Palace Stairs Blur, Palace of Versailles – Versailles, France

I didn’t break any creative ground when I made this motion blur photograph on a staircase at the Palace of Versailles; I did something similar at the Louvre. The architecture and framing at the Louvre are superior, and it’s one my favorite images I made in France. However, this picture has its pluses.

I like the curve of the people rounding the corner. More importantly, this is a one-second hand-held exposure compared to the 1/2 second exposure I used at the Louvre. Coupled with being closer, the slower shutter enabled a more dramatic motion blur effect.

The Fujifilm 16-80mm f4’s in-lens image stabilization is excellent but insufficient for a one-second exposure. I’m pretty sure I rested my arms on a ledge above this staircase, so while it’s accurate to say the picture was hand-held, I did have extra help.

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