Photos in motion on Xiaomi: how to remove blur, light tracks and live footage

Dynamic photos with motion blur, light tracks or "live" frames attract attention and stand out in the feed of social networks. Xiaomi smartphones - from budget Redmi to flagship Mi and POCO — There are a number of ways to create this effect without professional technology. But how do you set up the camera to get a quality result, rather than a soap image? In this article, we'll look at all the modes available, their features and hidden settings that the manufacturer does not advertise.

The main problem with motion photography is the balance between exposure and sharpness, and too long exposure will lead to "lighting" or complete loss of detail, and a short exposure will not convey the dynamics. Xiaomi has built tools into its Camera app to solve this problem: Long Exposure, Motion Photo and manual settings in Pro mode, but even in top-end models like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or POCO F6 Pro these functions work differently - it all depends on the version MIUI and hardware capabilities.

It's important to understand that not all motion effects can be achieved in a single click, for example, light tracks from cars or the starry sky require the smartphone to be fixed on a tripod or improvised support, otherwise the frame will be spoiled by trembling hands. And to shoot “live” photos with motion (Motion Photo) you will have to sacrifice permission – such pictures are saved in the format.mp4 low-bitrate.

What are the modes of shooting motion in Xiaomi

The manufacturer offers three main ways to capture the dynamics, but not all of them are available on all models. Below is a comparison table with support for functions depending on the series of devices.

In practice, Long Exposure is the most versatile mode for creative photography, but it's not available in all smartphones. If your model doesn't support it, you can use Pro mode with manual shutter speed settings, and Motion Photo is suitable for fast "live" shots, which can then be animated on social networks.

⚠️ Note: In Xiaomi models on the Snapdragon processor 4xx (Like Redmi. 10A or POCO M4) Long Exposure and Motion Photo modes may be missing or malfunctioning due to the limitations of the iron platform.

How to remove light tracks and water blur (Long Exposure)

Long Exposure is ideal for shooting:

• 🚗 Light tracks from cars on the night street;
• 🌊 Fluid water in waterfalls or fountains;
• ⭐ Starry sky (at exposure of 10 seconds);
• 🎡 Movements of People in Crowds (Ghost Effect»).

Instructions for activation:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Go to the section Additional (or more depending on the version) MIUI).
3. Choose Long Exposure (in some models – Long exposure).
4. Lock your smartphone on a tripod or stable surface.
5. Press the down button and wait for the end of shooting (the screen will appear a timer).

Lock the smartphone on a tripod|Disable stabilization in camera settings|Select a minimum value ISO (100–200)|Use a remote or timer to descent (to avoid shaking)|Remove the cover if it blocks the lens-->

Key settings for better results:

• 📱 Excerpt: For light tracks — 2–8 seconds for water — 1/2–2 seconds, for the stars — 10–32 seconds.
• 🌓 ISO: The lower the noise, the less. 100-400 is the optimal.
• 🎯 Focus: Manual (click on the screen and hold until it appears) AF Lock).

⚠️ When shooting night scenes with a shutter speed of more than 4 seconds, Xiaomi automatically increases the speed of the video. ISO, To avoid this, use third-party applications like Manual Camera or ProCam X, where you can manually block it. ISO minimally.

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If your model does not have Long Exposure mode, try shooting a series of frames in Pro-mode with shutter speed. 1/2–2 Sec and then combine them into one photo using the StarTrails (Android) or PhotoPills (iOS) app).

Motion Photo: How to take a “live” photo with movement

Motion Photo (sometimes called Live Photo or Dynamic Photo) captures 1–3 seconds of video before or after a photo is taken, allowing you to create animated images that support Facebook, Google Photos and some instant messengers.

How to turn on:

1. Open the Camera and go to Settings (cog in the upper right corner).
2. Find the Motion Photo option (or Live Photo) and activate it.
3. Go back to primary mode. Now, when you press down, the camera will record a short video.

Regime restrictions:

• 📸 The resolution of the “live” photo is lower than that of a regular photo (usually). 1080p instead 4K).
• 🕒 The length of the video is fixed (1-3 seconds depending on the model).
• 🔋 Battery consumption increases by 15-20% with active mode.

Where to use these photos:

• 📘 Google Photos: Automatically Plays Animations When Viewing.
• 👥 Facebook/Instagram: Download as a video (in Stories or Reels).
• 💬 Telegram: send as a gif (file) → «Squeeze like a gif»).

Long Exposure (Light Tracks)|Motion Photo (live photos)|Pro-mode (manual settings)|Don't stop moving.|Another option-->

Manual settings in Pro-mode: creative control

If your Xiaomi model doesn’t support Long Exposure or you need more flexibility, use Pro Mode.

• ⏱️ Excerpt (from) 1/4000 before 32 sack);
• 🌡️ ISO (Sensitivity, 50-6,400);
• 🎯 Focus (manual or automatic focusing);
• 🔄 White balance (from) 2500K before 10000K);
• 📐 Expo correction (±2 EV).

Examples of settings for different scenes:

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with MediaTek Helio processors (e.g. Redmi Note 10 or X-rays) POCO M3) If you're shuttered for more than 4 seconds, you can see purple noise in the dark areas of the frame. ISO Up to 400 and use post-processing in Lightroom (Denoise tool).

Post-processing: how to improve photos in motion

Even a perfectly shot shot shot often requires rework.

1. Remove digital noise (especially when high) ISO).
2. Adjust exposure and contrast.
3. Cut the frame for the best composition.
4. Add vignetting to focus on movement.

Recommended annexes:

• 📱 Adobe Lightroom Mobile – for precise color correction and noise reduction.
• 🎨 Snapseed – for selective processing (Brush tool).
• 🔄 AfterFocus – to add motion blur after the fact.
• 🌌 StarTrails – to combine multiple frames with long exposure.

Example of processing in Lightroom:

1. Import the photo and go to the Light section.
2. Reduce Shadows by −30 and increase the contrast by +20.
3. In the Details section, apply Noise Reduction (value 30–50).
4. Use the Gradient Filter to darken the edges of the frame (the vignette effect).

⚠️ Note: When processing live photos, don’t save the result over the original – it will remove the video layer. Instead, export the processed image as a new file, and then manually combine it with the video in the Prequel or CapCut app.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced photographers have problems with motion photography, and here are the most common mistakes on Xiaomi and how to fix them:

Another common problem is autofocus, which gets lost when you're shuttered long, and to avoid that, always use manual focus.

1. In Pro mode, tap the screen and hold until the inscription appears. AF Lock.
2. If the focus is “swimming away”, switch to MF (manual focus) and adjust with a slider.

Capturing traffic in difficult conditions

You can't always wait for perfect lighting or use a tripod.

1. Hand-held (no tripod)

• 📱 Use image stabilization (includes in camera settings).
• 🤲 Press your elbows against your torso and hold your breath when descending.
• 🎯 Take the picture in format. RAW (if supported) for greater flexibility in processing.

2. Shooting on a bright sunny day

• 🕶️ Use it. ND-filter (for example, lens nozzle) to reduce light and increase shutter speed.
• 🌳 Look for a shadow or a photo take during the Golden Hour (first hour after sunrise or before sunset).
• 🔍 Reduce. ISO Up to 50–100 and close the diaphragm (if there is manual control).

3. Photography of fast objects (sports, animals)

• 🏃 Use serial shooting (hold down the button) and choose the best shot.
• ⚡ Set a short shutter speed (1/500–1/2000 (s) for “freezing” of traffic.
• 🎯 Enable Object Tracking (if any in the model).

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For shooting motion in difficult conditions, three parameters are priority: stabilization (physical or software), correct exposure (balance of exposure and exposure). ISO) and focusing (manual or tracking).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions