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The Pinnacle Sessions: Long Exposure
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Light: The critical ingredient of any photograph. But not all light is the same. How about shooting in that ephemeral, fleeting light just before sunrise and after sunset? The Pinnacle is proud to present another member's expertise in that time of day, from Little Rock**, Arkansas, USA, Clay Wells on Long Exposure.
Clay Wells
Table of Contents
1. Intro
2. Equipment
3. Preparation
4. Shooting
5. Processing
6. Technical Details
7. Conclusion
Intro
|Cano n 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 30 sec | f/7.1 |
Big thanks to the group for asking me and allowing me to share this. There are quite a few shooters in this group who create some really amazing long exposures, so I was honored when approached for this. I hope you find what I have written to be informative, that it generates some good discussion, and that you all enjoy reading it. Further, I hope it motivates you to get out and try some long exposures on your own.
I have always been fascinated by long exposures and how motion translates onto film or a digital sensor. It is intriguing how a 5-second exposure during daylight can turn moving people into ghosts or how a 30-second exposure can make them disappear completely. Night-time long exposures are often colorful and eye-catching especially if the subject is a city or moving traffic or reflections on a body of water.
There are many subject and scenes that lend themselves nicely to long exposures. In this Session I will focus mainly on traffic streak long exposures made during the “blue hour”, also known as twilight, that little window in the morning before the sunrises when the black sky is just starting to get some color and that corresponding window after the sun has set. For me, the ideal scene is one where there is interest in the sky like low-lying, thin, wispy, fast-moving clouds with clear air above. These conditions are rare and as my luck usually goes, tend to occur on mornings when it’s not practical or possible for me to shoot. Needless to say, I have many more outings under my belt than keepers in the portfolio.
Whenever everything does work out though, the results can be very satisfying.
1. Equipment
Mandatory:
• Camera
• Tripod
Optional:
• Filters
• Remote shutter release
• Flashlight
• Phone?
Mandatory stuff:
At the very least you will need a camera (obviously). I use a digital 35mm SLR which allows me to control exposure, aperture, ISO, etc, but there may be many non-SLR cameras that allow this sort of control as well. No matter the camera you use, you must have the ability to:
(1) to shoot exposures of at least 3-5 seconds and have the ability to blend images in post-processing
or
(2) shoot exposures as long as 30 seconds or longer.
Ideally, you will also need a tripod. While a flat, sturdy surface may work as well, I don't recommend it. Just get a tripod even if it's a cheap one. Hand-holding is absolutely out of the question.
Optional Stuff:
Filters - you really don't need any filters, and I have taken quite a few shots with none, but there are times when they do allow for some additional creativity. I typically use a circular polarizer to control glare and reflections off of buildings and sometimes a neutral density (ND) filter to extend exposure time if I'd like to capture the motion in the clouds in the sky. Many folks initially think that a neutral density filter makes the image dark or under-exposed. They don't - when used correctly they simply reduce the amount of light entering the lens thereby requiring you to shoot at (1) a wider aperture or (2) a longer shutter speed. But the resultant image, if correctly exposed, should not be dark or underexposed in any way.
The ND filter that I use is a 6-stop, but these come in many other flavors. There are one and two-stop versions and even a 10-stop. I could go broke buying filters. Singh-Ray makes a vari-ND that allows you to dial in 2-8 stops of neutral density. This would make composing the scene much easier since it’s almost impossible to even see through the view-finder when the 6-stop is attached. The problem is the vari-ND is about $400.
I use B+W brand filters which are screw-in type and are stackable. So when I combine my 6-stop ND and circular polarizer, I am getting about 7-8 stops of neutral density since the polarizer provides some as well.
In section 3 I will touch on how I decide when to use the ND or not.
Remote locking shutter release - using this will help reduce camera shake and will allow you to shoot in "bulb" mode and get exposures that are longer than 30 seconds. But it has to have a lock.
Flashlight (torch to some folks) – I carry one in my bag. I probably don’t have to go into detail as to how practical one would be on a pre-sunrise/post-sunset shoot.
Smart phone (iPhone) for entertainment while the long exposures are being made. I don’t recommend calling friends at 5:30 AM – they may decide to find a new friend, but if the phone has internet/game applications, it can help pass the time. Especially when the pre-sunrise light is not all that exciting.
2. Preparation
Preparation is very important. While the shots are easy to make with few variables to deal with, the light changes fast, very fast. In fact from my experience the ideal light typically takes place in about a 10-15 minute window about 30 minutes or so before sunrise. For me the “moment” is that little window when there is some color in the sky but not enough light hitting the streets and traffic to drown out the headlights and taillights. Once you get out and try these, you will know when the shoot is over. Once it becomes bright enough to read without a flashlight, it’s too bright.
I always scout out a location well before I actually shoot it. For a morning shot, I typically like to shoot facing the eastern sky, allowing me to take full advantage of that blue hour light in the east. If it's an evening shot, I like to find a scene that allows me to shoot toward the western sky. It’s a good idea to actually compose the scene during daylight hours noting all the elements and paying attention to which ones are potential distractions, which ones can be cloned, and which ones are likely to become less prominent in the pre-sunrise/post-sunset darkness.
In the shots below, note how the streaks lack real pop. I have learned that a couple of things seem to affect this. Shooting more straight-on seems to increase their prominence. This was shot well off to the side of the scene. Another thing that really robs from the streaks is the presence of street lights. In fact, they can literally kill the shot. So when scouting a location, pay attention to this. In some areas they are so bright that it's nearly impossible to get the desired effect.
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 25s | f/16 |
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 23mm | 30s | f/10 |
Punctuality cannot be over-stressed. The sun won’t wait while you are stumbling out of bed or fiddling around with your gear, so find out what time the big event is and get there early. Shooting at sunrise or sunset will of course require you to know the exact time of the big event. In case you are not aware of it, the longest day of the year, June 21 has the earliest sunrise and latest sunset. The shortest day of the year, December 21, has the latest sunrise and the earliest sunset.
In the winter in Little Rock when the sun is rising fairly late, the morning temps are often in the teens and the wind can be brutal (to me anyway), so find out what the weather is going to be like and dress appropriately. In some cases you may have to park and walk a good distance to the shooting location making a return trip to the car unpractical, so carry that jacket with you even if you think you may not need it. Get some good gloves too or invest in one of those cold weather camera systems. It is basically a pair of mittens that somehow fit over the camera body and allow you to access all the controls. I tried fingerless gloves once and they only seemed to accentuate the numbness in my finger tips.
Lastly, since I typically shoot pre-sunrise, there are a few things I usually do the night before. These include things like making sure the camera bag is packed and ready to go, memory cards available, batteries charged, lens that I am going to be shooting with is attached, ISO is set back to 100 (or whatever its lowest possible setting is). These sound like little things, but the less you have to remember at 5:00 AM the better!
3. Shooting
The hardest part of these shots for me is getting out of bed, especially when it's January and it's 15 F (-9 C) outside and my spot next to my wife in said bed is warm and cozy! But they say, “One must suffer for one’s art”! Once up and out of bed though the rest is pretty easy. Fun too, if you have good skies and good early morning color in the sky. Get to the spot and set up. I usually find a single composition at a previously scouted location and shoot it the entire time. The reason is that since the ideal light doesn't last all that long, the chances of getting more than 2 comps are relatively slim. So just pick one and go with it.
I try my best to compose the scene carefully and commit to it. In other words, once I have started shooting, I keep the camera/tripod position as still as possible. By not making any changes/adjustments I stand a better chance of being able to blend a couple images in post a lot easier. Blending 2 or more images will allow me to create a final image that is evenly exposed in the sky and the traffic and one that has full streaks of light trails in all lanes of traffic.
I recommend taking several test exposures to get an idea of how much you should compensate (under/over) on the exposure. Once you've got the correct exposure settings, it's time to begin shooting through the good light until the show is over.
If you use a dark neutral density filter, it is a good idea to compose the scene without it, then switch to manual focus or lock the focus, then attach the filter for shooting. There is a good chance that you won't even be able to see the scene with the ND attached and the camera will probably have a tough time focusing. If your lens doesn't focus internally, be careful when attaching the ND filter so as not to turn the focus ring, or the polarizer for that matter.
You will also want to cover the eye-piece while your exposures are being made to prevent light from entering the back of the camera. Not doing so will throw the metering off. If you don’t believe it, set up and do this: look through the eye-piece from about 6 inches and note the shutter speed. Then really get your eye pressed up against the eye-piece and use your hands to block light coming in from the sides and note the shutter speed. Big, big difference! And to minimize camera shake I also recommend using a remote and/or the self-timer and mirror lockup functions if your camera provides it. Anything you can do to preserve the sharpness of the image the better.
Shoot for the streaks first (the lower half of the shot), the sky later (top half). Once you have made your test shots and determined the appropriate exposure settings, it’s time to start shooting. If you can get 15 to 30-second exposures without the ND, I recommend not using it for the traffic shots. Ideally the light in the sky is still approaching “ideal”, so start getting some good traffic shots. You can worry about the sky in a few minutes. Watch the traffic closely. There isn’t much of it in Little Rock at 5:15 AM and there are some occasions when a 30-second exposure won’t net too many streaks. Pay close attention to the access roads, exit ramps, and side streets. When you see a car on these less-used streets, make sure to capture it. Remember, you are going to blend these in post to make it look like every street was full of cars and light.
Once the light in the sky starts getting nice, carefully attach the ND if you want more than 30 seconds on the shutter speed and begin capturing shots of the sky. You may need to compensate your exposure so shoot a test shot or two and adjusts accordingly. And be glad this is digital and not film! At the end of this is a discussion on how to determine the exposure and shoot 30-plus second exposures in bulb mode. I figured I’d save the boring part until the end. Some people may be perfectly happy shooting shorter exposures.
4. Processing
Creating more traffic than there really is:
"Another Early One"
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 20mm | 30s- traffic/170s- sky | f/7.1 |
"The Worm"
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 21mm | 30s | f/10 |
I use Photoshop Elements 6 for editing. Typically I will blend an image or two in order to get full traffic in all lanes including the access ramps in the above. You don't need bumper-to-bumper traffic, but having light in every lane is typically more appealing. So while shooting, I try to pay attention to the traffic and make sure to capture the scene whenever a car is approaching those access ramps and side streets. In Elements I simply open the two images I want to blend, use the move tool (V), hold down the shift key and drag one image onto the top of the other. This will ensure that both images line up assuming you composed without moving the camera. Set the blend mode of the top image to "lighten".
The top shot above is a composite of several shots for the traffic ranging from 20-30 seconds and a 170-second exposure for the sky to get the streaks in the clouds. Skip to the bottom to see how to correctly determine the exposure on a 30+ second exposure. It's somewhat technical and I was hoping not to put anyone asleep until the end of this.
The four "non-keeper" images below were shot under fairly un-interesting skies and were edited very little, but they illustrate two things:
(a) The blending to get more light streams into a the final image
(b) What these types of shots look like when shooting at relatively short shutter speeds. Whether you like the effect or not of course depends on personal preference.
Final:
Other early morning traffic streak shots:
Good Morning (Fire Eater)
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 30s | f/5.6 |
The above is actually my most "interesting" image according to Flickr and is still very popular in terms of daily views and such. This happens to be a single image, no blends. I was lucky enough to get enough motion in the clouds in 30 seconds. This is rare though.
The shot below is another single image. I was lucky enough to get this on my 2nd outting. It was very cold that morning - I guess this was my reward.
"This City Comes to Life"
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 50mm | 30s | f/11 |
5. Other non-traffic-streak evening/night shots that are fun to take
Even though many of the photos I posted here focus on traffic-streak shots, shooting at twilight or dusk, in the blue hour, is quite fun. Here are a few other shots I have taken during these times:
This is the street-car that runs a loop in downtown Little Rock. This was only a 1 or 2 second exposure, but it was long enough to blur the car and give an interesting effect.
| Canon 40D | ISO 160 | 17mm | 1.60s | f/4 |
Another favorite subject of mine I shot under some fast moving clouds one evening and with a 6-stop ND:
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 50mm | 30s | f/7.1 |
This is an evening shot the Arkansas State Capitol building dressed up in Christmas lights. No motion of any kind here, but this to me illustrates the blue hour at its most beautiful. Ten minutes later, this shot would lose all interest for me, as the sky would have been totally black.
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 4s | f/8 |
Morning shot of the Capitol that illustrates both (1) the beauty of the blue hour in the sky and the window reflections and (2) photographer's luck, something I don't have too often, in that traffic streak that resulted from a maintenance vehicle passing in front of the building.
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 30s | f/5.6 |
Sometimes it's possible to capture motion in the sky after the sun is up in the morning, but you will need both lots of neutral density and fast moving clouds.
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 30s | f/11 |
Waterfalls are another favorite subject of mine. Someone could do an entire session on these subjects. Best to shoot these on cloudy, overcast days. While this exposure is 8 seconds, that is really more than long enough. In fact, in some cases, it may be too long. At this length you run the risk of capturing movement in the trees. Typically an exposure of 1/2 second or more is all you need. Of course there are ways to fix the movement in the trees if you feel like blending a couple images.
| Canon 40D | ISO 100 | 17mm | 8s | f/11 |
6. Boring discussion on how to calculate exposure manually
If I use a neutral density filter, it is typically a 6-stop. In the pre-sunrise darkness at a desirable aperture of f/8 to f/11, the camera is typically going to display the blinking "30 sec" or equivalent message, for shutter speed when this filter is attached, indicating there isn't enough light to get the correct exposure. To determine the correct exposure, I usually open the lens up all the way with the filter attached. If I'm lucky enough to get something other than the blinking "30" at f/4, then I'm in good shape - this is a little easier to calculate than if I were to still get the blinking "30".
For reference, each interval below represents one full stop of light:
f/2 - f/2.8 - f/4 - f/5.6 - f/8 - f/11 - f/16 - f/22 - ??? (my sensor is too dirty to worry about it at this point!)
In aperture priority mode, say for example that at f/4 the resulting shutter speed is 25 seconds. From f/4 to f/5.6 is one full stop and for every full stop down (going from wider aperture to smaller) you have to double the shutter speed. So the shutter speed at f/5.6 needs to be 50 seconds. The next full stop on the aperture is f/8. Shutter speed at f/8 should be 100 seconds. The next full stop, f/11, would need 200 seconds. F/16 would require a 400 second exposure.
If you open the lens up all the way and still get the “low light” indication, then you will have to remove the ND and observe the shutter speed at the desired aperture setting. Say for example, without the ND, you get 2 seconds at f/8. When you attach the filter, you are cutting 6-stops of light. It’s like stopping down the aperture 6-full stops. To compensate for that, you will need to double the shutter speed 6 times, resulting in a shutter speed of 128 seconds.
It’s best to experiment with and get an understanding of all of this before you are out shooting, so play around with it when it doesn’t matter. The math is simple, but at 5:30 in the morning, when time is of the essence, it can be easy to make a simple mistake. One that might cost you “the shot”.
So decide which of these you want, switch to "M", manual exposure mode, set shutter speed to "B" or "bulb", aperture to desired setting based on your calculation, use the locking remote shutter release and make the exposure. Just make sure that if you go with a 400 second exposure that your calculation is right and that you remember how long it has to be after you lock the shutter open! There is nothing worse than making a 7-8 minute exposure only to discover that it is either under or over-exposed. Write down the exposure time too if needed. In “bulb” mode you have to physically lock the shutter open, then unlock it at the appropriate time. It’s not all that hard to forget how long the exposure needs to be midway through it. Check your camera – it may display the elapsed time on the LCD. If not, use a stopwatch.
I recommend turning off the in-camera noise reduction, since it takes as long to perform the noise reduction as the camera took to make the exposure.
I shoot RAW, but if you shoot JPEG you will have to experiment with the white balance settings. I typically use the setting that the camera chooses when making the conversion. You may have to de-saturate the yellows depending on how harsh the artificial street lighting is in your area.
Conclusion
Well. You've made it to the end! The great thing about digital is that it affords us the opportunity to experiment with all these techniques. I seldom tried any of this in the film days. I just couldn't afford to. I have complete respect and admiration for those that did though.
So, get out this evening or tomorrow morning and give that "blue hour" a try!
**Little Rock, AR, home of former US President Bill Clinton, while he was Governor of Arkansas.
Originally posted at 8:07AM, 22 August 2009 PDT
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bear.bonnell edited this topic 34 months ago.
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woo hoo! glad to see this session finally go live. there's some great information in here. thanks, clay!
Posted 34 months ago.
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clay.wells The wealth of information and tips that you have shared with us is amazing. Thank you Clayton, there is so much I will take away with me from this session.
Following your advice, I have got myself a tripod and a ND filter. Now to shoot.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Hey guys thanks. Glad to have finally had the chance to finih this. Thanks for all the great input even if I didn't get around to incorporating all of it.
Will be out most of Saturday but will be checking in on Sunday.
Posted 34 months ago.
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garthm34 wrote Debbie and Clayton
You know how it is. You're looking for something on the web and you careen off and find something completely different but useful. :)
The Golden Hour Calculator (first and last hour of sunlight in the day - and steps in between): www.golden-hour.com/
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Posted 34 months ago.
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What can I say...This has had me gripped from the get go. Love your section on preparation, I wouldn't have thought to scout the location the day before or prior to the shoot but I guess when there is little light it makes perfect sense
I am more likely to have a bash at this at the end of the day as I don't think my boys would appreciate me getting them up during the early hours but the promise of being able to stay up later may swing in my favour.
I have never turned the noise reduction facility off in camera ( I can however see your reason for it) Is the resulting image noisy and you use a noiseware reduction programme? Or is it OK to go with blending and processing?
The "Boring discussion"(as you call it) on how to work out exposure manually..Is what I found to be particularly of interest, I wouldn't like to be there with the limited time of the "blue hour" and have to resort to guess work...so knowing how to calculate the times for exposure is a big plus in my book
An excellent session Clay and Thank you so much for taking up your valuable time to do this for members of The Pinnacle
Originally posted 34 months ago.
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blueeyeddebby (busy studying) (a group admin) edited this topic 34 months ago.
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Great collection and explanations, need to have a closer look during the next days...
Thanks a lot for sharing!!!
Posted 34 months ago.
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This is what I really like about this group. The sharing. Thank you, Clay, for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us on this subject. At present, I am not able to put your expert advice in practice, as my camera only allows a maximum of a 2 second exposure, but I am saving up for an upgrade and hope to have one pretty soon. In the mean time, I have saved this page to my computer and will make sure that this lesson is one of the very first experiments I try.
I found your "boring" bits extremely interesting. The technicalities are, in my experience, what spoils most shots, and are what every photographer should try to master first. Thank you for taking the time to explain them.
I shall read this article again and again, to internalise it and make it my own (figuratively speaking, that is) so that it will come more naturally once I actually go out there and try it.
Thanks again. I really appreciate the time you took and the effort you put into your article. I am thoroughly impressed. Reading through this article, I have gained a deeper appreciation of those streaky shots. I never realised it would be so complicated, and yet so simple (if you know what you are doing).
Posted 34 months ago.
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Hey Clay, thanks , a great wealth of info here , can`t wait for my filters to come in . Thanks for all the hard work . your one of the great spots on flickr, Thanks again - George - and if i have any questions ( and I know I will ) I know who to ask , all of the images here are top qualty
Posted 34 months ago.
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Great info here - it will spur me to trying new ideas. Thank you so much.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Nice article, very interesting, and once again, we see that patience is the key in this kind of shots, like in almost all kinds of shots...
I just wanted to give other examples of long exposure uses, related to what has been already described here:
1 - long exposure can be used in a "no light" environment, when the subject is very bright, but very quick, for example thunders, or fireworks (long exposure will then causes a blur effect),
2 - for a few years now long exposures have also been used for "light painting", when people "draw" with a light or a torch in front of their camera,
3 - long exposures can be used also to lower the effect of a too bright flash (this technique can only be used when the subject is static),
4 - in addition to what has been said about the waterfalls, long exposures can soften water in a most extended way: rivers, pond and even sea. it is of course used most of the time during nights or at sunrise/sunset.
I guess that there is tons of other examples of long exposures, only limited by our imagination. So with the very good theorical background Clay gave us, it is now time to try and shoot!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Well done Clay- a weath of useful information to digest. I think I'll agree and say the hardest part may be those 5:00 am wakeups on your day off...:)
Posted 34 months ago.
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Very good presentation -- one small bit of advice from a person who learned it the hard way -- make sure your batteries are fully charged. Nothing is more fun then getting up at 4 AM driving to the best photo op in the world, setting up your gear only to find out your battery is on its very last snap and you forgot to bring the extra. This guy is a humble but smarter man because of this experience. Always, always charge em up the night before.....
Posted 34 months ago.
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Hey Clayton - this is just terrific! I love how you've brought together the technical with the practical that comes only through experience. I had no idea that you didn't have to have a jammed pack freeway with cars to pull something like this off.
I also found your description of taking different shots with an eye to composing the very best scene via your post-processing blending really instructive.
This one is definitely going to be saved out as a PDF on my computer as a great reference source. Thanks so much for contributing your time and effort to do this for our group.
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Posted 34 months ago.
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Very nice article --- one thing I'd like to add from experience is to not forget to turn around from time to time and see what's happening behind you.
There are times when you might want to be shooting AWAY from the sunrise or sunset --- for example, catching the first rays of the sun can be spectacular off an east facing mountain peak. I just got back from a trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada where the alpenglow off the 12,000 foot summits is breathtaking.
Just thought I'd throw that in.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Very true:) I'll have to come check out those shots!
Outstanding job! Thanks so much for taking the time to write this up!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Clayton this is an absolutely awesome and a very comprehensive discussion. I am totally in awe of both you fabulous work and the accompanying how-to directive.
You are so very talented. Sharing you knowledge and experiences here is such a kind thing to do.
There is no doubt that you are a fantastic Flickr friend, a great guy, an outstanding photographer, and a wonderful credit to this state.
My heartfelt congratulations on you superb article and my you find many many more "perfect" locations.
Posted 34 months ago.
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thanks for the f-mail... very interested on long exposure..
And to Clay Wells... Thanks a lot. this is an interesting read. a really enjoyable and direct information which is very easy to understand and remember.. You really did great here..
And to this group you all did a great job.. Thanks and more power..
I should try it then...
Regards,
Rey
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thanks to Clay Wells for sharing and to Manesh of course, very informative indeed!
Posted 34 months ago.
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This is fantastic Clay! Thanks so much for sharing your expertise in this subject. I learned a lot!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thanks for sharing!
My conclusion from TP's two sessions is: the most important part to take an excellent image has nothing to do with photography. In your session it's "getting out of bed". In Garth's "Street Photography" it may be "courage". In landscape it might be "be there in one hour on your feet" or earth science. "Get closer" In macro. "Patience" in pets... How interesting photography is :-)
Posted 34 months ago.
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Clay - ever since discovering this group I've seen your shots as "the pinnacle" of long exposures... this insight will definitely be put to work. I used to think it was just about putting the camera on the tripod and seeing what happens, but you've really shed light on so many new elements of long exposure shots.
Can't promise to be getting up at 5:00am (even without a wife, that sounds brutal!) but hopefully can use this to take some more interesting shots around sunset. Look forward to seeing more of your work.
Posted 34 months ago.
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You the man, Clay! Thank you very much for the time that you took to share your expertise on long exposures. I won't lie and say that I'll be dragging my butt out of bed real early anytime soon, but hopefully I'll get around to trying out some of the pointers that you shared.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thanks Clay! I thought I knew something about the subject, but now I realize I know little. Looks like I need to apply some of your advice and see what I can do. I got a chuckle out of some of your comments about 'leaving a warm bed'... that's the same lament a lot of amateur astronomers sing! Actually, that comparison invites a question: do you use a lens hood? Have you ever had a problem with glare from a light source to your side affecting one of your shots?
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thank you very much for the tutorial Clay. Very, informative, very well written and entertaining. We will have to take your word on the fact that the pre dawn and post dusk blue hour look about the same - Nic and I shoot a few long exposures but always in the evening - too hard to get out of bed in the morning .
One (small) additional comment for the thread – when calculating bulb exposure times, particularly if you have nd filters attached or it is still very dark, we often shoot a test shot in AV mode, with the preferred aperture, at a high enough iso to get a 30 second or less exposure. We then, in the way you excellently describe, multiply out the correct time for an iso100/200 shot, adjust the iso setting accordingly, and let rip. Although the test shot as noisy and unusable, you can at least chimp the histogram to see whether you are happy with the metered exposure. Also, for us at least this method tends to move the camera around less than removing/refitting the filter – important for us as we will usually have prefocussed on the subject and set the lens into manual focus so if the camera is then knocked, the focus of the final shot can also be off.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thanks so much for a really interesting session... always admired those great photos of yours and cant wait to give it a try.... :)
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thank you so much Clay. Long Exposure is not something I try very often, but this tutorial will surely help. Lots of info here. Must come back and reread a few more times! :) Great job!!!
Posted 34 months ago.
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I truly appreciate the effort and the content of this piece ... well done! Please keep these coming .... the 'tutorials' have been excellent, my thanks to the authors for their good work!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thanks for the feedback and response to everyone.
- excellent points, especially about turning to see/shoot what's behind you. Also about the times you want to shoot away from the sun. Especially after sunrise to get some nice front-lighting.
- great ideas/techniques on using ISO in bulb exposure mode to get the right exposure. i've actually not gone this route yet, but plan to next time. the lens i primarily use focuses internally, but for times i have a polarizer this will work nicely.
...will be back later for more replies and discussion...
Posted 34 months ago.
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Fabulous session on long exposure, so much good information, Clay. I plan to re-read it before actually heading out to try your techniques! Thanks for the heads up, Maneesh!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Thanks Maneesh for the flickr mail about this fascinating session from Clay. I've been away a few days and just got home after a six hour journey but came into the group straightaway for a browse. So interesting and a huge amount of useful information. I've never tried long exposures and only have the basic equipment but I would love to have a go - and without this session I wouldn't have had a clue where to start. Thanks Clay for taking the time to put this together.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Clay, thank you so much for spending the time and effort to share this wealth of information on long exposure. I agree with you on everything you said, and that calculating the correct exposure is indeed tricky. I will try to watch out for street lamps next time when I shoot traffic streaks. I never really thought of blending exposures to get more streaks so that's a great tip! Thank you again, I just love this group!!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Well I picked up the courage and actually did my first blue hour shoot (evening). Clays notes are invaluable and I recommend you all get out there and have a go
My shoot was just before dark and I have to admit that I came home "Chimping" OoOoOoO aAaAaAaA :-)
Posted 34 months ago.
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- nice. i just checked out your shots!
Posted 34 months ago.
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Wow! You are a fast learner and quick executioner - I'm still trying to figure out where the ND filter fits onto the lens
Posted 34 months ago.
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I didn't use one Maneesh. Clay said it's optional :-)
Posted 34 months ago.
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Clay..your buddy sent me an fmail to check out your post.
Amazing stuff. Great tutorial...and great writing style. Very clear and concise. Congrats on the great images and great tutorial.
I will post a link to this tutorial in my tutorial group.
Posted 34 months ago.
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I've been waiting so long for someone to produce great advice on this subject. Thank you
Posted 34 months ago.
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Hi Malcolm, nice to see a familiar face here....it is a great session isn't it. Hope to see some of your work here in the group
Posted 34 months ago.
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hey malcolm - well if those coastal sites in your stream are conveniently located for you, what a perfect place to shoot some long exposures!
Posted 34 months ago.
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We're lucky Clay, they are practically on our doorstep here in Wales ....but the weather is against us....persistant rain at the moment
Posted 34 months ago.
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sometimes shooting in the rain is not all that bad. it was raining pretty hard when i shot this:
here is my camera wrapped up in a ziploc bag making one of the exposures that day:
Posted 34 months ago.
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What a cool idea...will need to invest in one of these
Posted 34 months ago.
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I've only now had time to read your session, Clayton, and I am so impressed with your images and thoroughness. I have never done any long exposure shots before, but now I will definitely give it a try, although waking up early in the morning will be unlikely for me, maybe I'll just stay up the night, lol! Thank you for your time and contribution, it's greatly appreciated!
Posted 34 months ago.
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@-liyen- : glad you enjoyed it. looking forward to your results! as i am to everyone else's as well.
Posted 34 months ago.
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Wonderful tutorial Clay, thanks!
I am, however, bummed to see that I need new equipment to augmnet my NDF filters, tripod, and cable release. Nevertheless, guess I'll bite the bullet and buy an alarm clock.
Posted 33 months ago.
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T.J. - you could always shoot at sunset!
Posted 33 months ago.
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Hey Clay, My first Long exposure shot following your tips got into explore!
Posted 33 months ago.
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this one?
congrats!
Posted 33 months ago.
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Yes that one....and proud as punch I am too. Wouldn't have done it without your help. I'm still smiling :-)
Posted 33 months ago.
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Great stuff - very inspirational (except for the part about getting up at 4:30 am!) Thanks so much for taking the time to share your hard-won expertise!
Posted 33 months ago.
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A haiku of thanks,
very informational;
a true work of art.
Posted 33 months ago.
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quick qns: anyone tried using two polarizing filters on top of one another (one vari) to create a vari ND filter? Was reading This article and i thought using polarizing filters will be a cheap alt to a vari-ND filter
thoughts?
Posted 31 months ago.
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- i use a CP in conjunction with my ND lots, but have never stacked 2 CPs. Interesting idea though. I'm not sure why it wouldn't be at least partially effective.
Posted 31 months ago.
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Silly question no doubt...but what are CP's?
Posted 31 months ago.
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sorry - circular polarizer.
Originally posted 31 months ago.
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clay.wells edited this topic 31 months ago.
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I think it's an interesting idea - as someone who has never picked up a filter, would you advise me to go straight for the Vari ND or pick up the Cokin filter system?
Again in photography, it's always advisable to save up for the best and buy it once so you don't have to do it again:)
Posted 31 months ago.
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I have played with stacked CPs, but more to get popping color effects. The article to which you linked was talking about using a CP with a linear polarizer (and the waterfall is on a highway a few miles from where I live)
There are also graduated ND (GND) filters which are typically linear (including Cokin types), which can be great for balancing an image without going the HDR route. Then there are reverse GND filters which are particularly suited for sunrise and sunset images. The grad darkens toward the middle (orienting from top to bottom or bottom to top) and then the filter becomes clear.
The Cokin route is much more economical, especially if you use multiple lenses with different filter sizes. Also, if you start stacking screw on filters you'll end up with vignetting (even worse if you need a reducing adapter to adjust to adjust to a smaller filter diameter).
Personally, I'd start with one CP for your widest lens and then a Cokin p series frame and a few plastic ND filters and or grads.
Also many filter effects (including grads) can be achieved fairly simply in PS, but personally, I lean toward trying to shoot what I want and minimizing processing.
Posted 30 months ago.
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Some wicked great tips here but there is also something thats not been mentioned which is great fun light painting
Me and my friends sat out on a deserted beach enjoying a couple of wines and three bored nine year olds explained to them about long exposure on the photos gave them a torch or two put the camera up on a tripod and they came up with some amazing fun photos, 90 percent of these are all there ideas not to many came out cool but thats the great thing with digital
they are nothing amazing but fun and creative and great to do with kids and adults alike there are some amazing light painting shots out there but this is what a bunch of nine year olds did with about five minutes instruction i just sat there set up the tripod and clicked the trigger, i could improve them with photoshop and the like but this was just raw energy fun photography straight out of the camera, which sometimes we seem to forget about
   
A lot of us have kids and this is a great way to get them interested i also another large series which i did with the three of them with depth and perception which i have not got round to uploading yet, but it great travelling with my son and friends now, because they are looking at angles and asking questions about photography and suggesting ideas, if you have kids, partners that do not share your love of photography as we all do here light painting with long exposure is a good way to get them started
yesterday i had fun doing some 20 and 30 second exposures in a cave and no complaints from my partner as she understood what i was doing.the monk who we had to persuade to allow us into his 2000 year old temple though was a bit bemused  hopefully will get chance to check the rest out soon but after driving 1400 km today think that will have to wait
The technical information in this thread is amazing and read and follow it all through Clay has always been one of my fav waterall photographers and inspired me to do a great deal as well, none of which made it to explore like debs I get silly photos of elephant skulls which make explore (who figures) but this is also a good way to get kids involved with our hobby
Originally posted 30 months ago.
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A2L offshore again : ) edited this topic 30 months ago.
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just goes to show it doesn't all have to be car trails.
Posted 30 months ago.
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At the moment my favourite type of long exposures are shot in the day generally near water using an ND10 filter. To look at it its black glass even held up to the light not much gets through. Allows you to capture the movement of the clouds and makes water look very still.
90secs - on a sunny day
Posted 30 months ago.
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this one has not been bumped up in ages Kathy needs some advice with star trail photos or does that warrent a whole new thread
Posted 6 months ago.
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I think star trails might be different...than a long exposure
You keep the camera open to long and you get a lot of noise with the trails. Not long enough and no trails
So I read about doing a ton of 30 second shots and then combining them. Which is a long process in itself... Not sure I am doing it correctly, so was wondering if anyone has done it and what is the proper way...
Posted 6 months ago.
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@ Kathy: Using either long exposure or stacks of 30 second shots can work. It depends on the amount of light pollution around you. If light pollution is really terrible, then it becomes impossible. When capturing star trails, it is critical that you have enough darkness (as little light pollution as possible). Even moonlight can hamper your efforts. On the otherhand, if it's really dark, then you may not even need to stack--a long exposure will do fine. There's lots of trial and error involved. Here are a couple of links that provide good information on photographing star trails:
liewwkphoto.com/blog/?p=189
www.danheller.com/star-trails.html
The information they provide is very comprehensive and concise. Hope this helps.
Posted 6 months ago.
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thanks bugeyed...
I live in the country at the moment, not much light out here, in fact the major University close by has their giant telescope down the road, so that tells you not much city light. The University is 25 miles away
www.umich.edu/~lowbrows/history/peach-mountain.html
I tried out in the wilderness of Montana (we were off the grid, the nearest lights were 10 miles away) to open for 2 hours, iso 100 and the noise was horrible.. so then I tried the 30 second shots for an hour and that worked better, I did that at home and got a cable - stacking wasn't fun A2L and someone else led me to this site for stacking
www.startrails.de/html/software.html
Haven't had time to try it, because the sky"s haven't been clear again yet.
I just have never tried this before and am having difficultly getting it right, so I am happy to see that others only did it through lots of trail and error. I wanted to hear how others do this.
Originally posted 6 months ago.
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Kathy~ edited this topic 6 months ago.
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 Keep Climbing!
Posted 5 months ago.
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The Pinnacle Challenge Group! /
Discuss
Clay Wells
Debbie and 
Very true:) I'll have to come check out those shots!
thanks for the f-mail... very interested on long exposure..
Hi Malcolm, nice to see a familiar face here....it is a great session isn't it. Hope to see some of your work here in the group
Silly question no doubt...but what are CP's?
I have played with stacked CPs, but more to get popping color effects. The article to which you linked was talking about using a CP with a linear polarizer (and the waterfall is on a highway a few miles from where I live)
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