Creating dynamic images where the subject is in motion and the background remains clear, or vice versa, turns into a blurred stream, has long been considered the lot of professional photographers with expensive SLR cameras. However, modern Xiaomi smartphones, equipped with advanced image processing algorithms and powerful sensors, allow you to achieve amazing results right out of the box. Owners of devices of the Redmi series, POCO and Mi flagships often do not even suspect that the standard application “Camera” hidden tools for creating a full-fledged long shutter speed and plume effect.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the technical aspects of motion photography available to MIUI and HyperOS users. You will learn how to manually control ISO and exposure times to freeze a fast-flying bullet or, conversely, turn the flow of cars into a glowing river. Understanding the physical principles of the smartphone matrix will be key to obtaining art shots that stand out in the social media feed for their depth and atmosphericity.
We'll focus on the software chips that Xiaomi engineers offer to simplify the process, including Long Shutter, Light Painting and hidden features that are activated through an engineering menu or third-party utilities. Even if you have a budget model, setting the software settings right will bypass the limitations of hardware and get a frame that looks more expensive than the device itself.
Physics of the process: how the smartphone sees the movement
To effectively control motion, you need to understand the basic principle of how the camera works: The smartphone matrix captures the light that falls on it during a certain period of time, called shutter speed or exposure time. When you press the trigger button, the shutter opens (digitally) and the pixels begin to accumulate charge. If the object moves at this point, its image shifts along the matrix, creating a characteristic blurred trail.
In automatic mode, Xiaomi algorithms tend to make the image as sharp and bright as possible, so they automatically reduce shutter speed, increasing the sensitivity of ISO. This leads to the movement “freezes”, and the effect of the dynamics is lost. To get artistic blur, we need to force the exposure time to increase, making the camera ignore the shaking of hands or movement of the object in favor of a creative task.
⚠️ Note: When increasing exposure above 1/60 For high-quality motion shooting on Xiaomi, you need to use a tripod or hard fixation of the smartphone, otherwise instead of artistic blurring, you will get a blurred, unreadable image.
Modern image processing (ISP) chips Snapdragon and Dimensity are able to combine multiple frames with different exposure (HDR technology), but the effect of “lubricated motion” (Motion Blur) often requires a single long exposure or specific software layering that emulates the operation of a neutral gray filter (ND-filter) in real photography.
Use of the built-in "Long Shutter" mode
The easiest way to get motion photos on Xiaomi smartphones is to use the preset mode in the camera app. In most models, starting with MIUI 12 and up, this functionality is integrated into the main interface, it automatically selects the optimal parameters for shooting current waters, light traces from cars or the starry sky.
To activate the mode, open the Camera app and find the "More" section in the bottom menu. Here you will need to select the "Long Shutter" option. In some versions of the firmware, this mode may be called "Light Painting" or "Light Painting." After switching, the interface will change: a countdown timer and a slider for adjusting the intensity of the effect will appear on the screen.
- 📸 Light Traces Mode – Perfect for night roads where car headlights turn into bright lines.
- 🌊 Silk Falls mode – blurs the movement of water, making it look like mist or milk.
- 🎆 Starry Sky mode allows you to capture the movement of stars in a few minutes of exposure without the appearance of digital noise.
- 🏃 Dynamic Portrait Mode – blurs the background or parts of a moving object while maintaining sharpness on the main subject.
And it's important to note that in this mode, the smartphone often takes a series of images and glues them together in software, which makes up for the lack of physicality. ND-But the outcome can be unpredictable if objects move too fast. Experiment with the Effect slider, which adjusts the degree of blur, balancing realism with artisticity.
Manual setting of parameters in the mode “Profi”
To take full control of the motion photo creation process, you need to switch to Professional, where creativity is created, allowing you to ignore Xiaomi’s automated algorithms and dictate your shooting conditions, a mode that is available on almost all models, including the Redmi Note series.
In the bottom toolbar, select the MF or Pro icon. You will see a panel with the main parameters: white balance (WB), focus (AF), sensitivity (ISO) and shutter speed (S). To capture movement, the key parameter is shutter speed, indicated by the letter S (Shutter speed). By clicking on this icon, you can change the exposure time from 1/8000 seconds to 32 seconds (depending on the model).
Algorithm of settings for the effect of movement:
- Set the ISO value to the lowest possible (usually 50 or 100) and this is critical to reducing the digital noise that is inevitable when exposed long.
- Set focus in Manual Mode (MF) and sharpen the subject so the camera doesn’t try to refocus during long shutter speeds.
- Start increasing the shutter speed S. First, set 1/4 or 1/2 second and take a test frame.
- If you're not moving enough, increase the time to 1, 2 or 4 seconds.
⚠️ Attention: When exposure is longer than 1 second in the daytime, the Xiaomi smartphone matrix will instantly receive an overexposed (white) frame, since there is too much light.
Using Pro mode gives you the status of a full-fledged photographer, you decide how much the moving object will be blurred. For example, to shoot a running person, it takes 1/15 of a second for the legs to oil and the face to remain clear. It takes 10-20 seconds of exposure to take pictures of clouds.
☑️ Checklist of setting up the Pro mode
Photography of light pictures and night landscapes
Nighttime is the best friend of a mobile photographer who wants to capture movement. In low light, long shutter speeds become a necessity, not just an artistic device. Xiaomi smartphones with their night modes (Night Mode) work wonders, but it is better to use the manual mode or specialized presets described above to fix the trajectories of light (lights, neon signs, fire shows).
When shooting light Painting, you can use the smartphone itself as a light source. Turn on a long shutter speed (e.g., 10-20 seconds), press the descent button and draw light from another phone's flashlight or screen in the air in front of the lens. Xiaomi's camera will record the entire path of the light dot, creating three-dimensional shapes in space.
Table of recommended settings for different night shooting scenarios:
| Screenplay of the shooting | Excerpt (S) | ISO | Additional conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light traces of cars | 4 - 10 seconds | 50 - 100 | We need a tripod, city lighting. |
| Starry Sky (static) | 15-30 sec. | 1600 - 3200 | Total darkness, tripod is mandatory |
| Drawing with light | 10 - 20 sec. | 50 - 100 | Dark room, light source in hand |
| Waterfall/Fountain (night) | 2- 4 sec. | 100 - 200 | Illumination of the object, tripod |
Don't be afraid to raise your ISO when shooting stars, but keep your balance in mind. Too high will add "grain" (noise) that will spoil the smoothness of the night sky. Xiaomi's noise-cancelling algorithms do a good job, but physics is physics: longer shutter speed at low ISO than short at high.
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Use a delay timer (3 or 5 seconds) in Pro mode. Pressing the screen causes a micro-vibration that will smear the frame at long exposure. The timer will allow the phone to calm down before exposure begins.
Secrets of video shooting with slowing and acceleration
Although this article is about photography, you can't ignore the power of video, which is essentially a sequence of photos. Xiaomi's Time-lapse mode is a powerful motion display tool that compresses real-time hours into a few seconds, showing the rapid movement of clouds, shadows or city traffic.
Unlike photos where we blur motion, in a time-lap we speed it up. The smartphone automatically takes a series of pictures at a large interval and glues them into a video. To activate, find the Interval mode in the “More” menu. Here you can adjust the shooting interval (for example, 1 frame in 2 seconds) and the duration of the final video.
Another interesting effect is Super Slow-mo. If your smartphone supports video recording at 960 or 1920 frames per second, you can unfreeze the moment. This is the reverse effect of movement: a fast-flying drop of water or a shattering ball becomes visible in minute detail. Find Slowly mode and select the maximum FPS value.
⚠️ Attention: Ultra-slow-mode (960 fps) is only available in good light and lasts only a few seconds. Xiaomi's camera can heat up heavily with prolonged use of these features, leading to the camera automatically shutting down.
Post-processing: increasing the effect of movement
Even a perfectly shot often requires a final refinement, with Xiaomi’s built-in editor or third-party apps like Snapseed and Lightroom Mobile enhancing the sense of dynamics, and the main challenge at this point is to highlight the contrast between a static object and a blurred background (or vice versa).
Use the Sharpness and Structure tools selectively. Use them only on static objects to make them even clearer in the background of blurred motion. If you shot in RAW (available in Pro mode), you will have much more freedom to correct lights and shadows without loss of quality.
Where to find RAW format on Xiaomi?
You can also experiment with the Rotating or Perspective tool, and sometimes a slight tilt of the horizon adds extra dynamics and a sense of speed to the frame, even if the object is moving straight, and the key is not to overdo it so as not to disturb the composition.
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Key takeaway: The best result is a combination of manual shutter speed settings (Profi mode), tripod use and subsequent light retouching. Automated modes are good for beginners, but limit creative control.