Blurred Lines

I'm not the only one who likes to shoot blurred images.

Willem Oets shot these recently on a wildlife expedition. They are either fully blurred, or the blur is selective. The images are incredible, though. They show the motion and the magic of the moment, rather than the detail of the animal.

I just love it!

The grass is in focus, not the lioness. So unexpected, but such a beautiful image.

Mostly not in focus! But yet this shot shows the lion moving into the shot, and his elegant profile.

A herd of walking impala from the distance. The blur showing them walking, or dropping their heads to eat.

The lighting is lovely - enough to highlight the faces, and provide side lighting. The grain, the blur and the over sharpening provide added texture.

This one IS in focus!! But the crop is amazing. The story behind the shot - the bees are attracted to the moisture in the lion's nose. They crawl up and annoy him incredibly! Love his screwed up face!

Wildlife photography is traditionally the strictest genre for shots being in focus, and 'correctly' depicting the animal. No post editing allowed, if you wish to submit the photo for PSSA salons and competitions.

But here we see that you don't need to follow the 'rules', that breaking them creates a different mood and feel. And the animals are depicted in a different way, to great effect!

Wonderful work, Willem.