Long exposure photography (also called slow shutter photography) include adjusting the shutter speed for a long period of time to capture outstanding movements and fascinating effects which ordinary eyes cannot normally follow.
This technique allows the photographer to capture still objects sharply, while moving elements are blurred. Examples of long exposure photographs are seascapes that highlight cliffs or star trails.
The long exposure technique is mainly about shooting longer than the standard time adjusted by your camera photometer. This is performed by shooting at about half seconds or more, that is much slower than conventional shooting at 1/50th seconds or less.
In addition, this method needs shooting using Manual mode. If you are not very knowledgeable about photographing in Manual, you should learn how to get off the Auto mode and learn more about the other types of modes.
Long exposure photography is one of the most effective techniques in creating special visual effects, which is used in a different photography kinds. This is performed by adjusting the camera to take exposure of a few seconds to a few minutes to capture more light and movement by the camera. Taking long exposure photos have two common targets. The first is to get more light in a relatively dark environment.
This enables the camera to capture images brighter than the real scene without compromising image quality. The second target is to record any movement of bright elements in the scene, which may create light paths that provide appealing patterns and textures. It can be used in the movement of cars, people, clouds, or running water. By doing long exposures, the photographer can improve their visual design by using these effects to skillfully correct and improve the whole image.
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How does long exposure photography work?
Long exposure photos are generally so attractive that common people, who have no conception about photography, think they are just Photoshop editing products. Technology has proven that nothing is unattainable when the right equipment is used by a skilled photographer at the perfect time.
The long exposure technique is one of the most useful tools in night photography, which captures fabulous photos with great effect quality. This has the ability to change the scenario so that what the eyes can’t naturally see, will be visible.
The basic theory behind long exposure techniques
When the shutter is open, you get light that hits your camera’s sensor and creates an image. How dark or light the image is depends on how much light hits your sensor. If a movement occurs while the shutter is open, it is recorded on the sensor and can be seen as motion blur. In long exposure photography, we keep the shutter open for a long time to record relatively slow motion of objects, usually clouds or water, are taken in long exposures. Because the shutter is open for a longer period of time, an image is always overexposed in daylight because extreme light hits the sensor. Therefore, we use filters named ND filters to reduce the degree of light taken over a long exposure so that the image is not overexposed.
Important equipments you need for Long Exposure techniques
camera
Definitely, the first equipment needed is a camera. This doesn’t need to be DSLR. You can use any point-and-shoot camera with a modern system, specially those with a shutter priority speed trait.
tripod
This is an essential tool for capturing long exposure images. Before you begin taking pictures, make sure your camera is placed on a tripod to hold it still. In addition, you should choose a tripod that is sturdy so that the camera does not move easily with slight movement or the wind.
RemotePlus
Pressing the shutter button while your camera is on a tripod may cause a slight movement, which can cause blurry images. For this reason, it is recommended that you use a cable release or a camera remote control as RemotePlus. This product acts as a shutter button that allows you to take pictures even without touching the camera.
Filter holder
If you need to use square filters, because there are lenses that do not accept round filters in long exposures, you need a filter holder to help you. It is advised that you replace the ND filters with the filter holder, before pressing the shutter in the next part.
Memory card
Remote trigger
If you need exposure of more than 30 seconds, remote trigger is needed.
Tips for better long exposure photography
Apart from the equipment, there are other things like the subject, time element, weather, and so on, that can impact on the quality of your long exposure outputs. If you want to have the best long exposure photos, follow these tips:
1- Choose your subject
Long exposure is commonly used for cityscapes, landscapes and seascapes. These are perfect scenes which show the attractive contrast between the recorded movements and the unmoving objects.
2- Study the weather
This is the best shooting technique on windy days with cloudy skies. Thus, it is best that you before anything check the weather forecast for your scheduled shooting date.
3- Visit the location well in advance
Before the actual photographing, it is essential to find the location first, particularly if you are photographing in low light. You need to find the right place to place your tripod and camera. In addition, take the time to understand the scenario and concentrate on how to attain the right framing.
4- Use the morning or evening light
It’s preferred to organize your long exposure shots of each of these two moments, so you don’t have to count much on ND filter. The natural low light conditions allow you to take more innovative photos.
5- Keep the lens and filter clean
Dust and other small particles may cover your filter or lens, as the camera shutter should be open for a long time when shooting. The dirt can damage the quality of your photo. To prevent this from occurring, take time to clean the lens and filter in between photographing. This saves you from overwork after production.
6- Calculate the right exposure
The simplest way to calculate the right exposure for long exposures is to initially download one of the countless apps available for your phone. Search for “ND Calculator” in your app store and select one.
After that, while the camera is in manual mode on the tripod and the exposure mode is adjusted to matrix or average, attach your image without the filter attached. Adjust your ISO to 100, and your aperture to F11 (not necessarily F11, but a good starting point for image quality and depth of field). Adjust the shutter speed until the exposure meter reading in the viewfinder or on your screen is at 0.
Another thing is to set the camera to aperture priority mode, ISO 100, F11, matrix measurement, and then read the shutter speed that the camera tells you to use as a starting point.
How to edit long exposure photos
You can edit your long exposure photos with any post-processing software. Numerous photographers use Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software, Lightroom or Photoshop. The way you edit your photos counts on your individual preference, but you usually aim to increase your contrast, reduce your highlights to see details in whiteness, and add a bit of noise reduction, as noise usually occurs during long exposures shots. Try and observe what you get in the end. Develop your style and do your best to add your character to your photos.