How to Shoot Long Exposure Photography
Main Image Credit: Justin Stubleski
You have probably come across an image of a waterfall or crashing wave where the water appears to be silky smooth. Or maybe you have seen an image of a bustling city street at night where the lights of the cars appear to be almost single beams streaking across the frame. These are both examples of long exposure photos. For some, this particular form of photography may be ritual. Long exposure photos have a unique way of altering a scene without changing any of its physical elements. For those looking to make these images themselves but don’t know where to begin, we’ve got your covered!
What is Long Exposure Photography?
In short, long exposure photography is the act of reducing your shutter speed, allowing for stationary objects to remain sharp while any moving objects in the frame will appear to have a blurred or streak appearance to them.
The Gear
Long exposure photography doesn't require much gear to get started. In reality, you could begin using your phone if you do not have access to a mirrorless or DSLR camera. Third party applications allow you to control your exposure triangle to better dial in your photos.
Let's be honest though, cameras are a lot more fun to use (my completely unbiased take). If you are looking to take the plunge into a mirrorless setup or already have one, then you are well on your way. For most situations, all you really need is a camera and a tripod to keep your camera steady. Certain cameras will perform better than others depending on the lighting scenario but across the board, any modern camera can be used to create beautiful long exposure photos.
Tripods are an absolute necessity since you will be utilizing low shutter speed, increasing the amount of motion blur introduced into your image. The longer the exposure (lower the shutter speed), the more motion blur. A steady tripod will help to reduce the effects of unwanted motion blur and improve the sharpness of stationary objects in your frame.
For long exposure photos taken during the day, having an ND filter attached to the end of your lens is a must. ND filters allow you to reduce the amount of incoming light without having to adjust your settings in camera. You can achieve proper exposure levels while maintaining a desirable f-stop (aperture) and a low enough shutter speed to create the “silky” look you are after.
Variable NDs will provide you the most flexibility as you have a range of exposure reduction to work with and can easily make adjustments. Single stop ND filters provide a fixed amount of light reduction and eliminate the possibility of cross polarization that is inherent in all variable NDs. Both single stops and variable ND filters are a great addition to your kit and have many use cases outside of long exposure photography.
Finding Your Location
You’ve got your gear set and now it's time to find where you want to take your first long exposure photo. If you don't already have a place in mind, we recommend searching for any rivers or waterfalls in your area. Chances are someone has shot some long exposure photos near you and although we are all for original content, it can be a great benefit to have a frame of reference when you are just starting out.
If you live in an urban area, there are also plenty of opportunities for unique nighttime-long exposure photos where you can incorporate the movement of light in your capture. Find a location of interest where you can get a good vantage point of your location and begin to experiment with the light and your exposure settings.
The same goes for astro-photography as well. There are many resources you can utilize to help you find popular areas and potential locations. For more information on this particular form of long exposure photography you can check out our recent blog where we dive into the basics of getting started and approaching your first astro shoot.
Setting up the Shot
Now that you’ve picked your location it's time to get out and shoot. Once you have arrived at your destination it can be helpful to walk around the site with your camera in hand and frame up different shots and angles. Try different focal lengths and find your frame before setting up your tripod. Take your time to enjoy where you are, and the shot will come to you. Once you have discovered a composition that you are happy with, you can set up your tripod and lock your camera off.
You can begin to adjust your exposure settings until you start to see your desired image come to life on your camera LCD screen. Although each scenario is different, the same general rules apply. Begin to reduce your shutter speed and increase your f-stop accordingly until the image appears balanced.
Long exposure photography can take a great deal of practice and there are many nuances to this form of the art. At the start, just focus on getting out and practicing in different locations at different times of day. Before you know it you’ll be taking some beautiful photos!
