The fascination of blur: Speed-blur technique by Darrell Wong - more than just sharp images
In the days of analogue photography and without the internet, windsurfing photographers, especially those who swam in the surf with their water housings and a 36mm film roll in the camera, were just as much heroes as the athletes in front of the camera. The names next to the pictures shown exclusively in printed magazines were known to windsurfing enthusiasts all over the world. Darrell Wong was one of them. Born in Hawaii in 1955, he was fully involved in the Waikiki surfing scene as a teenager and came to photography through his grandfather. With the advent of funboards, Darrell quickly found himself rubbing shoulders with wave surfing pioneers such as Robby Naish and Pete Cabrinha at Diamond Head on Oahu. Although he doesn't consider himself an artistic photographer, it was his exceptional speed-blur images that set him apart from other photographers of the time.
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How to create speed-blur pictures - tips from Darrell Wong
What makes these images so special and, more importantly, how do you take them? Darrell explains: "A motion blur is a basic photographic technique where the background of an action photo is blurred to give a sense of speed. You use a slow shutter speed (1/60th of a second) and focus on the actual subject. My enthusiasm for this technique was influenced by my interest in car racing and looking at racing pictures from the 70s. I experimented with this technique early on in my photography career and used it in my windsurfing and surfing photos. One of my favourite images is the one of Robby Naish, which reappeared in May 2023 as the cover of surf magazine for Robby's 60th birthday. I took this photo from the water with slide film in 1988!
The percentage of good photos is very low compared to using a fast shutter speed to freeze the action in sharp focus. But I encourage everyone to give it a try, even for everyday photos. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results."
The percentage of good photos is very low. But I advise everyone to give it a try!"
Wong has worked for well-known companies from all over the world
However, the fact that the matter is not so simple can be seen from the fact that there were and are only a few imitators among professional photographers. Darrell, on the other hand, has also had success with his photos in advertising photography. In addition to almost all windsurfing and surfing brands, he has also been booked by major companies such as American Airlines, Coca-Cola and Hewlett-Packard.
I used to hang out on the beach, now I spend most of my time on my Mac editing photos."
"I consider myself a commercial photographer. You can't control the ocean and nature, so I just capture what I see and try to focus on the client's product. 90 per cent of my work is just being there when it matters. I could hang out on the beach all day and wait, but now I spend most of my time in my office editing photos on my Mac - to be honest, it was much easier to shoot with slide film."
