Capturing Time & Motion [Book Review]

There are quite a few elements that lead to a fine photographic image: framing, focus, contrast, lighting etc.

However the single most compelling ingredient that transcends the stillness of a photograph is motion, a component that we all too often try to avoid in the quest for sharpness!

Confirming this view, Joseph Meehan’s book – Capturing Time & Motion – stresses that “motion is something that we going to use rather than try to eliminate.”

A graphic series of six shots taken in a snowstorm spells out the situation: the one second exposure depicts the falling snow as a blurr; the 1/250m second exposure freezes the individual snow flakes. Time is motion.
The appropriate shutter speed is at the heart of it; shapes and textures blurr; varied planes of action are captured; movement becomes surreal.

An important lesson is given: even though motion in a picture may be a dominant factor, it is imperative that composition is carefully controlled, possibly to a greater degree than a more static image.

Quite a few pages are given to operating your camera: selecting aperture or shutter priority is important; ensuring you have the correct colour balance setting; handling focus — auto or manual?

Capturing motion is a very specialized part of photography and Meehan’s book takes you through the subject very thoroughly.

My only niggle is that, for me, few of his pictures really rocked my boat!

Author: J Meehan.
Publisher: Lark Books.
Distributor: Capricorn Link.
Length: 175 pages.
ISBN: 13 978 1 60059 467 0.
Price: Capturing Time & Motion is $21.56 at Amazon (28% off).