Let’s Talk About Grain and Blur…

Written By Austyn Seitz

Every photographer has a style. Whether it’s warm or dark, airy or moody, colorful or natural… We all have a style we tend to stick to. It’s how we advertise ourselves to the public, it’s how we fill our Instagram grids, it’s how we’ve perfected our craft! 

But there are also trends that take over the Internet, and it just seems like EVERY client is asking for them. Nowadays, I get a lot of requests for grain and blur. Those two things used to be the mark of a photographer who needed some work. They used to be a staple for iPhone 4 selfies edited with CamWow. Now, though, grain and blur are highly requested! Graininess gives your photos a vintage look, and blur makes them a little mysterious. Where blurred backgrounds and in-focus subjects were once celebrated, now it’s the other way around. 

I’m going to give you some examples of why this trend is actually BEAUTIFUL. 

A little while back, I did an engagement shoot for some friends at Mystic Acres in Griffin, GA. What I’ve been posting on my Instagram has been my typical fare: clean, natural, warm photos of this happy couple smiling and hugging in front of a sunset.

woman with blonde hair in white dress kissing man with gray shirt and gray pants on a wooden bridge with sunset in the background

But now I want to highlight this new trend: 

man in white shirt and jeans holding woman in blue shirt and jeans with blonde hair smiling at each other with sunset in the background; grainy
man in white shirt and jeans holding hands with woman in blue shirt and jeans running through grass toward woods and sunset; from the back
man in white shirt kissing forehead of woman in blue shirt who is smiling at the camera; sunset un the background

You’ll notice that there are different levels of grain in these photos, and that is OK! In fact, that’s really nice. It gives your subjects some variety in their gallery. I also always try to include a copy of the photo without the grain, too, just to make sure they get all the photos I can give them. Lots of grain increases the vintage feel of the photos—I can envision these being printed and hanging in a home complete with hanging planters and vintage wall art. The ones with less grain just have some texture that adds to the overall value of the image. 

man in white shirt and jeans kissing woman in blue shirt and jeans in the grass, blurry with sunset in the background

This is a trend I have a little bit of a harder time with. Typically, as we all know, the subjects of a photo are supposed to be in focus. The whole point of the photos is to highlight the subjects and tell their story… right? But I realized I do actually like including a few photos where the subjects aren’t in focus. It’s a unique addition to the gallery, it highlights the surroundings, AND it adds some mystery to the photo. It’s also really romantic and dramatic in my opinion. 

Don’t be afraid to take part in trends! Always stick to your style, but sometimes it’s ok to branch out a little and take advantage of your clients’ requests to add to your repertoire. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn you love the trend. Happy photographing!

Austyn Seitz
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