Ghosts of Manassas: Exploring Motion Blur in Fine Art Photography

Lately, I’ve been pushing myself to break out of routine. I love the images I usually shoot, but sometimes they start to feel a little too familiar. To shake things up, I give myself small assignments—ways to experiment, refine a technique, or approach photography with fresh eyes. This time, I wanted to create images that leaned closer to fine art—dreamlike and painterly, where movement becomes as important as stillness.

What fascinates me about motion blur photography is its ability to hold opposites in tension: action and stillness, clarity and abstraction. The Leica M11’s sensor has an incredible latitude that captures this duality beautifully. The results remind me of paintings—soft edges, shifting tones, and textures that feel more brushstroke than pixel. Images feel ghostly, impressionistic, and deeply atmospheric.

A Dreamlike Vision of Old Town Manassas

One of my favorite shots from the day is a family with a stroller. There’s a fluid, smoky quality to the image that recalls the scenes in The Lord of the Rings when Frodo slips on the ring. The edges dissolve, the world trails into wisps—it feels almost supernatural, like glimpsing another layer of reality.

I used my go-to 35mm f/2 Summicron, paired with an Urth neutral density filter to slow things down in the bright daylight. Shooting at 1/8th of a second, f/8, and ISO 64 gave me the sweet spot: just enough detail to keep the subject recognizable while letting the motion create atmosphere. Some frames leaned more toward 1/6th of a second, which offered looser, more dramatic blur. Small changes in shutter speed made a surprising difference in mood—something I plan to explore further.

Painterly Textures and Light with Motion Blur Photography

In post, I noticed the way concrete and other surfaces reflected light into subtle textures, almost like brushstrokes on canvas. Shadows added dimensionality, making certain areas pop off the frame. One building shot in particular looked like the wall itself was lifting away from the image, a strange and captivating effect.

The light this time of year in Virginia adds so much to the work—low, buttery, and rich. With motion layered over it, the scenes take on a spectral quality. That’s why I’m tempted to call this series Ghosts of Manassas or Ghosts of Old Town. The title feels right: fleeting figures, blurred edges, echoes of presence.

Why This Matters & The Next Chapter

Experimenting with motion has reminded me that photography doesn’t always need razor-sharp precision to be powerful. Sometimes it’s about impression, mood, and atmosphere. These images feel like a blend of impressionism and modern abstraction—works that live somewhere between a photograph and a painting.

And while I don’t have it all figured out yet—whether wrist shakes or arm movements create the best results, or which shutter speed gives the perfect blur—that’s the point. The experimentation is the art. Each attempt reveals something new, and if the only takeaway is that I need to head out and shoot more, then I consider that a success. This project has reminded me that photography doesn’t need to be razor-sharp to resonate—it just needs to evoke something deeper.