Motion Blur
Submitted by Arushi Tiwari
About the Assignment The assignment discusses the fashion photography and social media trend of motion blur photography. Motion blur has been an inseparable part of the history of the camera and fashion photography. The first examples of motion blur could be seen in street photography from the 1850s. With the social and political liberation of women in the 1930s, American fashion photographers became the first ones to use the motion blur effect in mainstream fashion photography. In the 1980s and 1990s, motion blur movies from fashion magazines to family albums and polaroid photography. The transition of this trend from fashion to family albums added a layer of nostalgia for the Gen Z and Millenials.
Index I. Introduction to the trend 1. What is motion blur? 2. How did the term “motion blur” get coined? 3. What are the parameters for creating motion blur effect naturally? 4. Purpose and meaning of this trend throughout the years.
II. History of motion blur photography & people who used it
MOTION BLUR IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 1. The 1840s - 1880s 2. The 1890s - 1920s
MOTION BLUR IN GOLDEN ERA OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 1. The 1930s - 1950s
MOTION BLUR IN FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY
MOTION BLUR IN THE 21ST CENTURY
1. The 1930s - 1950s 2. The 1960s - 1970s
1. The 1930s - 1950s 2. The 1960s - 1970s
III. Motion blur in the present context
I. Introduction to the trend 1. What is motion blur? Motion blur could be best described as a photography effect. The effect can occur naturally when the exposure time for clicking a photograph is long and, there is relative motion between in subject and the camera. Today, the effect can be created with the help of photo editing software.
2. How did the term “motion blur” get coined? Though the effect itself existed in photography since the 1850s, the name - “motion blur” was given to it in the 1990s by the stopmotion artist, Ladislas Starevich. Motion blur created a sensation of movement in photographs, it was thus used by stop motion artists to create smooth transitions and human-like movements.
Note* - In stop motion, a third frame was created between the two frames by gently hitting the camera or the subject in the frame.
3. What are the parameters for creating motion blur effect naturally? Motion blur can be created naturally by keeping three factors in mind. The exposure time - To create a motion blur photograph naturally, the exposer time should ideally be between 1 min and 5 seconds. An exposure time of more than 1 minute will not retain the image of the blur. And an exposure time of more than 5 seconds will capture a clear and sharp photograph. State of the subject being clicked - The state of the subject should be moving, concerning the camera. Or State of the camera - The state of the camera should be moving, concerning the camera.
4. Different intensities and different types of motion blur photographs Different intensities
Medium blur
Low blur
Highly buried
Different types The subject is moving while the background and the camera are stationary.
The subject and the camera are moving.
A part of the subject is moving while the remaining subject, camera, and the background are stationary.
The subject and the camera are stationary while the background is moving. The subject and the camera are moving at the same speed.
An external element in the foreground of the photograph is moving, while the background, subject, and camera are stationary.
5. Purpose and meaning of this effect throughout the years At first glance, motion blur photographs can appear defective and improper. But throughout the history of photography, from street photography to social media photographs, the motion blur effect has appeared with significant meaning and purpose.As we go ahead in this assignment, we will discuss with the help of a timeline how the meaning of this effect has changed over the years. We will also see how this photographic effect transitioned from street photography to fashion photography and ended up in the family albums of the 90s.
II.History of motion blur photography 1. Timeline
1840s
Motion blur during the inception of street photography
1880s 1890s
Motion blur during the inception of street photography
1920s 1930s
1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
A. Motion blur during the golden age of street photography
B. Introduction of motion blur in fashion photography Peak Motion blur in fashion photography during the second wave of feminism.
A. Motion blur in family albums and polaroids B. Motion blur in fashion photography during the age of instant cameras and polarids Motion blur in fashion photography during the turn of the century. Motion blur in fashion photography for glam and nostalga.
2. The 1840s - 1880s Motion blur during the inxeption of street photography 1840 was the year the calotype (believed to be the ancestor of the reel camera) technique of photography was invented in France. The exposure time of a photograph decreased significantly with this invention. Calotype reduced the cost of photography as well as allowed photographers to be massproduced. This reduction in the time of exposure and cost of photography allowed the photographers to take part in street photography. It also gave the photographers a chance
to capture humans in motion, on the streets, for the 1st time. These initial street photographs of people had a significant amount of motion blur. But this blurriness was exciting for photographers like Charles Nègre, who was finally able to capture the hustle-bustle of Paris. He became one of the first photographers to capture motion and the blurry it in a photograph.
Charles Nègre, 1851
Charles Nègre, 1852
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Hustle bustle 2. Discovery 3. Movement 4. Existence of humans Charles Nègre, 1851
2. The 1890s - 1920s Motion blur during the inception of street photography Similar to Charles Nègre in the 1840s, the 1890s had another photographer on the streets of Paris named Eugene Atget. The 1890s had large view cameras and glass negatives which were more effective than calotype. They clicked more stable photographers, quicker but, movement and motion blur continued to be present in street photography.
Eugene Atget appreciated the motion blur effect in his street photography. According to him, it showed the energy of a place and the existence of human lives. Along with Eugene Atget, Robert Doisneau was another prominent street photographer in Paris during that time.
Robert Doisneau, 1899
Eugene Atget, 1900
Robert Doisneau, 1912 Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Hustle bustle 2. Discovery 3. Movement 4. Existence of humans
3. The 1930s - 1950s A. Motion blur during the golden age of street photography The 1930s to the 1950s marked the golden age of street photography with photographers like André Kertész, Brassaï, and Henri Cartier-Bresson ruling this industry. The era of street photography was heavily condensed in Paris. The discovery of Leica cameras allowed photography to be on the move for the first time. The exposure time needed to click a photograph was reduced, and the quality of the photographs improved. But even after that, motion blur continued to be a by-product of street photography. All the other genres of
photography during this time made sure to produce clear motionless images. It was only street photography that continued to showcase the motion blur effect. Motion blur was not desirable in street photography at that time, but it continued to be associated with movement, energy, human life, and the hustle-bustle of Paris. It even became an artistic choice in some of the works of Brassaï and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932
Brassaï , no date
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1950
Brassaï , 1933
André Kertés, 1929 André Kertés, 1930
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932
Brassaï , Paris Night, 1931
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1949
Brassaï , 1932
Brassaï, 1933
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Hustle bustle 2. Human lives 3. The energy of a place 4. Movement
B. Introduction of motion blur in fashion photography Street photography has always been a precursor to fashion photography. While street photography captures the sociopolitical changes at a particular time, fashion photography makes sure to stay relevant to these socio-political changes. In this section, we will see how the motion blur effect
(previously only seen in street photography) entered into the genre of fashion photography. We will also find how this effect became an important part of the second wave of feminism, ready to wear fashion, and post-world war youth culture.
The 1930s - 1950s Fashion photography has been relevant in France since the 1820s and in America since the 1880s. Till the 1930s, fashion photography was nothing different in France and America, poised and motionless. The main priority of fashion photography till the 1930s was to showcase the garment and accessories only. It is important to remember that fashion photography historically has been targeted at females. By the 1930s American fashion photographers realised the importance of storytelling to grab the attention of female consumers. The rise of ready to wear fashion and the freedom of the women from the restriction of corsets created
a liberating socio-political atmosphere for women in America. Women actively started wearing sportswear and taking part in sports. During this time, in 1933, Hungarian photographer Martin Munkacsi did a shoot of Calvin Klein women for Harper’s Bazaar America for activewear and sports. He became the first fashion photographer to capture a model in motion and introduced the trend of motion blur effect in fashion photography. The motion blur effect in fashion photography at that time created realism and relevance which was previously lacking.
Martin Munkacsi , Harper’s Bazaar, 1933
Hermann Landshoff, 1946
Norman Parkinson , Vogue, 1949
Hermann Landshoff, 1946
Hermann Landshoff, 1946
Norman Parkinson, Vogue, 1957
Martin Munkacsi , 1933
Martin Munkacsi, 1940
Norman Parkinson, 1939
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Freedom 2. Turn of a new era 3. Female empowerment 4. Breaking away from European conservative traditions. 5. Mass production of fashion
4. The 1960s - 1970s Motion blur in fashion photography during the second wave of feminism. While the 1930s introduced motion blur in fashion photography, it is the 1960s that is believed to be the golden age for this effect. The 1960s and post 1960s was the time when youth took over the culture and the generation gap became significant. The second wave of feminism came in and along with that came the youth-centred subcultures like the Hippies and the Bohemians. This was also the time of the pop art movement and the introduction of celebrity culture. The youth in the 60s decided to leave the conservative ideas
of life behind and embraced the liberal school of thinking. Women became an active part of the work culture and questioned the stereotypes of femininity. Motion blur effect played a significant role in fashion photography for presenting the ideas of feminism and the fast-paced, liberal lifestyle of the youth. Young, female and male fashion photographers like Deborah Turbeville and David Bailey, excessively used the motion blur effect and ruled the industry.
David Bailey, 1963 David Bailey, 1962
Brian Duffy, Vogue Italy, 1961 David Bailey, Vogue, 1965
William Klein, Vogue, 1961
David Bailey, Vogue, 1967
Avedon, 1973
Bob Richardson, Vogue, 1972 Terence Donovan, 1966
Bob Richardson, 1972
Avedon, Vogue, 1968
William Klein, 1962
Cecil Beaton, Vogue, 1965
Norman Parkinson , 1960s
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Freedom 2. Youth culture 3. Liberation 4. Feminism 5. Fast-paced life 6. Fun, living in the moment 7. Power and drama
5. The 1980s - 1990s Post-1970s, photography became a household affair. With the introduction of instant cameras and point and shoot cameras photography became a part of people’s everyday lives. Household amateur photographers came to rise, and polaroids and family albums became extremely common. Polaroids also became a significant part of the lives of the
youth, at that time. So while the motion blur effect became less common in fashion photography, it became extremely common in polaroids and instant camera photographs during the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
A. Motion blur in family albums and polaroids As mentioned earlier, polaroids and point and shoot cameras became a household name in the mid-1970s and 1980s. While polaroids became popular among the youth, the point and shoot cameras were a family favourite. These cameras were easy to use and came with a fixed shutter speed, aperture and ISO. But because the user had no control over the settings of the camera, a lot of the photographs produced by these cameras had a motion blur effect. This effect was not
intentional or desirable in this case. But it was inevitable at that time and the users didn’t seem to get bothered by it too much. The motion blur effect became part of the instant camera aesthetics. We will see in the next section of this assignment, how the motion blur aesthetic of instant cameras became a point of collective nostalgia in the 21st century.
B. Motion blur in fashion photography during the age of instant cameras and polarids While the motion blur effect was becoming more popular among the masses, it was becoming less used in fashion photography. Digitisation was coming in and professional cameras were now able to capture a model in midmotion without any business. During this time, fashion photographers were producing sharp photographs of models
while in motion. Some iconic fashion photographers like Parkinson could be seen using the motion blur effect in his work, to showcase the fast-moving life of the people in the 80s and the 90s. But apart from that, motion blur wasn’t popular at that time.
Kate Moss , Harper’s Bazaar, 1994
Arthur Elgort , Vogue Italy, 1994
Kate Moss , Harper’s Bazaar, 1994
Arthur Elgort , Vogue, 1987
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Movement 2. Youth culture 3. Fast-paced life 4. Power and drama
6. The 2000s The turn of the century brought some major changes. Fashion photography became more art-like, DSLR and photo editing software came in, instant cameras and polaroids
became obscure and digital instant cameras reached the masses. All of these changes influenced how fashion photographers and the masses felt about the motion blur
Motion blur in fashion photography during the turn of the century. Fashion photography was following the theme of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery in the 2000s. French fashion photographer, Sarah Moon, used motion blur to make her photographs appear like a painting and add a layer of mystery and fantasy to them. Other fashion photographers who did
something similar were Arthur Elgort, Paul Roviers, etc. While fashion photographers were experimenting with motion blur, the masses were busy exploring digital instant cameras and mobile cameras. Motion blurry wasn’t nostalgic to the masses as of yet.
Sara Moon , 2000 Sara Moon , 2008
Arthur Elgort , Vogue, 2008 Marissa Liu, Harper’s Bazaar, 2009
Arthur Elgort , 2008
Nick Knight , 2010
Marissa Liu, Harper’s Bazaar, 2009
Sara Moon , 2010
Paul Roviers, 2009
Mart and Marcus, Giorgio Armani, 2008
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Dreamy ness 2. Drama 3. Fantasy 4. Mystery 5. Surrealism
6. The 2010s Motion blur in fashion photography for glam and nostalga. The 2010s came with techno fever. Rapid technological developments took place and smartphones with cameras became a part of people’s everyday life. Social media came to life and visuals became one of the primary modes of communication with the masses. Party culture and glam culture became extremely popular among the young masses and the 1920s flapper girls era became an inspiration. The fashion brands and fashion photographers understood
what the masses wanted and used motion blur to establish nostalgia. Photographs like Max Abadian and Derek Kettela used glitter and sequin fashion. The photographs were clicked on the streets with neon street lights creating a blur behind the model. The glitter fashion and blurred streaks of light on a black backdrop of the night sky created young, glamorous, and nostalgic photographs. Max Abadian, Elle Canada, 2015
Summer Luu, Vogue Russia, 2011
Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Vogue Paris, 2018 Summer Luu, Numero Magazine, 2011
Summer Luu, Vogue Russia, 2011
Max Abadian, Elle Canada, 2015 Max Abadian, Elle Canada, 2015
Mikel Jansson, Vogue Paris, 2011
Derek Kettela, Amica Mahazine, 2011
Vogue Portuga, 2016
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Retro 2. Drama 3. Mystery 4. Glamour 5. Nostalgic
III. Motion blur in the present context The year 2020 and 2021 have had a major impact on the lives of the people. The pandemic has brought almost everyone into the simulated universe of social media. The lack of movement in the last two years has made people crave spontaneity, movement, and authenticity at least in their simulated life. Nostalgia about the good old 80s and 90s has become
a common social media affair between Gen Z and Millennials. As the world is slowly opening up, the youth is holding on to the nostalgia and authenticity from the 80s and 90s. Polaroid and instant camera photographs are all the craze on social media. And with this, the motion blur aesthetic of polarisers and instant camera photographs has now become a prominent social media aesthetic.
Fashion photography Fashion brands and fashion photographers could also be seen going along with the trend of the 90s motion blur aesthetic, in their current work. Fashion brands like Fendi and fashion
photographers like Mark Seliger are using motion blur to create a feeling of warmth, joy, nostalgia, and movement which all of us have been craving for the last two years.
Nick Knight, Feendi SS 21, 2021
Mark Seliger, 2020
Nick Knight, Feendi SS 21, 2021
Jody Rogac, Vogue, 2021
Nick Knight, Feendi SS 21, 2021
Zara men, 2020
Corey Tenold, Vogue, Fall 2020 Chanel
Daniel Arnold, Vogue, 2021
Mark Seliger, 2020
Carolina Herrera, Vogue 2020
Mark Seliger, 2020
Seiyoung Lee, Vogue, 2021
Dior, SS 2021
Gordon von Steiner, Vogue, 2021
Carolina Herrera, Vogue 2020
Ashish Shah, Vogue, 2021
Nick Knight, Feendi SS 21, 2021
Meaning and importance of motion blur effect at that time 1. Nostalgic 2. Clam 3. Joy 4. Movement
Social media trend What is interesting to see here is, how a fashion photography trend has also become a mass social media trend as well. Today, platforms like Instagram have AR filters, which are allowing users to have a motion blur aesthetic to their images.
One can find over 600,000 posts made on Instagram with the #blur. Almost all of the photographers in this hashtag are examples of motion effects.
Instagram @under.taker66
Instagram @gustavochavezh Instagram @ana.rnds
Instagram @drchuayang
Instagram @karlplewka
Future of this trend The motion blur effect is not just a filter, but now a social media aesthitic. This makes it clear that the trend might get less popular in fashion photography due to the sheer number of people recreating this effect on social media, per day. The more the masses re-creating a photography trend, the less trending it will become for the fashion photography industry.
While in terms of social media, the trend seems to be at its peak. Keeping in mind the life cycle of a trend, it might see a downfall in the next month or so. But because the trend functions on nostalgia, at least on social media, it might see a comeback in the future.
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