This pro photographer takes blurry photos on purpose

Since photography was first invented, photographers have strived to get the sharpest photos they can. In modern times, that birthed the phrase “aim to shoot at a shutter speed of 1/double the focal length of your lens.” This ensures sharp results, even if your camera or lens doesn’t have any stabilization. But what if you don’t want sharp photos? Could you actually make good photos if you drop the shutter speed on purpose?

Andrey Metelev is a professional photographer who does just that. By giving up on sharpness, he showcases the world in a way a typical photo cannot. Let’s see how he does that.

DIYP: How can you tell if a certain scene will be low-shutter appropriate or not?

Understanding comes with practice. Over time, you learn which shutter speed to apply in different situations, which elements will add harmony, and which will introduce dissonance. You also consider factors like the speed of the subject, the direction and intensity of light, the background, and the environment. My most common shutter speed range is from 1 to 1/15 seconds.

DIYP: Your low-shutter portraits often look dreamlike, and I noticed you play a lot with the colors in the post. Because of this, a camera’s preview won’t look at all like the final result, so how do you know that you’re getting the photo you’re aiming for while shooting?

Regarding photo editing, I am not a big fan of heavy color correction. I usually only adjust the contrast slightly and tone certain areas for composition and color harmony. Everything else is handled by the camera settings: aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. Of course, in contrast, a uniform background is always better than a busy, colorful one. However, the advantage of long exposure is that you can make almost any background look painterly.

DIYP: Lastly, what gear do you use?

As for equipment, most of my shots are taken with a Canon R6 and a Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art (sometimes with an ND filter).

---