MOVE YOUR CAMERA FOR CREATIVE ABSTRACTS

Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how to capture motion blur with intentional camera movement, using a tripod ball-head and a slow shutter speed

1 HOUR The technique of intentional camera movement, or ICM, involves moving the camera during a long exposure in order to introduce motion blur. You can either hand-hold your camera or use a tripod, and it normally works best when the camera is moved in just one direction, which makes a three-way tripod head (aka a pan-and-tilt head) the obvious choice use; however, for this project, we're using a ball-head.

You might think this sounds odd; after all, three-way tripod heads make this so much easier, as all you have to do is unlock one of the three directional movement controls and you can pan or tilt the camera in one direction smoothly and with precision. However, most of us buy our tripod with a ball head, and we're certainly not expecting you to invest in a threeway head just to try out this technique - so we'll show you that it's possible to take ICM shots using a ball-head.

Sure, it's a little trickier, as a ball head moves in all directions. But with a steady hand and a bit of practice, you should be able to achieve great results in a matter of minutes.

MOVE THE TRIPOD