Apricot Blossoms, Italy

William Albert Allard’s stunning scene of spring blossoms takes advantage of a very simple element—the wind. When a fortunate breeze created a snowfall of blossoms, Allard was in a perfect position to capture the scene’s beauty. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: An inspired photographer always makes the most of what is given. There are beautiful images to be made in heat and cold, stillness and storm. The key is to be flexible and think creatively no matter what reality presents.

Leopards Fighting, South Africa

It’s the feeling of motion that makes this photograph of leopards wrestling so successful. Some parts of the cats’ bodies, like the claws and ears, are perfectly sharp. But it is the blurred limbs that grab us and indicate which powerful muscles are working to propel the animal. Photographer Richard du Toit has chosen the perfect shutter speed to showcase the action. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: Although we are tempted to use a very fast shutter speed when photographing wildlife behavior, slowing things down may lead to a more compelling image. The goal is not always a perfectly sharp image.

Mogami River, Japan

Rushing water is a wonderful canvas for time-exposures. In this photograph, we see moving water swirling around a single maple leaf. By using a shutter speed slow enough to allow the river to blur, photographer Michael Yamashita has framed the sharp lines of the leaf in an abstract of water. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: It doesn’t take a long exposure time to blur rushing water. Sometimes the camera can be handheld while achieving this effect. But take a tripod along so that you can try exposures of various length and see which results you like best.

Impala, Botswana

Fast exposures can freeze actions that happen in the blink of an eye. This photograph by Chris Johns captures an impala in mid-flight. By using a fast shutter speed and a very narrow depth of field, Johns has isolated the animal’s movement against a background that is out of focus and therefore doesn’t distract the eye. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: By understanding how the shutter speed and the aperture settings of a camera work together in any exposure, the photographer can make deliberate choices about what he or she would like to capture. Automatic settings are great for many things, but a basic knowledge of how the camera works will lead to far more creative photography.

Bee-Eaters, Hungary

Although photographers are regularly frustrated in low light situations, the slower shutter speeds required can sometimes lead to a surprise image that is made special by the blurred action in the frame. Joe Petersburger’s photograph of a pair of bee-eaters is one of those happy accidents. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: Even with wildlife, low light and longer shutter speeds can lead to surprising, new images. Instead of cursing the low light, use it to make creative photographs. Something wonderful may happen!

Train Tracks, New Mexico-Colorado Border

This clever image by photographer Bruce Dale makes us feel that we are beside him on the moving train. The blur of the foreground is dizzying, but the scene in the distance is perfectly sharp. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: When shooting from a moving object, try a slower shutter speed with a wide-angle lens. The foreground will blur far more quickly than the background, and the resulting image is bound to give the viewer vertigo!