All too often, we as photographers become embroiled in trying to achieve the perfect picture and forget why we took up photography in the first instance.....because it's fun! For the vast majority of my work I use a tripod. Indeed, in order to achieve the highest possible quality when shooting dawn landscapes for instance, a low iso is required with quite often a small aperture, resulting in a lengthy exposure. A tripod is therefore essential. But, sometimes it's nice, I would say, to release yourself, from the burdens of our 3 legged friends.
The technique of moving the camera during the exposure is as old as the hills but it still makes me smile when I look at the back of the camera to see a rather mundane scene look quite different and 'painterly.'
I personally find that if you apply too much processing, it loses the effect.
