October 14, 2011

Focused on keeping focus...



I have been reading alot lately on the merit and allure of "blurred" photos.  Hmmmmm, interesting concept for me since I've always been focused on keeping focus!  This applies to both my life and my photography.  A blurred photo is judged a failure and quickly dragged to the trash can, and any out of focus aspect of life I work to get back to 20/20...stat!  It has always just been that crystal clear to me.  But quite honestly, the older I get the more I realize life is a blur because it just never stops moving...and waaaaay too quickly at times.  Being blurred is probably closer to the natural state of things.  So shouldn't it be captured that way in photography occasionally without being deemed a bad picture?



"Frenetic Colosseum"
Rome, Italy


Two years ago Thing #2 was studying abroad in Florence, Italy.  Of course I HAD to make the ultimate sacrifice and make the journey to visit (because that is what a good mom does!)...and I HAD to take my sister along for the experience (because that is what a good sister does!).  And a good Better-Half just doesn't complain about being left at home. We started in Rome and trained it up to Florence.  Italy NEVER disappoints and we had a wonderful trip with lots of laughs, food and wine.  When I got home and ventured thru all my photos I was very disappointed with this capture of the Colosseum at night because it was so blurred and I had such high hopes when taking it.  Yet for some reason I never discarded it.  Not because I felt it had any photographic merit, but because it brought back memories of my sister and I dodging traffic in the middle of the Rome street TRYING to get a night shot of the Colosseum and laughing at all of our failed attempts while cars were honking at us idiot Americans.  I learned a few new Italian hand gestures that night, and to never trust Rome cab drivers....just sayin'.

After reading and pondering recent postings on the merits of blurred photos, I remembered this picture and re-visited/re-edited it.  Yep, there WAS a reason I didn't throw it in the trash.  I didn't realize what it was that spoke to me about the photo until I read someone else's perspective who TOLD me.  Sometimes it is nice to convey the action and frenetic pace in our lives, and sometimes that is best accomplished thru a blurred photo.  I would add my own caveat that it is even better to convey it in Italy!

Ciao!


--Kathy



22 comments:

  1. Nice photo. ;) The best thing is when capturing it is all the fun.

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  2. Love the photo with all the colors and the blur(!).
    The blur make it better than it probably would have been as a static photo.

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  3. What an amazing photo! And I would have sacrificed to make that trip also. :)

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  4. Yes, I tend to throw out the blurry ones as well since I deem photography as a clear picture. But you are so right about life being a blur sometimes and that conveying in images is OK. Love your story behind the shot. Hard to decide which I like better the story or the shot!! Happy Friday!!

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  5. Lucky you!!
    Spectacular shot and great editing.

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  6. Love the lights zooming... very cool that you did not trash this photo!

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  7. That photo is way cool - love the motion!

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  8. I love the motion in your image.
    Blur certainly has a place in photography such as in your image. You can be creative with blur but I guess some subjects have to be taken pin sharp.

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  9. Beautiful photo full of color and movement. Well done!

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  10. Wonderful photo and words. I think the "blur" works quite well with this particular photo.

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  11. Wonderful night shot and a light. Powerful artwork :)

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  12. So glad you didn't trash this one.. it look wonderful..

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  13. Very cool shot. And what great memories!

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  14. This is something that I have only captured by chance. When I had my shutter open to capture lightning & my neighbor came home- I caught their car lights in my shot. I do plan on giving this a purposeful try sometime though. Your shot is Gorgeous with all those colors

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  15. Wow, the colors just add to the excitement of the moment. Really impressive, almost, trash.

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  16. Cool. Looks like an image from a magazine. Beautifully done. Thank you for linking up with Photo Art Friday!

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  17. Beautiful capture... I love low light/night photography...

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  18. I like that you turned a memory into art. Hanging onto something for sentimental reasons is fine reasoning as far as I am concerned. Photographs are personal first and foremost. What matters is that the shot of Italy means something to you. Focus is irrelevant.

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  19. I LOVE this photo Kathy. Awesome. I too am coming into realizing that blurry, abstract, wavy, coloring outside the lines, all have wonderful and dazzling charms. We must be getting to the wisdom thing!!

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  20. I love this! All those vibrant colours and blur. Thank you so much for linking with us at MM.

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  21. I think that this is great and definitely shows the pace of life in Roma! So glad that you were able to make that sacrifice to go there. Love your shot!

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