Motion Blur: Add Speed to a Still Photo
Linear, zoom and spin motion blur that takes one sample for every pixel of travel, so a long streak stays smooth instead of breaking into a row of ghost copies. Centred on the pixel, so nothing drifts.
Drop images here
or click to browse · or paste with Ctrl+V
JPG · PNG · WebP · GIF · BMP · AVIF
Motion type
How far the subject appears to have travelled during the exposure.
Only linear motion has a direction. Zoom and spin work from the frame centre.
Presets
Your photos are never uploaded. The sampling and the export both run inside this browser tab.
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Everything this tool does
One sample per pixel of travel
Sample count scales with blur length instead of being fixed. On a bright dot blurred by 40 pixels, a fixed eight sample version left 8 separate ghosts while the adaptive version left 1 continuous streak.
Centred on the pixel
Samples run from minus half to plus half of the travel distance, so the brightness-weighted centre of a blurred dot stays exactly where it started rather than drifting half the blur length.
Bilinear sampling
Positions between pixels mix the four surrounding values rather than rounding to the nearest, which is what keeps a diagonal streak smooth instead of stair-stepped.
Zoom and spin, not just linear
Zoom scales sample positions around the frame centre for a rushing effect, and spin rotates them, both leaving the exact centre pixel untouched the way real camera motion would.
Full 360 degree direction
Linear motion takes any angle, with one-tap buttons for horizontal, vertical and both diagonals.
Drag to compare
Before and after share one frame with a slider between them, which is the quickest way to check the blur reads as speed rather than as softness.
Six purpose-built presets
Panning shot, subtle movement, vertical drop, zoom rush, hyperspace and spin, covering the common uses at sensible lengths.
Batch with one ZIP
Apply an identical treatment across a whole set and take everything as a single archive built in your browser.
Transparency preserved
The alpha channel is untouched for PNG and WebP output, so cut-out subjects keep their edges.
Nothing is uploaded
No server, no queue, nothing to delete afterwards. Close the tab and every trace of the image goes with it.
What each control changes
Blur length is measured in pixels of travel, so the same number looks stronger on a small image. Direction only applies to linear motion; zoom and spin both work outward from the frame centre.
| Setting | What it does | Try | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear 5-12 | Slight movement | any angle | Subtle hand-held feel |
| Linear 20-40 | Clear directional streak | angle 0 | Passing cars, running subjects |
| Linear 50-80 | Heavy smear | angle 0 or 90 | Abstract and background plates |
| Zoom 10-25 | Gentle rush toward the camera | centre subject | Dramatic emphasis |
| Zoom 40-80 | Hyperspace streak | high contrast | Posters and title cards |
| Spin 8-20 | Slight rotation | centred subject | Wheels, fans, records |
| Spin 30-80 | Heavy swirl | any | Abstract backgrounds |
3
motion types
1
sample per pixel of travel
0
files uploaded
0-80
blur length range
ZIP
batch download
Free
no account needed
FlipMyFormat vs other motion blur tools
| Capability | FlipMyFormat | Typical free tool |
|---|---|---|
| Files stay in your browser | ||
| Sample count scales with blur length | ||
| Centred blur, so the image does not drift | ||
| Zoom and spin as well as linear | ||
| Full 360 degree direction control | ||
| Batch ZIP download without paying | ||
| No watermark on the output |
How to add motion blur that reads as speed
Motion blur only communicates speed when it disagrees with something else in the frame. A photograph where every single pixel is streaked does not look fast, it looks like a mistake, because your eye has nothing sharp to measure the movement against. That gives you the central rule: something has to stay still. In a real panning shot the photographer tracks the moving subject, so the subject is sharp and the background is smeared. Applying a blur to the whole image imitates the opposite situation, a camera shake, which reads as an error rather than as motion. If your goal is a fast car, blur the plate and keep the car, which usually means masking in another editor and bringing the blurred version back as a layer. If your goal is the whole scene rushing past, apply it everywhere and accept that you are making an abstract rather than a photograph. The second thing worth knowing is that direction carries meaning. Horizontal blur reads as travel, vertical reads as falling or as a camera whip, zoom reads as rushing toward the viewer, and spin reads as rotation you can almost hear. Choosing the wrong one against your subject is what makes an otherwise well-made effect feel off. Finally, blur length is measured in pixels, so the same number does very different things to a small image and a large one. Judge it in the preview rather than reusing a number, and remember that the effect scales with resolution: a value that looks perfect on a web-sized copy will barely register on the full size original.
- 1
Add a photo
Drag it in, click to browse, or paste with Ctrl+V. Images with a clear subject and a separable background give you the most options.
- 2
Choose the motion type and direction
Linear for travel, zoom for rushing toward the camera, spin for rotation. Set the direction to match how the subject would actually have moved.
- 3
Set the length and export
Push blur length until it reads as movement rather than as softness, then save individually or take the whole batch as one ZIP.
Why the number of samples decides the result
A fixed sample count gives you ghosts
Motion blur is built by averaging the picture at many positions along the path of travel. The question nobody asks is how many positions, and the easy answer, a fixed count such as eight or sixteen, is the reason so many motion blur filters produce a row of faint copies rather than a streak. With eight samples spread over forty pixels of travel, the gaps between them are five pixels wide, so a bright object leaves eight distinguishable ghosts with dark bands between them. Here the count scales with the distance, one sample for every pixel of travel, so the samples overlap and the streak is continuous. On a bright dot blurred by forty pixels we counted the separate peaks along the streak: a fixed eight sample version produced 8 distinct ghosts, and the adaptive version produced 1 continuous streak.
Centred, so nothing drifts
The other easy mistake is to sample from the pixel forward along the direction of travel rather than symmetrically around it. It looks reasonable and it quietly moves your entire image, because the average of samples taken only in one direction sits half the blur length away from where it started. At a blur of forty pixels that is a twenty pixel shift, which will ruin any attempt to composite the result back over the original. This tool samples from minus half to plus half of the travel distance, so the centre of mass stays exactly where it was. We checked it by blurring a single bright dot and measuring the brightness-weighted centre of the streak, which came back at the dot's original position.
What people use it for
Background plates for compositing
Blur a background, mask your subject back in from the original, and you have the panning shot you did not manage to take.
Adding speed to vehicles
Horizontal linear blur on the road and surroundings suggests a car was moving even when it was parked.
Poster and title card art
Heavy zoom blur behind sharp type is a decades-old design convention that still reads instantly as motion.
Abstract backgrounds
Long spin or zoom blur on a colourful photo produces a smooth abstract that works behind text.
Sports and action photos
Directional blur applied selectively suggests the pace that a fast shutter speed froze out of the frame.
Hiding a distracting background
A moderate linear blur removes background detail while looking like a deliberate stylistic choice rather than an edit.
Web hero images
Blurred motion behind a headline keeps text readable while still filling the space with something dynamic.
Simulating long exposure
Linear blur on water or crowds approximates what a slow shutter would have captured, though it cannot invent detail that was never recorded.
Six tips worth knowing
Something in the frame has to stay sharp. Blur applied to everything reads as camera shake rather than as speed.
Match the direction to the subject. Horizontal reads as travel, vertical as falling, zoom as rushing forward and spin as rotation.
Blur length is in pixels, so the same value does very different things at web size and at full resolution. Judge it in the preview.
For a true panning look, blur the whole image here, then mask your subject back in from the original in any layer-based editor.
Zoom and spin both work outward from the frame centre, so centre your subject before applying them.
Motion blur cannot recover detail that a fast shutter never recorded. It approximates a long exposure, it does not reproduce one.
Troubleshooting
The streak looks like separate copies
That is fixed sample ghosting and it should not happen here, since the count scales with distance. If you see banding, it is probably already in the source image.
The whole image shifted sideways
It should not, because sampling is centred. Check whether you are looking at the blur direction rather than an actual shift by comparing with the slider.
It looks blurry, not fast
Nothing in the frame is sharp enough to contrast against. Either mask your subject back in, or pick a shorter blur length.
A long blur is slow to apply
Sample count grows with blur length, so an 80 pixel blur takes many times the work of a 10 pixel one. The preview is computed on a smaller copy to keep dragging smooth.
Frequently asked questions
What does motion blur do to a photo?
It averages the picture across many positions along a path, which is what a camera does when the subject or the camera moves during the exposure. The result is a directional streak that reads as movement.
Why do some motion blur filters produce ghost copies?
Because they use a fixed number of samples regardless of blur length. Spread eight samples over forty pixels and the gaps are five pixels wide, so you see eight faint copies. Here the count scales with distance, so the samples overlap.
How much difference does that make?
We blurred a single bright dot by forty pixels and counted the separate peaks in the streak. A fixed eight sample version produced 8 distinct ghosts. The adaptive version produced 1 continuous streak.
Does the blur move my image?
No. Samples are taken symmetrically from minus half to plus half of the travel distance, so the centre of mass stays put. Sampling only forward would shift the image by half the blur length, which breaks any attempt to composite it back.
What is the difference between the three modes?
Linear moves in a single direction you choose. Zoom scales positions outward from the frame centre, which reads as rushing toward the camera. Spin rotates them around the centre, which reads as rotation.
Why does my blurred photo look soft rather than fast?
Because nothing is sharp. Motion blur only communicates speed when it contrasts against something still, which is why a real panning shot keeps the subject sharp and smears only the background.
How do I get a proper panning shot look?
Blur the whole image here, then bring the blurred version and the original into any layer-based editor and mask your sharp subject back in. There is no subject detection in this tool.
Why is blur length measured in pixels?
Because that is the physical operation. It does mean the same number behaves very differently at web size and at full resolution, so judge it in the preview rather than reusing a value across different image sizes.
Can I recover the original after blurring?
No. Averaging discards information permanently. Your uploaded file is never modified, so keep it, but the downloaded result cannot be sharpened back.
Is this the same as a long exposure?
It approximates one. A real long exposure records what actually happened during the shutter time, including things that entered and left the frame. This can only smear what a single frame already captured.
Do zoom and spin work from where I click?
No, both work from the geometric centre of the frame. Crop or centre your subject first if you want the effect to radiate from it.
Why is a long blur slow?
Sample count grows with the distance, so an eighty pixel blur is roughly eight times the work of a ten pixel one. The live preview uses a smaller copy so dragging stays responsive, and the full render runs at your original resolution.
Are my photos uploaded to a server?
No. The sampling and the export both run in your browser using the canvas API. Nothing is sent anywhere and the tool keeps working if your connection drops after the page has loaded.
Which format should I export?
Either works. Motion blur produces smooth gradients that JPEG handles well, so keeping the original format is fine. Stay above quality 85 so any sharp areas stay clean.
Is transparency preserved?
Yes for PNG and WebP output. The alpha channel is untouched. JPG has no alpha, so transparent areas are filled with the background colour first.
What happens at the edges of the frame?
Samples that fall outside the picture are clamped to the nearest edge pixel, which can produce a slight smear along the borders at long blur lengths. Crop a few pixels afterwards if it bothers you.
Can I process a batch?
Yes. Add as many photos as you like and the same mode, direction and length are applied to each. Download individually or take the set as a single ZIP built in your browser.
Does it add a watermark or need an account?
No to both. No sign-up, no email wall, no daily limit and no watermark on the output.