At Photography Life, we are introducing weekly photo challenges so you can practice your photography and editing! There are two types of challenges: a photography theme challenge and a Raw editing challenge.

We constantly preach the importance of experimenting with new techniques that enable you to create a style all your own and make your images stand out from the rest. There are a variety of ways to achieve these goals—either in the camera or during the editing process,

Earlier this morning we posted a tutorial that took the first approach, explaining how to shoot photos that convey a compelling sense of motion. Now, in the lesson below, you’ll learn how create similar effects while processing an image in Photoshop.

Instructor Brian Matiash hosts a popular YouTube channel with this simple motto: “Make Better Pictures” using simple editing techniques that anyone can master. This episode explains how to elevate your creative powers in Photoshop with the easy-to-use Path Blur tools.

The breathtaking images you’ll create by following the advice Matiash provides belie how easy they actually are to create. In fact, those you view your results may think you’re a Photoshop expert. Moreover, Matiash says, “This is a lot of fun.”

The trick with Path Blur is to use it sparingly with the right type of photo. Matiash explains that by taking this approach you will “completely change the photo and give it a unique artistic look.” Before getting started there are a few thing to consider when selecting an image to enhance. First, it helps to have a person (or other prominent subject) in the scene.

Secondly, that object should only occupy a small portion of the frame. It’s also advisable to have some separation between your foreground subject and the background—like in the demonstration image of Matiash standing on a frozen lake with slightly out-of-focus mountains as the backdrop. Once you find the right image it’s time to get to work.

Matiash explains the step-by step process, which begins by preparing layers in Photoshop, both for himself and the background. Here he provides helpful keyboard shortcuts for speeding up the process. As you’ll see, Adobe’s Select Subject tool gets the job done fast and with precision.

Only two Path Blurs are required for this simple image. The first is a straight one that provides an abstract look to the background. Matiash also adds a curved Path blur to simulate a wave in the water closer to the foreground. This step further accentuates the appearance of motion within the shot.

Now the photo is looking pretty great, but Matiash has one more trick up his sleeve—and it’s a powerful one. Here you’ll see how Landscape AI presets can add an impressive final touch.

Be sure to pay a visit to the Brian Matiash YouTube channel where’s there’s much more to learn. And don’t miss this morning’s related tutorial mentioned above. 

Many professional photographers credit their success to “telling a story” with their images. The tutorial below falls into that category by explaining how to capture action subjects in the most compelling way.

One common mistake when shooting moving subjects is to use an unnecessarily fast shutter speed. While this approach may result in photos with maximum sharpness throughout the frame, there’s a much better way if you want your photos to stand out—and that’s using a technique known as “motion blur” to depict what the image is all about.

What make this simple technique so much fun is that there are appropriate subjects just about everywhere you look. Examples include everything from birds in flight, moving water, and athletes during competition, to light trails emanating from cars moving down the road, and even pedestrians walking through an interesting scene.

In the tutorial below from Finnish photographer Peter Forsgard you’ll learn how to add motion blur to these types of photos for a dynamic—rather than static—appearance. And it only takes six minutes to demonstrate how it’s done.

As Forsgard explains, “If you use a long shutter speed as the subject moves through the frame, there will be motion blur that shows the speed of that subject.” Some experimentation is often required because the “best” shutter speed to choose depends upon the specific task at hand and the effect you want to create.

As you’ll see, there are other ways to convey  (and even exaggerate) a sense of motion. One of the most effective methods is to follow a subject by panning with the camera as it moves through the frame. By doing this, your subject will remain relatively sharp while motion blur appears in the background.

Forsgard recommends using manual focus for assignments like these, especially when the subject is moving across the frame (rather than toward or away from the camera). This way you can anticipate the movement, focus on a specific distance, and make the shot as the subject hits the mark.

Sufficiently slow shutter speeds, while arriving at a correct exposure can be a difficult proposition on bright, sunny days, but Forsgard explains how to overcome that problem with the use of an ND filter.

Forsgard wraps up the lesson with a discussion of capturing light streaks in low light conditions. Subjects here could be the aforementioned light trails from moving cars, a colorful Ferris wheel, or a cyclist wearing reflective apparel. It’s all easy to do, and the results can be spectacular, so get out there and give this a try.

You find more from Forsgard by visiting his popular YouTube channel, and by watching a tutorial we posted earlier with several common photography myths that another pro says belong in the “trash.”

It’s challenging to photograph subjects that are extremely close to the camera lens, particularly when it comes to flash photography and lighting. For some lenses, the effective working distance is practically zero when trying to shoot at maximum magnification. It becomes difficult to achieve soft, even lighting while avoiding unwanted shadows. Luckily, there are still several ways photographers can cast high-quality light on a close subject – even if it’s almost touching the lens!