Creative motion blur?

[Federico Presti]

Hi! There is a building in front of my new apartment that works pretty well as a mirror, and I used it for a few shots.
I photographed the reflections of the passing cars in the mirror, and this is what I came up with (this one is actually a bus



Is this a creative way to use motion blur? if it's not, I won't be offended so please be frank.

Anyway, is this photo good overall? do you like it?

Here is another example with the same effect

Flickr Photo Download: cabs

EXIF data:

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX10 IS
Exposure: 0.5"
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 26 mm (150mm equiv)
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

[Chip]

Hi, Federico -

I think this is a great concept. I like the combination of blur and reflection.

Just my opinion about some things in this photo:

The brick wall and cab are distracting to me. The brick wall could likely be cropped out easily. But with the cab, it's likely a blend of luck and timing when pressing the shutter. Shot like these can be hit or miss - take a hundred and hope for a few that turn out well.

The photo looks a bit underexposed. Maybe use a larger aperture (smaller f#) or higher ISO?

And, this point might be related to the prior one, but is there a time when the light is more interesting, the building isn't all in shade, etc? Having "better" light might make a world of difference.

I like the blurred bus, because it fills the frame, and I like this photo because it's different. Good work. And if you try this again, I'd love to see what else you come up with.

[Federico Presti]

Hey Chip, I'll see what I can do! If the concept is usable, I can surely improve it. Thanks!