The slow eye
Today you’re seeing the same thing as in my previous posts, but not really.
As I’ve mentioned a few times, my daily walk always follows the exact same route. And it’s through a tourist area that holds zero photographic interest for me, which actually makes the challenge even greater. If my plan ever works out down the line, I’ll get lost in the streets of Hong Kong, New York, or St. Petersburg—but for now, the farthest I can go is Playa Honda. That’s just how it is.
Still, I’m enjoying photography more every day, and I keep pushing myself to get the most out of it within my current limits. Since I can’t change the scenery, lately I’ve been focusing on changing myself instead.
I’ve started experimenting with longer shutter speeds than the near-instant ones most people use by default. I’m not yet into true long-exposure or ultra-long-exposure photography (the kind that produces truly mind-blowing results), but I’ve been playing with my camera’s shutter speed to better understand what kinds of effects even small adjustments from normal values can create.
The goal of today’s experiment was simple: to combine sharp and blurred elements in the same frame. I wasn’t chasing anything particularly artistic this time—just building the technical skill I’ll need later in this project, when I will apply it for real narrative and creative purposes. In the meantime, I learned a ton, so the test was definitely a success.
You can achieve this effect with either a camera or a phone. There are detailed YouTube tutorials that walk you through it, and the results can be really striking. For example, if you’re after a powerful portrait, photograph someone looking straight into the lens on a busy street full of people walking past. Keep your subject perfectly sharp while everyone else around them turns into motion blur. The contrast is incredibly strong.
But all of this is just one practical example of the idea that actually matters: finding ways to push past obstacles and keep moving forward. No camera? Use your phone. Hong Kong feels too far away? There’s always somewhere nearby with something worth photographing. Can’t reach new places? You can still evolve the way you see the ones you already know. If you really want it, there’s always a path.
