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A Beginner’s Guide to Long Exposure Street Photography

15 Jul

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Long Exposure Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

a guide to long exposure street photos

You may have done some long exposure photos and perhaps a bit of street photography. But have you combined these two genres for long exposure street photography?

Consider this: Photographs are frozen slices of time, and your camera is a time machine capable of freezing or stretching a moment. A short shutter speed can freeze things that happen far too fast to see. With a long shutter duration, motion is blurred, stretching time. When photographing in busy urban environments where people, vehicles, and other things are on the move, long exposures can create a sense of motion in a static photograph.

man walking near street long exposure
Late in the day when the light was fading, by dropping the ISO to 50 and stopping down to f/22, I was able to get a 1.3-second shutter speed, enough to blur this subject walking past the camera. Note the degree to which he is blurred compared to other people farther away in the shot.

I’d never before considered this quote from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to have photography implications, but considering what we’ll explore here, I like what it says:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Ferris Bueller

Taking photos is one way we “stop and look around.” It’s also a way we share what we see with others. But a limitation of still photographs is they are a 2D, static representation of a 3D, moving world. So how can we better communicate motion in a still photo? A long exposure that leaves the shutter open for an extended period will cause moving images to be rendered as blurs. That look communicates motion to the viewer.

So let’s talk about the mechanics of how to do long exposure street photography.

people walking along outdoor seating
Midday and in full sun; even at the minimal ISO of 50 and an aperture of f/22, I had to use a variable ND filter to cut the light for a 1-second shutter speed. Note the difference in blur between the moving subjects and those seated.

Where to go for the best long exposure street photography

If you’re going to depict motion, you want to go somewhere where things are moving. Busy locations where people, vehicles, and other things are on the move will work well. A busy city street or intersection might be a perfect spot. You could also try a sporting event where the participants are in motion.

For long exposure night photography (which we’ll discuss in greater depth), locations with moving lights and illuminated vehicles work well. Also, consider the interesting looks that can be created when your photograph combines static and dynamic elements. One person standing still in a crowd of moving people can make for an impactful image using the long exposure technique.

group of people walking by long exposure
When people walk, their feet are temporarily still – just for a moment – with each step. Even with a 2-second shutter speed, as in the photo above, while the bodies blur, the steps are visible. Low evening light, a low ISO, and a small aperture allowed for the 2-second shutter (no ND filter was needed).

A still camera in a moving world

You likely want the motion in your photos to be created by the movement of your subjects, not by the movement of your camera. Handholding your camera and keeping it still during a multi-second exposure will be very difficult, so a tripod is a good idea.

(Though consider if you will be able to use a tripod on a busy city sidewalk or other crowded environments. Creating a hazard where someone could trip over a tripod leg is not something you want to do.)

There is also the “attraction of attention factor.” I will confess: I have not done a lot of street photography because of my personal trepidation about having to engage with strangers who want to know why I’m taking their photo on a street corner. Should I decide street photography is something I want to pursue further, that’s something I’ll need to get past.

long exposure at the beach
A high vantage point off a pier assured no one was paying much attention to me as the photographer. A 6-stop ND filter, a low ISO of 50, and a small aperture of f/18 were all needed to deal with the bright sun and get this 8-second exposure.

That said, I guarantee that you will attract even more attention and possible questions if you set up a tripod and a professional-looking camera on a busy street corner and start taking photos of passersby. Perhaps you could find other ways to brace your camera aside from a tripod. Maybe even figure out how to do long exposures with your cell phone to reduce the attention factor.

(If this isn’t a concern for you, more power to you; you’ve already dealt with a major barrier to being a great street photographer.)

What is a long exposure?

Your objective here is to make “long exposures” so that your subjects move during the shot. So how do we define long exposure photography?

An object will render as blurred in a photograph if it changes position from the time the shutter opens until the time it closes. Two factors will determine the amount of blur:

  • The speed of the moving object relative to the duration the shutter is open
  • The relative distance the subject moves during the exposure.

Let’s use a moving car as an example. Say you have a shutter speed of 1/30s. You are taking a photo of a car moving at 40 mph. If the car is relatively close to the camera, it could move completely across the frame and thus be rendered as a complete blur. But if the same car, still traveling at 40 mph, was in the distance and relatively small in the frame, it would only move a relatively short distance across the frame in that same 1/30s – and thus wouldn’t show as much blur.

long exposure with blurry car and person
The car in this shot was moving quite slowly, so I needed to drop the shutter speed to 0.6 seconds for some noticeable blur.
long exposure of people waiting and dog
This car moved perpendicular to the camera, stayed fairly close, and moved completely across the frame during my 1-second exposure, thus rendering as nothing but a blur.

So to simplify, the distance an object moves across the frame during the exposure is what will determine its blurriness. Even relatively slow-moving objects can be blurred if the exposure time is long enough. Take a close-up of a snail with a 5-minute exposure, and you could quite possibly have it appear motion blurred, too!

It’s that exposure triangle thing again

I hope you know what I mean when I speak of the “exposure triangle” – the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture when making a properly exposed photograph. If you’re not completely familiar, I’d recommend you stop what you’re doing and read all about it here.

Now, if you’re going to make long exposures that are well exposed, you’ll need full control over your shutter speed. There are two basic modes you can use to achieve this: Shutter Priority mode (Tv on Canon cameras, S on Nikons and some other cameras), or full Manual (M) mode.

In either case, you will be able to pick a shutter speed and lock it in. (We’ll talk about choosing a shutter speed in a minute.)

police officer riding a motorbike
1/60s isn’t what we’d normally consider a “long exposure,” but panning the camera with a fast-moving subject blurs the background while keeping the subject sharp.

Let’s assume you decide to make a 2-second exposure. Let’s also assume you are in Shutter Priority mode.

When you meter the scene, your shutter speed will be 2 seconds. Your aperture and ISO (if you are using Auto ISO), will “float,” automatically switching to a setting for a proper exposure. Depending on the ambient light, you might get something like 2 seconds at f/11 and ISO 1000. Locking the shutter speed and letting the camera determine aperture and ISO will allow you to get a proper exposure at the shutter duration you choose.

Using Manual mode can give you even greater creative control. Say you set your shutter speed for the same 2 seconds but stop down to f/16 for some additional depth of field. Your ISO can be adjusted to maintain the right exposure, and you’ll get the same 2-second exposure but at f/16 and ISO 2000.

If you are in Manual mode, you get to do all the adjustments yourself. Assuming you want the same 2-second shutter speed, you dial that in. Then you can adjust either the aperture, ISO, or both to center the exposure bar indicator and get a proper exposure. Should you decide to capture multiple shots from the same spot and the light remains constant, you shouldn’t need to make any additional adjustments.

Two important factors

How you choose your long exposure street photography settings will depend on two important factors:

  1. Your desired shutter speed
  2. Ambient light in your scene

So ask yourself:

  • What shutter speed do I want? Like so much of photography, the answer here is probably “it depends.” How much are the subjects in your shot moving? How fast? How close are they to the camera? What is your desired look? On a crowded street with lots of pedestrians scurrying about, you might be able to make everyone completely disappear in your photo if you use a several-minute exposure. Is that the look you want? Experimentation is the best way to learn the perfect shutter speed for this kind of photography. Try different things, “chimp” your shots, adjust and try again. You will get a feel for what you like and what works best in different situations.
  • What are the ambient light conditions? You might decide you’d like a 30-second exposure but are out shooting in the middle of the day in bright sunshine. Even stopping down to f/22 and ISO 50, a 30-second exposure might not be possible without drastically overexposing the image. Long exposure night images, taken when you don’t have much ambient light to deal with, are much easier. At night, instead of lowering the ISO, you might need to raise it. The same 30-second night image might be something like 30 seconds at f/4 and ISO 1600.

The amount of light you have to work with will impact what you can do. Long exposures in low light are usually easier, as you can always open up your aperture to its widest setting and crank up the ISO (noise is still a consideration but less so thanks to improved sensor technology). But how do you make a long exposure when there’s too much light and the smallest aperture and lowest ISO won’t get you the shutter speed you want?

kids playing soccer with panning technique
A cloudy day, an ISO of 50, and an aperture of f/32 coupled with panning the camera along with the action enabled me to get this impressionistic image of kids playing soccer.

Reach for the “sunglasses”

On a bright, sunny day when the light becomes too intense for our eyes, we’ll often reach for a pair of sunglasses to reduce the brightness. We can do the same for our cameras with neutral density filters (ND filters), which offer different levels of darkness. We can use ND filters to reduce the light hitting the camera sensor, and thus get long shutter durations even in bright conditions.

Here’s an example: You meter the scene, and at your smallest aperture of f/22 and an ISO of 50, the slowest shutter speed you could use and still get a proper exposure is 0.8 seconds. So grab your 6-stop ND filter, add it to the front of your lens, and you’ll be able to use an 8-second exposure. (A 10-stop ND filter could take you all the way to a 2-minute exposure!)

long exposure street photo taken with an ND filter
Even with a minimal ISO of 50 and an f/10 aperture, a variable ND was needed to reduce the midday sun and get a 1/8s shutter speed, not a particularly “long” exposure.

Using ND filters and calculating exposures takes a little study and practice, but the advantage is being able to take long exposures in bright conditions where it would otherwise not be possible. (A nice app to have on your cellphone is an ND filter exposure calculator like this one from Lee, a filter manufacturer: for Android/for iOS).

Lights at night

We’re very accustomed to seeing nighttime long exposures, and light trails caused by moving vehicles are quite easy to photograph, so long as you have a tripod or way to stabilize your camera.

Decide how long you want your exposure to last. Then in Shutter Priority mode, pick an aperture. If you’re set to use Auto ISO, the camera should pick the ISO setting for you. Of course, if you’re in Manual mode, you get to pick all three settings.

Again, determine your desired shutter speed, pick an aperture, and then adjust the ISO to a setting where you get a proper exposure. It could take some trial and error, but once you get everything dialed in, you will be able to make repeated shots without too much need for further adjustment.

Boise at night with light trails
I made a lot of shots to get the look I was after with this image of rush-hour traffic in Boise, Idaho. During the “blue hour” with limited light, I was able to keep the ISO at 100, the aperture at f/13, and a 15-second shutter speed. Nighttime long exposure is often easier than daylight long exposure (as you now know, too much light requires the use of neutral density filters).
experimental long exposure in the back of a car
A different way to create some motion: Put the camera on a tripod in the back seat of your vehicle. Strap it down (or bring an assistant). ISO 100 helps keep down the noise and f/7.1 is a good sharp spot, at least for my Tamron lens. Take a downtown drive and trigger the camera with a 6-second exposure. Try different shutter speeds and take lots of shots. You might get one you like!
long exposure of freeway traffic
Freeway traffic with a 2.5-second shutter speed…
long exposure light trails
I then stopped down to f/22 and tried a 15-second shutter speed. You will find it beneficial when doing long exposure images to experiment with different shutter durations. You will get different looks depending on the speed of your subject, proximity to the camera, and various other factors.
Idaho state capitol building with long exposure light trails
A passing car adds some additional interest to this 10-second exposure of the Idaho Capitol building in Boise.

Beyond the mechanics

Working out the camera mechanics when making long exposures is a matter of determining how to get a long exposure in any given lighting conditions. The rest of making an interesting image is no different than with other kinds of photography. Determine if there’s a “story” you want to tell. Decide how to compose your shot. Use compositional guidelines, vary your perspective, and try different shutter speeds to create different looks.

For street photos of people, it can be interesting to go out with a model, someone who will work with you and pose as needed. Put them in a busy location, but instruct them to stay still while you make your shot. They will remain sharp in the shot while the moving passersby will blur. The contrast of static and dynamic between your frozen model and the people moving and blurring can create some dramatic looks.

people crossing the road
The woman on the corner was not my model, but this illustrates the concept. She remained relatively still during the 0.6 second exposure, while the other people walked across the crosswalk. It’s a good example of the static/dynamic image you can make, particularly if you take a model with you.

Add a flash

Here’s something else you can try:

Put a speedlight on your camera and set it up for second-curtain sync. (If you’re unfamiliar with the technique, make sure to read up on it!)

What you’re after is a long exposure that will motion-blur moving people or objects – but then, just before the shutter closes, the flash will fire. Moving elements will have a blur of motion behind them but be frozen by the burst of flash, like this:

second-curtain sync blurry bikers
Here, 1/8s was long enough to blur the action. A pop of flash using second-curtain sync was enough to freeze a part of the image. The final result is both dynamic and static at the same time.

Just be aware that, if you thought shooting with a tripod on a busy city street might attract attention, firing a flash will make it clear you’re taking photos. What’s nice about having a model with you is that people will assume you’re making photos of the model and not be as concerned about you making photos of them. You’ll even get lots of apologies from people who say, “Sorry, I got in your shot,” not knowing that was your intent all along.

people walking down a narrow road
In early evening without much light, I reduced the ISO to 50 and stopped down to f/16. With a 1.6-second shutter speed, you might get a look like this. The camera was mounted on a tripod, and I tripped the shutter nonchalantly as these people walked by.

Go hit the streets

Learning the mechanics of long exposure street photography is the easy part. Getting out on the streets and making photos, particularly with people in them, is the bigger challenge, especially if you haven’t done much street photography before.

If you pride yourself on being a people person, that will come in handy in this genre of photography. The rest, as they say, is practice. Best wishes!

Now over to you:

Do you have any favorite tips or techniques for long exposure street photography? And do you have any long exposure images you’re proud of? Share them in the comments below!

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Long Exposure Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


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9 Night Photography Tips for Nailing Your Exposure (Every Time)

06 Apr

The post 9 Night Photography Tips for Nailing Your Exposure (Every Time) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.

9 night photography tips for nailing your exposure every time

In this article, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about getting beautiful night photography exposures.

As a longtime night photographer, I’m well-equipped to share with you the best night exposure techniques – so that you can create stunning shots every time you take out your camera.

Specifically, I’m going to discuss:

  • the best exposure mode for night photography
  • the best night photography shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings
  • a quick way to check your night exposures
  • much, much more!

So if you’re ready to become a night photography master, then let’s get started!

Note: If you’re serious about night photography and want to really take your night photos to the next level, check out my night photography course. It offers easy-to-follow night photography tutorials with hours of helpful videos and case studies.

1. Work in Manual mode

Here’s your first night photography tip, and it’s a big one:

Make sure you’re shooting in Manual mode.

In Manual mode, you will set the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. This gives you complete control over your camera.

When shooting at night, your camera will be on a tripod, and you will be working slowly. So there is no need to use any automatic mode; even if you’re not totally comfortable with camera settings, you can take your time, carefully dialing in your aperture and shutter speed and checking your exposure.

Further, there might be a little trial and error with the exposure settings (the camera can be fooled by the large differences in bright and dark areas of the picture), and you want to make sure you have plenty of control over this process.

Manual mode gives you that control.

night photography tips exposure - Millenium Bridge example
4s | f/5.6 | ISO 400

2. Make sure you are comfortable with Bulb mode

Manual mode only works for exposures up to 30 seconds.

So if you need a shutter speed that is longer than 30 seconds, the only option is Bulb mode. Therefore, while you should generally shoot in Manual, you should also get comfortable with Bulb.

In Bulb mode, the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button. When you hit the button, the shutter opens. When you release the button, the shutter closes.

(Of course, to avoid introducing any shake or movement into the exposure, you must use a remote shutter release when working in Bulb mode.)

With Bulb mode, you can make your exposure several minutes long. If your remote shutter release doesn’t have a built-in timer, make sure you keep another timer handy (e.g., on your phone).

Also, if your remote does not have a timer, make sure it has a locking feature, so you don’t have to hold the shutter button during the entire exposure.

Proper Exposure at Night - Pigeon Point example
6s | f/5.6 | ISO 1600

3. Shoot in RAW

When shooting at night, it is particularly important to make sure you are shooting in RAW format.

RAW files coming out of most cameras are 14 bits, whereas JPEGS are only 8-bit files. The more bits, the higher the range of available colors and the smoother the transitions between them.

(In other words: RAW files look better.)

Plus, most of the colors a camera can capture are at the top (bright) end of the scale. The range of available colors at the low (dark) end of the scale is extremely limited. At night, your pictures will almost always include a large dark portion. A JPEG file, with its reduced color options, will likely display (very ugly) banding.

So always, always, always shoot in RAW.

4. Bring a flashlight

Knowing your camera controls pays off at night. You can make changes to the settings without being able to see everything.

Nevertheless, a small flashlight is tremendously useful. Keep one handy to make sure you can see everything on your camera and tripod.

(It occasionally comes in handy for lighting areas of your picture, as well!)

Brooklyn Bridge
10s | f/9 | ISO 200

5. Choose proper settings

Proper settings will always depend on the situation. Nevertheless, there are some helpful guidelines for choosing settings at night:

  • Aperture: Open up your aperture more at night than you would during the day (i.e., use a lower f-number). Most night photographs tend to require less depth of field than shots during the day. Plus, the background and sky will be black. The larger aperture also has the benefit of letting more light into your camera.
  • ISO: Keep your ISO setting as low as you can. Night photography always has dark areas, and these dark areas inevitably lead to digital noise. Raising the ISO will compound the problem.
  • Shutter speed: Whereas shutter speed might be the first exposure setting you worry about during the day, it should generally be the last one you think about at night. Since you will be shooting from a tripod, you can let the shutter stay open as long as you need. If you have traffic (streaking lights), a fountain, or running water in your picture, the longer shutter speed will create a very cool effect. (Note, however, that if you’re shooting in high winds or if the ground is unstable, you’ll need to boost your shutter speed to prevent blur.)

One other setting to check is Long Exposure Noise Reduction, which will be in your camera’s menu. If you enable this option, the camera will take two exposures, one normal and one with the shutter closed. Your camera will then use the second image to filter out noise from the normal picture.

Of course, photos shot with this option enabled will take twice as long to expose, but they’ll also be less noisy.

6. Meter for the highlights

Determining the proper exposure level can be tricky at night, and each metering mode presents its own challenges.

If you use evaluative metering, the camera is likely to be confused. If you use spot or partial metering, the meter will jump around, depending on whether you’ve aimed at a bright light or a dark background.

One answer to this problem is to use spot metering and expose for the highlights. So meter off the highlights, then set your exposure between +1 and +2. The +1/+2 setting will keep your highlights looking bright but will also keep the highlights within the dynamic range of your camera.

Do not worry as much about the dark portions of your picture. If the dark areas happen to turn black, it is nighttime, so there is supposed to be some black. But you can always take test shots and adjust as necessary.

Dallas night photography
5s | f/16 | ISO 400

7. Take a test shot at a high ISO

You should make liberal use of test shots when shooting at night.

However, you generally don’t want to sit around for 30 seconds, a minute, or even longer, just waiting to see if the test shot is going to work out.

So the best way to create a test file without wasting a lot of time is to take a shot at a much higher ISO than you would ordinarily use.

Let’s say you think the proper exposure settings for a given shot are 30 seconds at f/5.6 with an ISO of 400. Rather than taking that shot and waiting around 30 seconds for the exposure, just crank up the ISO, then boost the shutter speed by the same number of stops. The exposure will stay the same, but it will take much less time to capture the test picture.

For the above example, I would raise the ISO to 6400. Why? Well, raising the ISO by one stop takes it to ISO 800, two stops increases it to ISO 1600, three stops to ISO 3200, and four stops gets you to ISO 6400.

Once you’ve set your ISO to 6400, you can reduce your shutter speed by four stops to 2 seconds. After all, reducing the shutter speed by one stop shortens it to 15 seconds, two stops shortens it to 8 seconds, three stops to 4 seconds, and four stops takes the shutter speed down to 2 seconds.

Then, when you are satisfied with your exposure, just decrease the ISO and lengthen the shutter speed by a comparable amount to get back to the final settings.

8. Bracket your photos

Night photography is one area where you will want to bracket your photos. Blending and HDR can work wonders at night, but even if you don’t like to use those processes, bracket your photos anyway. Think of it as exposure insurance.

After all, if you overexpose or underexpose your file, having a bracket on hand will be the difference between a failed and a successful photoshoot.

San Antonio riverwalk night photography tips exposure
30s | f/11 | ISO 200

9. Verify the exposure with the histogram

After you have taken your exposures, you should always check them on your camera’s rear LCD.

However, while the picture on the LCD will show you if the exposure is close to correct, you should also check the histogram.

Why?

Because a histogram is more accurate than your camera’s LCD. You can use it to carefully determine whether the exposure is within your camera’s dynamic range.

Specifically, make sure to keep the highlights on the right side of the histogram, but avoid a spike on the far right. If the dark areas spike on the left side of the histogram, that’s okay; parts of your picture are supposed to be black.

In general, however, keep as much of the image as possible within the range of the histogram, though err on the side of keeping the highlights from blowing out.

night photography tips exposure - Louvre example
4s | f/11 | ISO 400

Night photography exposure: final words

When you follow the night photography exposure tips I’ve given above, you are likely to get some great shots. Every city lights up its major attractions, bridges, and museums – often in colorful ways. So a scene that might be boring during the day can offer great photos at night.

Because of the effects of the lights, you’ll often be surprised by what you end up with (in a good way!). Taking your time and applying these tips to nail the exposure will help you maximize the experience.

And remember:

If you want to improve your night photography skills fast, then check out my night photography course. It’ll teach you everything you need to know about night photography through hours of helpful videos and case studies!

The post 9 Night Photography Tips for Nailing Your Exposure (Every Time) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.


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6 Places to Use ND Filters for Long Exposure Photography

05 Apr

The post 6 Places to Use ND Filters for Long Exposure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

6 places to use ND filters for long exposure photography

A neutral density (ND) filter is one of the most versatile accessories you can have in your camera bag. They may be small, but ND filters open up a range of creative options for photographers.

If you need some inspiration on where to use your neutral density filter, keep reading. In this article, I’ll share with you some of my favorite places to use ND filters for long exposure photography.

What is an ND filter, and why would I want to use one?

A neutral density or ND filter is a piece of glass that sits in front of your lens and reduces the amount of light that reaches the sensor.

If you’ve never used an ND filter before, you might be wondering why you’d want to do this; let me explain.

Many long exposure photography beginners shoot at night. Here, a shutter speed of a few seconds or more is necessary for an accurate exposure of the scene, and any movement captured in the image is magically transformed into a thing of beauty. If your camera is steady on a tripod, buildings remain in sharp focus, but the movement of car headlights or rushing water is captured as interesting streaks in the image:

harbor with bridge and city
A neutral density filter can be a photographer’s best friend.

Capturing this kind of effect can only be done after dark, right?

Wrong.

With an ND filter, you can take stunning long exposures during the day.

You see, if you don’t use an ND filter, a long exposure in bright daylight conditions would result in an overexposed image. But with an ND filter reducing the amount of light that reaches the sensor, you need to use a much slower shutter speed to photograph the scene. This allows you to capture movement.

There are so many amazing places where you can use an ND filter to take stunning long exposure photos. I’ve listed some of my favorites below, starting with:

1. Waterfalls

Waterfalls are the place many photographers try out their ND filters for the first time.

They’re certainly a fantastic location for you to start; flowing water is transformed into a silky-soft cascade, which gives images a real wow factor.

Just watch out for mist and water spray and make sure it doesn’t cover your filter and lens!

waterfall long exposure
Waterfalls are a popular place to try out an ND filter.
Captured with my Fujifilm 16mm f/1.4 lens at Springbrook National Park in Queensland.

The intensity of a waterfall can depend on recent rainfall. But the good news is that, no matter how large or small the waterfall is, it’ll look amazing when shot with an ND filter.

2. Rivers and harbors

Rivers and harbors are fantastic places to capture movement and lights along with the flow of water.

During daylight hours, it’s possible to capture the movement of boats along the water. And as the sun goes down and the city lights come on, ferries and boats create colorful light trails that can bring an image to life.

I love this image of a ferry on Sydney Harbour:

harbor long exposure
Rivers and harbors provide an array of long exposure opportunities.

Thanks to my ND filter, I was able to use a shutter speed of around 1s, giving the ferry a nice, colorful blur (while buildings behind it remain in sharp focus).

3. Ocean pools

Saltwater ocean pools dot the Australian coastline, with most of them found in the state of New South Wales. The pools are very popular with locals and tourists alike and can get very busy each morning. But the good thing about these iconic locations is that you have another body of water to photograph alongside the sea.

This image was taken early one morning in Yamba, New South Wales:

ND filters for long exposure photography ocean pool

I framed the pool in the foreground with the sea and the cliffs in the background. As I was taking a series of long exposures with a 10-stop ND filter, a swimmer jumped out of the pool right in front of me, creating a ghostly figure in the foreground of the frame.

The image below was taken at 6 AM (when it was already very bright). I was attracted to the scene by the reflections in the flooded area next to the pool, which contrasted nicely with the pool’s ethereal-looking water and the waves of the ocean on the far left.

ocean pool ND filters for long exposure photography
I love the three different bodies of water in this ocean pool shot.

4. Traffic

Traffic trails are typically one of the first things photographers shoot when they start taking long exposure images. Well after the sun has sunk below the horizon, a shutter speed of between 5 and 15 seconds is often needed to create a properly exposed shot, resulting in a colorful blur of traffic trails.

But if you have an ND filter, there’s no need to wait until after dark.

This is a composite of images I took with my ND2 filter at a subway station in Taipei, Taiwan:

city long exposure
A composite image of dusk in Taipei, Taiwan.

I knew I needed an exposure of a few seconds to make the most of the traffic and the subway train in the image. But it was too bright, and my exposure times were barely a second. Adding an ND filter allowed me to capture this scene as I had envisioned, and the final file is a composite of some of those long-exposure images.

5. Funfairs

Funfairs and carnivals are fantastic places for photography. There are so many opportunities: people, rides, food, and animals, to name just a few.

And when the sun goes down, don’t head home – set up your tripod for some long exposure images.

That’s exactly what I did for this image of a sideshow alley at Brisbane’s Royal Queensland show four years ago. The photo has been shared on Instagram every year since – sometimes with my permission, sometimes without. With an ND2 filter, I was able to take exposures that were twice as long as usual.

fair in Brisbane long exposure
My images of this funfair in Brisbane have been very popular on Instagram.

6. Unique natural attractions

Okay, so I’m cheating a little with this last image by combining two places I’ve already mentioned: a waterfall and the sea.

This stunning location (below) is the village of Gásadalur in the Faroe Islands. Unfortunately, there are not many places in the world where you can see such an incredible sight, though there are probably many unique natural locations near where you live.

waterfall heading into ocean ND filters for long exposure photography
Perhaps the most unique waterfall in the world, Gásadalur, Faroe Islands.

Gásadalur was number one on my list of places to photograph when I visited the Faroe Islands in 2017. Blessed with sunny weather on my first day, I headed to the coast just outside the village to take this shot. I wasn’t disappointed.

6 places to use ND filters: final thoughts

Neutral density filters are quite possibly the handiest accessory photographers can keep in their camera bags. They have many uses, but the most common is to take photos with a slow shutter speed.

This makes ND filters a must-have for long exposure photography during daylight hours; you can use them to blur subjects that would otherwise be frozen.

It’s always fun to get out your tripod and ND filter and experiment!

Now over to you:

What are your favorite places to use ND filters for long exposure photography? Share your thoughts (and long exposure images) in the comments below!

The post 6 Places to Use ND Filters for Long Exposure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.


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12 Tips for Beautiful Long Exposure Night Photography

25 Feb

The post 12 Tips for Beautiful Long Exposure Night Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

long exposure night photography tips

Long exposure night photography can seem tough.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Because there are a few simple tricks you can use…

…that’ll ensure you get great long exposures, consistently.

And that’s what this article is all about. I’m going to give you 12 easy tips for long exposure night photos. Specifically, I’ll tell you:

  • Every piece of gear you need for pro-level night photography
  • The simple secrets for keeping your long exposure shots sharp
  • The best time of day to capture long exposure night photos (hint: It’s not at all what you’d expect!)

Plus a whole lot more.

Are you’re ready to become a master of long exposure night photography?

Let’s get started.

Long exposure night photography city from above

1. Scout your location ahead of time

Most photographers think that scouting is overkill.

But here’s the thing:

Knowing where the best locations are for night photography ahead of time can pay huge dividends.

It means you won’t have to work out where to set up when you arrive.

(And setting up is very stressful if you can’t find a spot and the sun is sinking rapidly!)

If you can, scout your location at the same time of day you plan on shooting. This will give you a good idea of what lighting to expect.

Have a good look around the area. And ask yourself:

Will there be any trees or obstacles blocking my view? Are there any lights in the vicinity – such as streetlights or floodlights – that will affect my images?

When choosing your location, also look for sources of movement, including:

  • Crowds of people
  • Cars that create dramatic light trails
  • Boats skimming across the water

Why?

Because movement is great for long exposure photos!

Long exposure night photography fair at night
In this photo of the Royal Queensland Show, both lights and people are creating a sense of movement.

If you’re not able to scout a location beforehand, consider your options.

For instance, you can turn up an hour or two before sunset to find the best location.

Or you can research the location by looking through social media. This will give you ideas for potential locations – including what they look like at night.

To learn more about the virtual scouting process, check out this article: Top Tips for Photographing the Best a City has to Offer in 48 Hours.

2. Consider taking multiple shots

Once you’ve determined your shooting location, here’s what to think about next:

Whether you will move your camera and tripod around on the shoot (changing locations, capturing different compositions, and/or using different focal lengths), or whether you will take a series of images that are exactly the same (perhaps for blending in Photoshop).

If you’ve decided on the latter, it can be worth taking a second camera and tripod with you; that way, you can take additional shots and make the most of your trip.

3. Use a checklist to pack your gear

Night photography requires a lot of equipment.

So before you go out to shoot, I highly recommend you create a checklist for packing your kit.

This is a great memory aid and will ensure that you don’t forget anything. Here are some of the things I have on my gear checklist:

  • Cameras and lenses
  • Fully-charged camera battery. If you’re capturing multiple images of the same scene to blend in Photoshop, you will have a very hard time lining them all up later on if you have to move your camera to change batteries.
  • Spare batteries
  • One or two tripods
  • Tripod base plates (these small rectangular bits of kit can be the difference between a successful shoot and a disaster!)
  • SD cards. Make sure you have a formatted card in your camera ready to go, as well as spares.
  • Water and snacks
  • Wireless headphones. Often, I’ll be in the same location taking images for several hours. If there’s not a fellow photographer to chat with, I listen to podcasts or music.

4. Set up early and be mindful of others

Try to arrive early so you can set up and be prepared at your preferred location.

When you set up your camera and tripod, be mindful of pedestrians, cyclists, and traffic in the area. Don’t place your gear where it will obstruct paths or where people could trip over it.

street corner with light trails
Always make sure your gear is not in the way of others during a night shoot in a busy area.

5. Shoot during blue hour for the best skies

If you want to create the most striking long exposure night photography, then I highly recommend you shoot during blue hour.

Specifically, start capturing images as the sun is setting, and keep photographing until all the color has drained from the sky.

That’s how you’ll get images with drama, like the one below:

blue hour photo of cityscape
The best time to take night photos is when there is still color in the sky!

6. Use a tripod

You must use a tripod for sharp long exposure night photography.

Otherwise, your photos will be full of blur.

I bought a Manfrotto tripod in 2005, and it’s still going strong! I also have a smaller, lighter MeFoto tripod for travel.

Owning several tripod quick release plates is also a good idea. That way, you can detach your camera from the tripod whenever you need (and stick it back on quickly, as well!).

tripod head
A good-quality tripod is a solid investment for long exposure night photographers.

7. Turn on your camera’s electronic level

Most cameras have a built-in guide or electronic level.

If your camera has one, then turn it on.

Why is an electronic level useful?

It’ll let you know if your camera is crooked, just like an old-fashioned spirit level. And you can adjust your camera so that every single image comes back straight.

(On my Fujifilm X cameras, this is a horizontal line across the screen that turns green when the camera is level.)

Of course, you can always straighten the horizon in a program such as Lightroom or Photoshop.

But this can get annoying, especially if it’s a frequent problem.

So find the electronic level, and make sure it’s active before you start shooting.

8. Use a remote release

When taking long exposures, you must minimize any movement of the camera during an exposure.

Which means that you cannot press the shutter button.

Why?

No matter how careful you are, when you tap the shutter, you may create camera shake. And end up with blurry images.

One way to avoid camera shake is to use a remote release. These are small accessories that plug into a socket on the side of your camera, allowing you to trigger the shutter without pressing the shutter button.

Many camera companies also have a smartphone app you can use to activate the shutter of your camera.

Long exposure night photography with a remote
You can trigger many cameras via an app.

9. Use the self-timer feature

Here’s a second way for you to minimize camera movement during an exposure:

Use your camera’s self-timer feature. I actually prefer this method of hitting the shutter button for two reasons:

  1. I usually take two cameras on shoots, so using a smartphone app is not an option since it can only connect to one camera at a time.
  2. The two cameras I take use different types of remote releases, and I’d rather not have to remember to bring both of those accessories.

Instead, I recommend you set up a two-second self-timer delay in advance. That way, you can hit the shutter button, wait for any vibrations to fade, then get a tack-sharp shot.

(Just remember to deactivate the self-timer feature after the shoot is over!)

Long exposure night photography with water
The self-timer feature is a great way to minimize camera shake.

10. Try interval shooting for great results

Do you want to capture the beauty of a scene over a long period of time?

Try interval shooting.

With interval shooting, you can fire off photos with a set time interval (so you capture one photo every two minutes, for example).

I set my camera to take a photo every two minutes during the early part of my shoots, then – when the light starts to get interesting and the city lights come on – I set my camera to take a photo ever 20 or 30 seconds.

You can also set this feature to stop after a certain number of exposures.

Handy, right?

Interval shooting essentially sets your camera on autopilot, leaving you free to take images with a second camera.

Just be careful not to bump or move your main camera when adjusting settings during your shoot.

11. Turn off image stabilization

If you want sharp long exposure photos, you must turn off camera and lens image stabilization.

Now, you’re probably thinking:

What? Image stabilization makes photos sharper, not blurry!

And you’re right…

…mostly.

But remember:

You should always use a tripod for long exposure night photography.

And when image stabilization meets a tripod, it causes problems. You see, your tripod should be completely still, yet your image stabilization technology will often move your camera and/or lens slightly – resulting in unwanted blur.

Some newer lenses can sense when a camera is mounted on a tripod and turn off image stabilization automatically.

But I recommend you check, just to be sure.

12. Always stay safe!

This is of paramount importance when taking photos at night.

Always be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to who is nearby. I usually have my bag zipped up and next to me at all times.

Often, I put one of my bag straps around my leg so no one can try to run off with my kit.

And while I take wireless headphones, I would only ever use them in busy locations where I feel safe.

lighthouse at night
Always be aware of your surroundings when shooting in remote places or late at night.

Long exposure night photography: Final words

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to long exposure night photography.

While shooting at night may seem difficult, with some extra thought and planning, you’ll capture some stunning images!

Of course, the best way to improve your photography is to get out there and practice as much as you can.

Now over to you:

Which of these long exposure night photography tips is your favorite? Which one do you plan to use the next time you’re out shooting? Let me know in the comments below!

The post 12 Tips for Beautiful Long Exposure Night Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.


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Long Exposure Fire Photography – 5 Tips for Beginners

11 Jan

The post Long Exposure Fire Photography – 5 Tips for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.

long exposure fire photography tips

Do you want to capture stunning long exposure fire photography?

A long exposure photo can make flames look soft and feathery, capture spark trails, and create a romantic or cozy mood. 

The tips in this article will help you get started taking gorgeous long exposure fire photos, today!

Long exposure fire photography: 5 tips for beginners

A word of caution:

Be careful as you practice your fire photography. Fire can be dangerous, and it’s easy to be careless when thinking more about your photography than the fire. Maintaining a safe distance is important for you and your gear.

tips for long exposure fire photography
5s | f/10 | ISO 100

1. Use a slow shutter speed

To take a long exposure photo, the camera shutter needs to be open long enough to blur motion and light. Here are a couple of ways to ensure that the shutter stays open:

  • Shutter Priority mode: Here, you choose the shutter speed and your camera selects the aperture
  • Aperture Priority mode: Here, the camera chooses the shutter speed, but you can control its choice based on the aperture you select

Fire photography with Shutter Priority

Put your camera in Shutter Priority mode, choose your desired shutter speed, and let the camera do the rest.

This will force your camera to let in light for the amount of time you’ve chosen. Your camera will choose your ISO (if it’s set to Auto) and your aperture.

Shutter Priority will give you different results depending on how much light is available – and shooting this way can be a lot of fun.

When you choose a shutter speed of five or six seconds, you can capture interesting flame shapes and lots of spark trails. In fact, the bonfire and torch photos in this article were captured in Shutter Priority mode.

long exposure fire photo
6s | f/10 | ISO 100

Fire photography with Aperture Priority

You could also set your camera to Aperture Priority, choose a mid-range aperture (f/8-f/11), set a low ISO (100-200), and let your camera choose the shutter speed. If you’re shooting at night (when it’s really dark) and the fire is your main light source, your camera will choose a slow shutter speed. This should give you a photo with a large depth of field, and one that’s relatively free of grain (i.e., noise).

If Aperture Priority causes your shutter to be open for longer than you want, increase the ISO. This will decrease the shutter speed, though it will also start adding noise (fortunately, this can be reduced during editing). 

The card game and match photos in this article were shot using Aperture Priority mode.

long exposure flame photo
1s | f/11 | ISO 100

Anyway, those are just a couple of suggestions to get you started. Long exposure fire photography is all about playing around and having fun! Make sure to try lots of different apertures and shutter speeds. 

If you’re like me, you’ll get excited as you review each shot and see the interesting shapes you’ve captured.

2. Set your camera on a tripod

When capturing a long exposure fire photo, you’ll want to reduce camera shake, which results in blurry photos. 

Camera shake occurs when the camera moves while the shutter is open. Slow shutter speeds (of more than one second) make it impossible to handhold your camera and still get sharp images. 

But using a tripod will keep your camera steady – and therefore prevent camera shake plus the resulting blur.

3. Use a remote shutter release or set the self-timer

A remote shutter release (or the camera’s self-timer) can also help you cut down on camera shake. 

You see, when you press the shutter release, the camera moves slightly – and this can cause blur in your photos.

But when you use a remote shutter release (or you set your camera’s self-timer), you don’t have to worry about this movement.

Using a remote shutter release may seem like a small thing, but it can significantly affect your image sharpness.

long exposure fire spark trails
6s | f/6.3 | ISO 320
Spark trails.

Note that, when capturing match flames, a remote works best. While a self-timer will prevent camera shake, the delay makes it tough to capture that initial burst of flame with any real precision.

4. Choose your subject

Do you want your main focus to be the fire itself? Or are you trying to capture the mood created by the fire? 

When capturing the mood, it can be tricky to get sharp shots of people. It’s not easy for anyone to sit still during a long exposure, and movement will create blur in your photos.

So first identify your subject, and then adjust your camera settings to keep the subject sharp.

The following photos were shot in Aperture Priority mode with an aperture of f/8. For the first photo, I set the ISO to 100, and my camera chose a shutter speed of 5 seconds. That was too long for my daughter to stay still, so the photo turned out blurry.

long exposure fire photography tips
5s | f/8 | ISO 200

For the second photo, I set the ISO to 400, which cut the shutter speed in half (to 2.5 seconds). That made it easier for my subject to stay still, and the photo is sharper.

long exposure fire photography tips
2.5s | f/8 | ISO 400

5. Switch to manual focus

Autofocus doesn’t always work well in the dark. And autofocusing on a moving fire can be tough.

That’s where manual focus comes in.

Now, you don’t need to turn off your autofocus immediately. Instead, try autofocusing on something near the fire, then switch to manual focus to capture the shot you’re after.

How do you do this?

First, shine your flashlight on an object near the fire. Train your camera on the object, and press the shutter button halfway. When the autofocus locks on, turn off the flashlight and switch to manual focus.

Finally, without adjusting anything on the camera, take your shot. Your camera will maintain the same focus point – and you’ll end up with a sharp photo.

Note: You could also try back button focus!

Where will you practice?

Do you enjoy a cozy fire at your campsite or bonfires on the beach? Do you like candle-lit dinners? What about backyard marshmallow roasts? All of these would be great places to practice long exposure fire photography.

long exposure bonfire
6s | f/5.6 | ISO 160

Experimenting with long exposures around a campfire can be a little addictive. The more you practice, the more fun you’ll have.

And don’t forget your flashlight! You’ll need it to see your camera controls, to help with focusing, and to get you safely back to your car.

long exposure fire photography tips
5s | f/16 | ISO 100

Now over to you:

Do you enjoy creating long exposures of fire? Share your tips and photos by commenting down below!

The post Long Exposure Fire Photography – 5 Tips for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dena Haines.


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Learning about Exposure – The Exposure Triangle

15 Dec

The post Learning about Exposure – The Exposure Triangle appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

the exposure triangle

Bryan Peterson has written a book entitled Understanding Exposure. I highly recommend you read it if you want to venture off of your digital camera’s Auto mode and start experimenting with its manual settings.

In Understanding Exposure, Bryan illustrates the three main elements that need to be considered when setting your exposure. He calls them the “exposure triangle.”

Each of the three aspects of the triangle relates to light and how it enters and interacts with your camera.

So if you’re ready to become an expert in exposure…

…read on!

The three elements of the exposure triangle

The exposure triangle has three corners:

  1. ISO – the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
  2. Aperture – the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
  3. Shutter speed – the amount of time that the shutter is open

It is at the intersection of these three elements that an image’s exposure is determined.

Now, exposure refers to the overall brightness of an image.

So depending on your camera settings, you might end up with an exposure like this, which is too bright:

learning about the exposure triangle overexposed rose

Or an exposure like this, which is too dark:

learning about the exposure triangle underexposed rose

Or an exposure like this, which is just right:

learning about the exposure triangle well-exposed rose

Here’s the most important thing to remember:

A change in one of the elements will impact the others.

This means you can never really isolate just one part of the exposure triangle. You need to always have each corner of the exposure triangle in the back of your mind.

3 metaphors for understanding the digital photography exposure triangle

Many people describe the relationship between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed using different, easy-to-follow metaphors. And in the next section, I’ll share with you three of those metaphors.

A quick word of warning first, though:

Like most metaphors, these are far from perfect and are just for illustrative purposes. So learn from them, but make sure you don’t take them too seriously.

The window

Imagine your camera is like a window with shutters that open and close.

The aperture is the size of the window. If the window is bigger, then more light gets through and the room is brighter.

Shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutters of the window are open. The longer you leave the shutters open, the more light that comes in.

Now imagine you’re inside the room and are wearing sunglasses (hopefully this isn’t too much of a stretch!). The sunglasses desensitize your eyes to the light that comes in, and this represents a low ISO.

There are a number of ways to increase the amount of apparent light in the room. You could increase the time that the shutters are open (i.e., decrease the shutter speed), you could increase the size of the window (i.e., increase aperture), or you could take off your sunglasses (i.e., increase the ISO).

It’s not a perfect illustration, but you get the idea.

Tanning

Another way to think about exposure in photography is to think about taking a photo as getting a suntan.

Now, a suntan is something I always wanted when I was growing up. But unfortunately, because I was very fair-skinned, it was something that I never really achieved. All I did was get burned when I went out into the sun. In a sense, skin sensitivity is like an ISO rating, because some people are more sensitive to the sun than others.

Shutter speed, in this metaphor, is the length of time you spend outside. The longer you stay in the sun, the higher your chances of getting a tan (of course, spending too long in the sun can mean being overexposed!).

Aperture is like sunscreen that you apply to your skin. Sunscreen blocks the sun at different rates, depending on its strength.

Apply a high-strength sunscreen, and you decrease the amount of sunlight that gets through. As a result, even a person with highly sensitive skin can spend more time in the sun. (In photography terms: Decrease the aperture, and you can slow down the shutter speed and/or increase the ISO).

The garden hose

A third metaphor I’ve heard used is the garden hose.

Here, the circumference of the hose nozzle is the aperture, the time that the hose is left on is the shutter speed, and the pressure of the water is ISO.

If you increase the circumference of the nozzle, increase the length of time the hose is left on, and increase the water pressure, then your garden is going to get really wet (i.e., it’ll get overexposed). But if you decrease the circumference of the nozzle, shorten the time the hose is left on, or decrease the water pressure, your garden will stay relatively dry (i.e., it’ll get underexposed).

The key is to find a nice balance of nozzle size, length of time, and water pressure; that way, you can have a perfectly-watered (i.e., well-exposed!) garden.

As I’ve said, none of the metaphors are perfect. But they all illustrate the interconnectedness of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on your digital camera.

Bringing it all together

Mastering the art of exposure is something that takes a lot of practice. In many ways, it’s a juggling act, and even the most experienced photographers experiment and tweak their settings as they go.

Keep in mind that changing each element doesn’t just impact the exposure of the image. Each exposure element influences other aspects of your photo, as well.

Changing the aperture changes the depth of field; changing the ISO changes the graininess of the shot; changing the shutter speed impacts how motion is captured.

The great thing about digital cameras is that they’re ideal for learning about exposure. You can take as many shots as you like at no cost. Plus, digital cameras generally have semi-automatic modes like Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority, which allow you to make decisions about one or two elements of the exposure triangle while the camera handles the rest.

learning about the exposure triangle swans on a pond

The exposure triangle: conclusion

A lot more can be said about each of the three elements in the exposure triangle. So check out these articles, which cover each point of the triangle in greater depth:

  1. ISO Settings in Digital Photography
  2. Introduction to Aperture in Photography
  3. Introduction to Shutter Speed in Digital Photography

The post Learning about Exposure – The Exposure Triangle appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


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Manual Exposure Cheat Sheet for Beginners: How to Expose Manually

22 Oct

The post Manual Exposure Cheat Sheet for Beginners: How to Expose Manually appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Photographers are visual people. Learning is often made easier for us with the help of graphics and images. In this article, I want to break down this classic manual exposure cheat sheet:

manual exposure cheat sheet

Beginner photographers, and even more experienced ones, often think that Manual mode is complicated.

It’s not.

But to learn how to use Manual mode well, you need to understand a few basics. These are the three camera controls that manage exposure:

  • Aperture
  • Shutter speed
  • ISO

You also need to use the exposure meter, LCD, or viewfinder to assist you in choosing the best settings. If you read the light, you can then set your exposure.

This manual exposure cheat sheet will help you understand these few essentials.

Woman in a red sofa outdoors manual exposure cheat sheet
© Kevin Landwer-Johan | Nikon D800 | Nikon 35mm f/1.8 | 1/125 sec | ISO 100

Reading the light

All modern cameras have a built-in exposure meter. This tool indicates when you have your settings balanced to achieve a good exposure. In most cameras, it looks something like this:

Exposure meter illustration manual exposure cheat sheet

Some cameras use a number system and a + or – symbol to show the exposure value.

Whatever display method your camera uses, you are aiming to have the meter read “0.” This is the indication you have a good exposure. If the display indicates the exposure is toward the – side, your photo will be underexposed. If it’s showing that the exposure is toward the + side, your photo will be overexposed.

This is a very simplified explanation of the metering system. To gain a more in-depth understanding of how it works, please read this article: Understanding Exposure Metering Modes.

With many cameras, you can also use the rear LCD to help you determine the best exposure settings. Additionally, mirrorless cameras allow you to see the effect of changes you make via the viewfinder.

To discover if your camera has this function, turn on Live View and set your camera to Manual mode. Now adjust your aperture and/or shutter speed. Can you see the brightness value of the LCD change as you do this? If so, you can use your LCD screen and/or viewfinder to help you manage your exposure settings. If you are new to using Manual mode, this method will make learning easier.

Whether you look at the exposure meter graphic or use your viewfinder/LCD to help you choose your settings, treat these as a guide. Your camera does not know what the main subject of your composition is. You must control the exposure so the most important part of your image is well exposed.

Tropical sunset manual exposure cheat sheet
© Kevin Landwer-Johan | Nikon D700 | 20mm | 1/125 sec | f/5.6 | ISO 400

Adjusting your aperture

Every lens has an aperture. This is an adjustable diaphragm that controls how much light can enter the lens. Each aperture setting corresponds to an f-stop.

A smaller f-stop number indicates more light will enter the lens. A higher number means the opening is smaller and less light will enter.

Aperture illustration for manual exposure cheat sheet

On this manual exposure cheat sheet, you can see there is a range of aperture settings. The smallest aperture setting, on the left, is f/16. To the right of the graphic is the widest setting, at f/1.4. Not all lenses have the same aperture settings. Some will have wider or narrower minimum and maximum settings.

Along with governing the amount of light that enters the lens, the aperture setting influences depth of field (DOF).

DOF is the amount of the photo that is acceptably sharp. The wider the aperture setting you choose, the shallower the DOF will be. You can see this on the cheat sheet graphic of the person and tree. At f/16, both the person and tree are sharp. At f/1.4, the person is sharp and the tree in the background is out of focus.

A narrow aperture setting allows less light to enter the lens. It also means you’ll have more of your photo in focus. A wide aperture setting allows more light into the lens and the DOF is shallower.

You can adjust the aperture setting to help balance your exposure and control how much of your composition is in focus. The amount of DOF can be used creatively in your photographs.

Woman taking a photograph manual exposure cheat sheet
© Kevin Landwer-Johan | Nikon D800 | 105mm | 1/320 sec | f/2.8 | ISO 100

Setting your shutter speed

Inside your camera, there’s a shutter. This typically consists of two “blinds” that open and close when you press the shutter release button. Opening the shutter exposes the camera sensor to light, which allows it to create an image.

The duration the shutter is open for controls how much light will affect the sensor. If the shutter is open for too long, the photo will be overexposed. If the shutter is open for a duration that is too short, the photo will be underexposed.

Your choice of shutter speed can also affect how sharp your photos will be.

If you choose a shutter speed that’s too slow and your camera moves during the time the shutter is open, your photo will be blurred. This is known as camera shake.

If you have a moving subject and use a slow shutter speed, your subject will be blurred. This is known as motion blur.

Using a faster shutter speed will help you avoid camera shake and unwanted motion blur.

Shutter speed illustration manual exposure cheat sheet

In the manual exposure cheat sheet, you can see the graphic of a person running. At a shutter speed setting of 1/1000s, the figure is sharp. At a setting of 1/60s, the figure is blurred a little. At a shutter speed of 1 second, the figure is very blurred. The relationship between how fast your subject is moving and the shutter speed will determine how much blurring occurs.

You can adjust the shutter speed to help balance your exposure and to control blur from camera shake or motion. Motion blur and camera shake, or a lack thereof, can be used creatively in your photography.

Woman at the fresh market - manual exposure cheat sheet
© Kevin Landwer-Johan | Nikon D800 |35mm | 1/2 sec | f/11 | ISO 100

Determining your ISO

ISO settings control how responsive your camera’s sensor is to light. A low number means your sensor is going to be less responsive than when you use a high number.

I prefer to use my ISO as a foundation for my exposure. I generally only adjust it when lighting conditions change significantly.

Outside on a sunny day, you will want to choose a low ISO. Inside or at night, you will want to choose a high ISO.

ISO illustration manual exposure cheat sheet

Unlike your other two exposure settings, ISO has no creative influence on your photos. It will affect the technical quality, though. At higher ISO settings, digital noise will start to appear in your photos. The color and contrast will also tend to flatten out.

In the manual exposure cheat sheet, you can see that lower ISO settings mean the sensor is less responsive compared to higher ISO settings. To avoid seeing digital noise in your photos, always aim to use the lowest ISO setting you can.

Thai entertainment
© Kevin Landwer-Johan | Nikon D800 | 105mm | 1/250 sec | f/4 | ISO 6400

Stop! This is important

Each incremental change indicated by the manual exposure cheat sheet is one “stop.” The term “stop” in photography is the measurement of exposure. Plus one stop means the exposure is doubled. Minus one stop means the exposure is halved.

A stop can be controlled by aperture, shutter speed, or ISO. If you adjust one setting by plus one stop, you can always achieve the same initial exposure by adjusting another setting by minus one stop, and so on.

As you can see on the cheat sheet, the increments I have used for the shutter speed and ISO are clearly half or double the adjacent numbers. The f-stop numbers appear a bit random, however. This is because they indicate the aperture opening size in relation to the lens focal length. But each f-stop setting is either half or double the setting on either side of it.

red lanterns against a blue sky
© Kevin Landwer-Johan | Nikon D700 | 20mm | 1/60 sec | f/4 | ISO 400

Manual exposure cheat sheet: Conclusion

Manual exposure of your photographs is not so complicated. All you need to do is manage the relationship between the three exposure settings.

The relationship between aperture settings, exposure, and depth of field is plain to see on this cheat sheet. How your choice of shutter speed affects both exposure and blurring is also well illustrated. Keep your ISO in mind and make it as low as you can. But don’t hesitate to alter it when you need to.

Print the manual exposure cheat sheet to make learning and mastering Manual mode a little easier. It will not happen without some commitment and practice.

But once you become familiar with Manual mode and manage your exposures well, your photography will become more creative.

The post Manual Exposure Cheat Sheet for Beginners: How to Expose Manually appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.


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Photo software Exposure X6 brings 3x faster processing and a host of new auto adjustments

08 Oct

The Exposure photo editing software application, that was formerly Alien Skin, has been updated with enhanced GPU optimization that allows some oft-used functions to run at three times the speed. Exposure X6 also introduces a collection of new automated adjustments that aim to make image processing simpler and to save photographers time.

Available as a standalone application or a plug-in for Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom, Exposure X6 introduces Auto White Balance, Auto Exposure, Auto Haze Level, Auto Dynamic Contrast and Auto Tone for creating one-click fixes for common problems. Tonal and contrast adjustments are said to avoid shifts in color saturation and hue, and the Auto White Balance adjustment is based on camera metadata. The sensor used is also taken into account in the new noise reduction feature, along with information about the ISO setting and an estimate of likely electronic noise.

Before and after examples of the new Color Editor tool that allows colors to be selected and replaced. Changes can be saved as a preset to apply to further images

A new Color Editor allows users to select and replace specific selected colors, and to make multiple color changes within the same image. These changes can be mapped and saved as presets to be used in further images so sets of pictures can have consistent adjustments made.

Exposure X6 is available for download now, and costs $ 119. If you bought Exposure X5 on or after July 15th 2020 your upgrade will be free, and those who bought it before that, and users of previous versions, can upgrade for $ 89. For more information, and a free 30-day trial, visit the Exposure website.

Press release

Exposure Software Announces Exposure X6, Image Editing Software for Creative Photographers

Exposure X6 features dramatic speed improvement, one-click automatic adjustments, advanced color replacement, innovative shadow/highlight and noise reduction processing, and more

Exposure Software, formerly known as Alien Skin Software, today announced the release of Exposure X6, the newest version of their award-winning RAW photo editor for creative photographers. Exposure is a standalone image editor that handles a full photography workflow. It includes plug-in support that enables Exposure’s advanced editing and creative effects in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

New in Exposure X6 is advanced GPU optimization, which dramatically speeds up image processing. GPU support works in concert with Exposure’s existing multi-core optimization to enable Exposure to leverage the full power of modern computer hardware. Many frequently used editing operations have been sped up by a factor of three on typical GPU hardware. This improved performance enables editing at greatly improved speeds, reducing distraction so photographers can focus on creativity.

“The introduction of GPU support in Exposure X6 enabled us to achieve amazing speed and image processing quality improvements,” said Finley Lee, CEO of Exposure Software. “This further advances our goal of making Exposure the best available image editor for creative photography.”

New automatic adjustments select optimized values for the most frequently used controls in a single click, freeing time for creative editing. They can even be applied in batch to significantly ease the time spent editing large photoshoots. Exposure’s new automatic adjustments include the following:

  • Auto White Balance adjusts white balance based on camera metadata. Corrects for tungsten, artificial, shade, and sunlight illuminant scenes.
  • Auto Exposure sets image exposure for both under and overexposed images.
  • Auto Haze Level changes the level of atmospheric haze present in the image. This is particularly useful for backlit subjects and images shot into the sun.
  • Auto Dynamic Contrast lowers and raises the overall image contrast without changing saturation or hue.
  • Auto Tone sets values for Blacks, Shadows, Highlights, and Whites sliders that affect overall image tone.

Using an innovative tonal-zone approach, Exposure’s redesigned shadows and highlights controls are more reliable, consistent, and accurate. These intuitive controls are particularly adept at recovering lost details in the highlight and shadow areas. The adjustments are applied intelligently to prevent unwanted color casts or hue shifts. They are exceptionally well-suited in preserving high or low key scenes.

Exposure’s new profile guided noise reduction capability reduces noise based on camera sensor characteristics, ISO, and estimated electronic noise. Luminance and chrominance noise can be reduced independently. The smoothing option applies an adaptive noise-sensitive algorithm which preserves sharp edges while further reducing noise.

The new Advanced Color Editor builds on Exposure’s innovative 3D color masking to enable vastly greater control of color modifications. For example, a model’s blue dress can be changed to red in just a few clicks. Photographers can select source and target colors based on luminance, hue, and saturation attributes. It is even possible to select multiple color replacement mappings and save them as a preset to be reused.

  • Additional enhancements to Exposure include the following:
  • Updated user interface provides a refined, modern aesthetic
  • New haze level slider, for counteracting the decrease in contrast caused by atmospheric haze. It can also add haze as a creative effect.
  • Customization of the hue and opacity of the selection mask overlay.
  • Optional black background for the mask to view selected pixels without distraction.
  • Optional luminance or saturation background for the selection mask, which helps visualize the mask region when adjusting luminance or saturation constraints.
  • DNG converter integration enables conversion of RAW photos to DNG format using Adobe’s DNG Converter software. Conversion can be performed automatically when copying photos from a camera card, or manually invoked from a photo’s thumbnail view.

About Exposure
Exposure began in 2005 as a film simulation plug-in for Photoshop, and was immediately embraced by digital photographers of all genres seeking to recapture the organic look of film. Over the years, Exposure became a legend among plug-ins, and evolved into a standalone full-featured editing and organizing solution for creative photographers.

Pricing and Availability
Exposure X6 is available now from https://exposure.software for $ 119. Upgrade pricing is available to owners of previous versions of Exposure for $ 89. Additionally, anyone who purchased Exposure X5 on or after July 15, 2020 will automatically receive a free upgrade to Exposure X6.

Exposure X6 is also available in the Exposure X6 Bundle. This integrated collection combines Exposure with Exposure Software’s award-winning Blow Up and Snap Art tools to add high-quality upsizing and natural media special effects. It is available for $ 149. Owners of one or more of the current apps in the Exposure X6 Bundle can purchase for $ 99.

A 30-day fully-featured free trial of Exposure is available. Visit https://exposure.software to learn more and download the trial.

Host Requirements
Exposure X6 may be used as a standalone program or as a set of plug-ins. When used as a set of plug-ins, it requires one of the following host applications:
* Adobe Photoshop CS6 or Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 or newer
* Adobe Lightroom 6 or Adobe Lightroom CC 2015 or newer

System Requirements

Mac
* OS X 10.11 El Capitan or newer
* Intel Core 2 processor or newer
* Monitor with 1280 x 768 resolution or greater
* 8GB RAM minimum, 16GB recommended
* For GPU support, a recent (2015 or later) Metal compatible GPU with 2GB RAM is recommended

Windows
* Windows 10 64-bit or newer
* Intel Core 2 processor or newer
* Monitor with 1280 x 768 resolution or greater
* 8GB RAM minimum, 16GB recommended
* For GPU support, a recent (2015 or later) OpenCL compatible GPU with 2GB RAM is recommended

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night

16 Aug

The post How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barry J Brady.

Gastown Light Trails

Gastown light trails, Vancouver, Canada

Before I understood how photography worked, I was always intrigued by light trails in images. I never understood how that happened. When I began to study photography, one of the first assignments I did was an advanced course on night photography. I decided I would try and capture some light trails.

I set up my camera, made sure the settings were correct and waited. A few cars went past, but my timing was off and the shots were not great. I continued to wait. After about an hour of trying and experimenting, I got the shot I was looking for. It was like magic to me.

The car was not in the shot but the lights seemed to float in mid-air. I was hooked. This was something that had mystified me for a long time, yet I had managed to get it right. What was so mesmerizing for me was that the image I saw on my LCD screen was not what I saw in real life. The camera had managed to capture a scene that my eyes could not capture in the same way. This seemed amazing to me.

I soon realized that the camera was able to “see” things differently compared to the way my eyes saw them. I spent many nights trying to capture light trails in various locations. I was also doing lots of reading and research and came across a technique called long exposure.

This too was amazing. It had the ability to alter a scene in such a way that it looked totally different to the way our eyes normally see it. Again I was hooked; to this day, long exposures and light trails are some of my favorite techniques in photography.

Long exposure photography and light trails have similar techniques; it is the subject matter that differs. So I will discuss each technique separately, and tell you how to get the best results in both.

How to do long exposure photography

Shooting long exposures effectively requires that you should be shooting in Manual mode as much as possible. If you are not sure how to shoot in Manual, take a look at “Getting Off Auto – Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes Explained to learn more about these modes. To be able to get sharp and effective long exposure images, here is a checklist of items you will need.

1. What equipment is needed to shoot long exposures?

  • A tripod – this is a good piece of equipment to have in most instances, but is a critical piece of equipment for shooting long exposures. Make sure your camera is properly mounted onto the tripod before you start shooting.
  • A camera – obviously you will need a camera, but many people assume you can only do this type of photography with an SLR. Some advanced point-and-shoot cameras can also do long exposures if they have a Shutter Priority function. Take a look in your camera’s manual to see if it has this function; you may be surprised.
  • Cable release – your camera will be on a tripod, so it should be very still. However, sometimes the action of pressing the shutter release button can cause the camera to move slightly and this movement can cause your image to blur very slightly. You may not notice this on the LCD screen, but when you open the image on your computer, it will be evident. I recommend getting a cable release (also called a remote trigger). It is simply a cable that attaches to your camera and acts as a shutter release button. Using a cable release means you can set up your camera, step away from the tripod, and press the button without touching the camera. Cable releases can be wireless too. If you don’t have a cable release or don’t want to buy one, you could use your camera’s self-timer function to trigger the shutter.
  • Warm clothes and comfortable shoes – depending on where you live, and depending on the time of year you plan to be shooting, you may need to dress warmly. Long exposures work well after dark and it may get cold, so be sure to wear warm clothes. Be sure that you have comfortable footwear, too, as you may be standing for a few hours.

2. What subjects are best for long exposure photography?

Long exposures work well for certain types of subjects like seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes. The key to getting a successful long exposure image is to have something in your image that is perfectly still and something that is moving. Water, clouds, and trees blowing in the wind all work well if the rest of the scene is stationary. This difference between the elements in the scene will create drama, and will add significant value to your image. The viewer will be seeing something that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The reason why long exposure images are so compelling is that they warp time. Water looks like a soft mist, trees look like a dull blur, and clouds become long and streaky. This is what makes a familiar scene more compelling.

Long Exposure scene in Vancouver BC

Long exposure scene in Vancouver, Canada

3. What camera settings should be used?

Long exposures are ideally shot in Manual mode. If you are not sure how to shoot in Manual mode, you can use one of the other semi-manual modes such as Aperture priority or Shutter priority. Here are some quick pointers on the settings:

  • Shutter speed – depending on the light in your scene, your shutter time will need to be at least 10 to 15 seconds, or longer if necessary. If you are doing a seascape and the water is moving quickly, then a few seconds may be long enough to make the water look misty.
  • Aperture – you will want to have your aperture set at anywhere between f/8 and f/16. This will be determined by how much light is in the scene and how long you want to expose for.
  • ISO – keep your ISO settings as low as possible. ISO 100 is what I use for long exposures.

4. When is the best time of day to shoot long exposures?

It’s normally a good idea to shoot long exposures as the sun is setting, or just after sunset. My suggestion is to be on the scene an hour before sunset. That way you can test some shots, make sure your composition is good, and be sure all your settings are correct. Then wait.

I will sometimes simply sit there and enjoy the scene; other times I may listen to some music. But I like to be relaxed and ready for when the light starts to work. Normally you will want to start shooting about 15 minutes before the sun has completely set and up to an hour after it is below the horizon. The important part is to be willing to experiment.

Each time you decide to shoot long exposures will be a little different. The light may be brighter than you think, the sunset may not be as dramatic as you hoped, or the shot may not be just as you imagined. Be patient and experiment. I will sometimes go back to a location two or three times to try and get the shot I am looking for. Once I have it, though, the sense of reward is fantastic, and the patience and effort are paid off!

Long Exposure of Science World in Vancouver

Long exposure of Science World in Vancouver

How to shoot light trails

Much of the advice for shooting light trails is very similar to the tips above. The key difference is in the timing and location of your shoot.

1. What equipment is needed to shoot light trails?

  • Same as above 

2. What subjects are best for light trails?

For light trails to work, you need to have something with lights moving through your scene. A car, a bus, a train, and even an aircraft can work. Be sure to be out of the direction of the vehicle you are photographing. Please do not stand in the middle of the road, or on train tracks. Position yourself in a safe place to make this work. Always be aware of your surroundings. It is easy to become immersed in what you are shooting and lose sight of where you are standing. Be safe, first and foremost!

A moving bus in the scene made this shot more dynamic

A moving bus in the scene made this shot more dynamic

3. What camera settings should be used?

Light trails, like long exposures, are ideally shot in Manual mode.

  • Shutter speed – depending on the light in your scene, your shutter time will need to be at least 10 to 15 seconds, or longer if necessary. Make sure that your shutter speed is long enough to capture longish light trails. You don’t want to cut them off too soon as you will have some short trails in your image that may look strange.
  • Aperture – you will want to have your aperture set at anywhere between f/5 and f/11. This will be determined by how much light is in the scene and how long you want the exposure.
  • ISO – keep your ISO settings as low as possible; ISO 100 is what I use for light trails. If your ISO is set to 500 or higher, your exposure will be shorter and you run the risk of overexposing the highlights, especially when shooting car headlights.

4. When is the best time of day to shoot light trails?

Light trails can be shot in the early evening, or after the sun has set. Each scene will be different, but sometimes it is too light to get effective light trails just after sunset. You may need to wait until 30 minutes after the sun has set to get longer light trails.

The important part, once again, is to be willing to experiment. Try different times after sunset and see what works for you. Spend time behind your camera perfecting your timing. Scout locations during the day that you will think will work for light trails and then go and try it out.

Steam Clock in Gastown, light trails on the road

Steam Clock in Gastown, light trails on the road

Photographing after dark can be very rewarding. It is worth the effort to learn how to use these techniques to bring new images into your portfolio, and to have new skills which will enable you to shoot under any lighting conditions. Experiment and enjoy it! Happy shooting.

The post How to do Long Exposure Photography and Light Trails at Night appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Barry J Brady.


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Step-by-step Guide to Long Exposure Photography

02 Aug

The post Step-by-step Guide to Long Exposure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Francesco Gola.

In the past few years, thanks to the diffusion of useful accessories and photographic filters with good quality and low prices, the technique of long exposure has become increasingly popular among photography enthusiasts. Even if this technique can be used both in the studio and in an urban environment, the perfect playground for long exposures is landscape photography.

Unfortunately, it often happens that the result we get is far from our expectations, and we end up classifying the long exposure as an impossible technique. However, following this step-by-step guide to long exposure photography, you’ll see how easy it is to get a good result on the first attempt (or almost!).

Picture 1

Step One: Study the weather

A day with a cloudless sky is a good day to drink a beer with friends, not to make long exposures. Likewise, it cannot rain forever, so do not resign yourself to an afternoon with your PlayStation. You should study satellite images rather than the meteorological sites, trying to figure out if there is an incoming storm, or if the downpour is about to end.

Step Two: Visit the location well in advance

Scout the location ahead of time, as you need a lot of time to find the perfect composition, or at least more than the time needed for a “short exposure”. In fact, in a long exposure, the world is completely different from how you see it with your own eyes. You have to try to see it with your mind, looking for a harmonious composition that includes moving subjects, trying to predict the direction of the clouds or the force of the sea.

Try not to put the sun into the composition, because its movement will ruin the shot and it will create an area of overexposure that is not recoverable. If you cannot avoid the sun, wait for it to hide behind a cloud.

Picture 2

Step Three: Use a tripod

Mount your camera on a tripod and install all the accessories such as the remote shutter release and the filter holder (if you are using drop-in filters). However, wait to actually install the filters. This is very important!

Step Four: Compose the image and lock focus

Refine your composition, focus on the subject, and lock the focus. If you are using manual focus, go ahead and turn the lens’s focus ring.

If you are using your camera’s autofocus mode, you should focus by half-pressing the shutter button, and once the focus has been made, while still holding down the shutter button halfway, push the lever from Auto Focus to Manual. In this way, your camera will maintain the focus (alternately, you could use back-button focus).

Picture 3

Step Five: Set the exposure

Now set your camera to Manual (M) mode or Aperture Priority (A/Av) mode. Then set the aperture to an appropriate value for the scene (for landscapes I suggest between f/8 and f/11) and take a “test shot.”

The test is complete when you get a correct exposure. To determine if the exposure is correct, check the histogram (do not trust your display, it is too bright). It is true that there is no universally correct result on the histogram, but there are histograms that are universally incorrect, namely moved completely to the right or left side (the image is respectively overexposed or underexposed).

Once the test shot is successful, write down the shutter speed you used for that shot.

Step Six: Add your filter

Now add your Neutral Density (ND) filter. If the filter is very strong (10 stops, for example), you will not be able to see through the viewfinder or the Live View. Do not worry, because if you have followed the guide up to this point you will notice that we have already made the composition and the focus too. You are blind, but your camera will see everything perfectly.

Picture 4

Step Seven: Change to Bulb mode

Set the shooting mode to Bulb (B) in order to discard the thirty-second limit of the camera. Do not change any of the other settings (ISO and aperture) used in the test shot.

Step Eight: Take your long exposure shot

It is finally time to take our long exposure shot.

But how long will you need to leave the shutter open? It is less difficult than you might expect. First of all, recollect the shutter speed that you noted down from the “test shot” you did in Step Five above. Now you must compensate by the number of stops introduced by the filter.

For example, if your test shot was 1/15th of a second, adding 10 stops will get a shutter speed of approximately 60 seconds. Now you have your shutter speed!

(No need to get stuck in the mathematics: On the internet you can easily find conversion tables and applications for your smartphone that will do the conversion for you.)

Picture 5

Step Nine: Check the histogram again

Once you’ve taken the shot with the calculated shutter speed, check the histogram. If the new histogram is approximately equal to the histogram of the test shot, mission accomplished. If it is shifted too far to the right or to the left, repeat the shot again correcting the shutter speed.

Easy, isn’t it? Now fill your backpack with your camera and filters and go to practice in the field!

The post Step-by-step Guide to Long Exposure Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Francesco Gola.


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