaving a lot of fun with this theme, so I have one more. This one is The Smokey Smithy.
ReplyDeleteI was able to squeeze one in today!
ReplyDeletehttp://nineacresphotoclasses.blogspot.com/
Great theme this week, Carmi... I love how you gave us a chance to work in all those almost-got-it shots that we've collected over the years. Unfortunately, I've been terribly busy, so I almost didn't even jump in this week (reference to your photo of your son jumping in). But when I saw your fog-cloaked street, I had to show my photo. So I'm in! And I'm looking forward to next week's theme, happy! Wooo!
ReplyDelete-smarmoofus
Carmi - I think you' might be spreading magic.
ReplyDeleteOne more blur from me.
http://paulnewmanshirtdays.blogspot.com/2008/10/one-more-for-carmis-theme-library-is.html
I'm participating. Looked all over and found these gems.
ReplyDeletehttp://urban-science.blogspot.com/2008/10/wordless-wednesday-out-of-focus.html
Sitting at Texas Roadhouse, looking at the floor covered in peanut shells. Hmmm....could make for a nice, blurry shot.
ReplyDeleteSee the results here.
Mine is up! Sorry it took me so long!!
ReplyDeletehttp://friendphotog.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/blur/
very cool picture
ReplyDeleteI'm a newby. Glad I came across your site. I have to say you made blurry look good. I've decided to play. You can find my blur at http://imbrium1212.blogspot.com/
ReplyDelete