Motion Blur
A slow shutter does the opposite of freezing: it records everything that happens during the exposure. Anything moving — like flowing water — blurs into a soft, silky smear, while anything still stays sharp.
That contrast is the whole effect, so your camera must stay perfectly still. A tripod is the classic answer, but anything solid works — what matters is that the camera doesn't move, because even tiny shake will blur the entire frame instead of just the water.
At slow shutter speeds you also let in a lot of light, which can overexpose (blow out) the photo. Keep ISO at its lowest, use a smaller aperture (higher f-number), shoot in shade or softer light, or add a neutral-density (ND) filter — basically sunglasses for your lens.
Shutter Priority or Manual at 1/4s–2s, lowest ISO (100), smaller aperture (f/11–f/16). Use a 2-second timer or remote. No tripod? Brace the camera on a wall, ledge, railing, or a stack of books. Too bright? Shoot in shade or add an ND filter.
Moving water looks soft and silky while the rocks, banks, and everything stationary stay sharp. If the whole frame is blurry, the camera moved — steady it on a tripod.
The assignment
Use a slow shutter to turn movement into smooth, silky blur — a waterfall, stream, or fountain.
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