Blur Can Be Beautiful

See Making Sharp Images for everything you need to know on blur and sharpness.

Blur of all kinds can be beautiful, including motion blur and background blur. So don’t be afraid to try images that have blur!

I grow several hundred sunflowers every year, my record being a thousand or so. Trouble-free, and more intricately beautiful than the pedestrian rose, they fascinate me. And it’s really funny to watch squirrels hanging upside down waving back and forth as they try to sever the head.

These shots were all taken at dusk with the flowers waving in the breeze, handheld with the Nikon D3, a favorite camera for such situations. The Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar delivered the goods as usual, with its stunning bokeh and gorgeous color rendition.

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f5.6, ISO 1600

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f2, ISO 1600

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f2, ISO 1600

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f2, ISO 1600

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f11, ISO 1600

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f2, ISO 1600

Nikon D3 + Zeiss ZF 100/2 Makro-Planar @ f5.6, ISO 1600

Motion blur

Taken while riding my bike, in infrared.

Motion blur, taken while riding my bike!