MARCH 2016 • NEBRASKAland 51
In this photo, captured at Martin's Reach Wildlife
Management Area, a tripod and cable release eliminated
camera movement and held the 500 mm lens steady at a
shutter speed of 1/13th of a second, which was enough
to freeze the standing cranes but not the one dancing.
want to stop the action, or which action you want to stop.
Motion blur, when done properly, adds a unique, artistic
effect to a photograph. Hold the camera still and let your
subject move through the frame and it becomes a blur.
How big of a blur depends on the shutter speed you
choose.
You can use this trick when you head to the central
Platte River to watch sandhill cranes come to roost. Put
your camera on a tripod and set your shutter speed at
1/30th or slower and the cranes that have already landed
will be sharp and the ones coming in to land or dancing on
a sandbar will blur.
Yet whether you are photographing a deer or your
daughter running down a field, it's always a good idea to
move your camera to follow the action. Ignore the advice
I gave you in the second paragraph and choose a slow
shutter speed, however, and you can blur the background,
producing another interesting effect. If you do a good job
panning with the action and keeping your subject steady in
the frame, they will remain sharp, or at least parts of them
will.
When you head out to watch the migration this spring,
flip your camera into shutter priority mode and break
some rules. You may like the results.
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