Star Burst – Photo Zooming

I thought that at this celebrative time of year I would find an appropriate festive image that might capture some of the excitement with the starting of a new year.

The image below was photographed using a twist and zoom technique on your telephoto lens. You zoom in or out on the lens, while you are pressing the shutter.













Depending on the length of the shutter speed and how fast you rotate the lens, you will get different patterns. A tripod ensures that all radial lines are straight, but especially if handheld, as the images below will attest to, strange patterns can emerge.






If you are wondering what the original image looked like. Below are 2 hints from cropped areas.










When capturing zooming images such as these, there are a few simple premises that help you to influence the final outcome.

All bright objects will produce the streaking light effect. Therefore darker backgrounds and having the lights being the source of interest, produce more dramatic images.

When holding handheld, do first try and find something to lean on, and then begin the telephoto-zoom rotation before pressing the shutter to reduce camera shake.

The slower the shutter speed the greater the effect, but then more difficult to handhold.

The images where taken inside the main lobby of the Tokyo National Theatre of Japan where we had gone to see a wonderful Kabuki play.


This is from the top floor walkway.


















Niels Henriksen


A Photographers Adage

Photography, as we all know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of reality with which we create our own private world. - Arnold Newman