class by summer murdock

The Magic of Motion

Stillness only goes so far. People look most alive when they're moving, and so do photographs.

This hands-on workshop teaches you how to work with movement intentionally. You'll learn how to guide your subjects into authentic motion, and how to use your camera to capture it. Learn to use slow shutter, motion blur, panning, intentional camera movement, zoom pulls, and even a bit of multiple exposures and tilt shifts, to freeze and blur movement in ways that add life and dreaminess to your images.

A lot of photographers spend so much effort to get the perfect sharp frame. This class will start to shift the importance of that idea. You'll get out of your head and into the moment, letting go of perfection and making images that feel less technical and more like a memory.

I'm Interested
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COURSE LENGTH

3 weeks

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class start date

4th May 2026

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INVESTMENT

$300 / $400

Independent / Guided

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summer murdock

I used to think sharp meant success. I used to think blur meant I missed it. I was wrong.

The Magic of Motion is where we loosen that grip. Yes, we’ll get technical. We’ll work with slow shutters, panning, multiple exposures, and camera movement. But this class is really about what happens when you let the camera and yourself move and stop trying to make every frame perfect.

When someone stands still too long, they tighten. When they move, something opens. The same is true for the artist. Movement changes people in front of your camera and it changes you behind it. The most alive I’ve felt with a camera is when I let it move and flow.

For photographers who feel burned out or overly attached to perfection, motion can be a relief. When your art becomes tightly tied to your identity, each click of the shutter gets heavy. Blur is a small rebellion against that weight. It invites experimentation. It reminds you that photography is a practice, not a performance. As we mature creatively, we move from proving ourselves through precision into creating from presence. In this class, we’ll use motion as a catalyst to explore that shift.

summer murdock
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    • How to guide natural movement instead of rigid posing by getting your subjects moving and into their bodies

    • How to create motion blur with the background in focus and the subject blurred

    • How to create panning images with the background in motion and the subject in relative focus

    • How to create intentional camera movement including vertical swipe, spin, zoom pull, and still → move

    • How to create motion through multiple exposures

    • How to experiment with tilt shift and selective focus to create blurry dreamlike feel.

    • How to use motion as a catalyst when perfectionism or burnout creeps in

  • This four-week interactive class will include:

    • Daily interaction with your teacher answering any questions you might have about the materials presented

    • Video lessons to supplement each of the written lessons

    • Weekly assignments with individual feedback videos for guided students

    • bonus assignments to help reinforce the lessons

    • Weekly “office hours” zoom meetings are held where you can ask Summer questions live

    • an informal, live Q&A where all students in the class will have to opportunity to chat, interact, and ask questions live

    • Note: The emphasis of this class is to get images right IN camera, so although Summer will share her simple editing process via a few edit videos this is not a editing class

  • A DSLR or mirrorless camera and a firm understanding of shooting in manual mode.

  • Interactive classes are held online and registration opens seasonally.

    Guided students can participate fully in class, by asking questions, submitting assignments, and getting personalized feedback from your teacher.

    Independent students have full access to class content and can participate in class discussions —they just don’t get teacher critique and feedback on images or assignments.

“Summer became not only an incredible photography mentor, but someone who made it safe to experiment and even fail. Her encouragement gave me permission to grow.”

Louise Gibbons
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MEET THE TEACHER
A woman smiling with her hair blowing in the wind, standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, during a foggy day.

Summer

Murdock

Hi, I’m Summer. From high-pressure commercial shoots to barefoot days photographing in the water purely for the love of it, I live for the mix of challenge and flow.

While I’m passionate about documenting my own life, it’s lifestyle campaigns for brands that keep the lights on. Since 2013, I’ve been teaching The Magic of Light, and in 2016 I founded this amazing space—now run alongside Bec Griffiths.

I’m endlessly inspired by the quirky things humans do, and by my favorite creative elements: light, water, motion, and Mother Nature.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me outside as much as possible—traveling, exploring, and adventuring with my family and friends, with my camera dangling from my neck of course.

See Summer's instagram
Visit Summer's website

Summer is the founder and co-owner of Illuminate Classes. She has served as an Adobe Lightroom Ambassador, created presets that live inside Lightroom, and her work has appeared in national campaigns for brands including Garmin, Disney, Pillsbury, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Summer is also a sought-after speaker at creative conferences like Adobe MAX.

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Any questions?

Email your teacher directly here and they will get back to you.

A young girl with blonde hair in a braid, wearing a blue romper, standing on a yellow tactile paving strip, watching a moving train at a station.
Black and white photo of a young girl swinging on a swing set outdoors with trees in the background.
Young woman riding an electric mountain bike on a paved path, mid-motion, outdoors with green trees in background.
A gray and white cat sitting on green grass with small yellow flowers, seen from between a person's legs, with a building in the background.
A young person running outdoors through a field with a blurry background during sunset, wearing a grey beanie, a beige jacket, and brown pants.
A blurred image of a shirtless person with short hair, standing against a dark background.
A person skateboarding on a ramp at a skate park with blurred green trees in the background.
A woman in a bikini standing on a surfboard in the water, with her arms outstretched for balance.
A young girl lying on her back on grass with her arms raised, wearing a denim jacket, her face blurred due to motion.
Two young girls playing with hula hoops on a sidewalk in a grassy park area, with houses and trees in the background during dusk.
Blurred image of a woman with long hair outdoors among green foliage, with a motion effect that causes her face and part of her hair to appear smeared.
A girl in a pink skirt and blue jacket spinning on a sidewalk at sunset with trees and houses in the background.
A young girl in a white dress swinging on a swing set with a blurred green background.
A young girl running on a snow-covered suburban street with mountains in the background during winter.
Children playing on a backyard deck decorated with hanging paper lanterns, with a table and chairs, and a white fence surrounding the yard.
Two women swimming in the ocean during sunset, with one woman in the foreground and the other behind, with sunlight reflecting on the water and a house with palm trees in the background.
Street view of a pink building with a storefront selling textiles and accessories. Colorful skeins of yarn hanging above the entrance, with shoes and small items displayed on racks at the entrance. Two motorbikes with blurred motion pass in front, in
A person swimming underwater in a pool, wearing a bathing suit. Signs and a striped vent are visible on the wall in the background.
Abstract blurred image of a person with blond hair, holding their arm across their body, with a dark background.
A girl with a helmet and striped dress standing on sidewalk watching two blurred bikers riding past near the beach, with palm trees, a red and white sign, and a bench in the background.
Faded, blurry image of tall, dry grass or reeds in a field with a hazy sky in the background.
Black and white photo of a young girl with long hair standing on grass, wearing a cape with a cat illustration and striped leggings, looking directly at the camera.
A person dressed in red walking in a barren, dusty landscape with hills and a clear sky.
A young girl running outdoors in a mountainous area during cloudy weather, wearing a gray coat and black boots.
Three children on a swing hanging from a metal frame, swinging quickly through a blurred outdoor background.
Black and white close-up photo of a woman with closed eyes, partially obscured by her hair.
A person standing on a ski lift chair in a foggy, snowy landscape with trees and snow-covered ground.
Multiple hands raised in front of a sunset over the ocean, creating a layered, transparent effect.
A black and white photograph of a young woman with straight hair and bangs, standing indoors, looking directly at the camera. There is a ghostly, blurred profile of her face in motion to her right.
Inside a rustic shop or warehouse with a corrugated metal roof, a person stands with a red suitcase, silhouetted against sunlight, near shelves and stacks of goods. Blurred figures are seated on the left, and large blue sacks or covers hang in the ba
A person in a wetsuit riding a surfboard on the ocean during sunset or sunrise.
A woman with long hair and glasses looking at the camera, wearing a floral dress, against a cloudy sky with the moon visible in the background.

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