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Long Exposure Photography

Long Exposure Photography

• Definition: Extending the time that the digital sensor is exposed to light beyond what you would normally use when taking a photograph to allow the camera time to integrate the changes that are occurring in the scene.

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When do you use Long Exposure Photography

• To create abstracts or motion blur.

• To create the milky effect in waterfalls or to smooth out the rough waters of an ocean.

• To record the motion in clouds, plants/flowers/grasses.

• To capture fireworks and the northern lights.

• And what Bill will talk about--the stars or distant nebula at night.

Lets look at some examples of the effects you can get when you use a longer shutter speed.

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1/20th second, f22, ISO 100, 105 MM

1/8 second, f22, ISO 100, 200 MM, 4 stop ND?

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Ocean-Pan Blurs

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Pan Blurs

¼ second, f11, ISO 100 98 MM

Water

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0.4 Seconds, f11, ISO 100, 47 MM

Long Exposure: Clouds

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Jamie Konarsky Davison New Life Photos

63 seconds, f22, ISO 100 10 stop ND

Water

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20 seconds, f11, ISO 400 105 MM (No ND filter)

3.2 seconds, f11, ISO 100, 24 MM, Polarizer

Waterfalls:

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Long exposures can create the silky effect in a waterfall.

• Shutter Speed: 1/3 sec to 20 seconds;

• Equipment: Polarizer and/or a Neutral Density filter—4 or less stops.

Equipment: Polarizers

• Polarizers: a circular filter that is put on the lens and is used to reduce glare, reduce haze, remove reflections, increase color saturation (blues & greens) and provides you with a loss of 1 to 2 stops of light. • Great for shooting waterfalls.

• Concerns: watch for vignetting and large expanses of blue sky.

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1/6 second, f11, ISO 100 24 MM with polarizer-sun out.

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1.3 seconds, f11, ISO 100, 32MM with polarizer, sun under cloud.

Waterfalls

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1/6 second, f11, ISO 100 24 MM with polarizer-sun out.

1.3 seconds, f11, ISO 100, 32MM with polarizer, sun under cloud.

1/6 second, f11, ISO 100, 28 MM Polarizer

Waterfalls

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1.3 seconds, f11, ISO 100, 24 MM Polarizer

Waterfalls

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1/6 second, f11, ISO 100, 28 MM

1.3 seconds, f11, ISO 100, 24 MM

Waterfalls

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Equipment: Neutral Density Filters

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Equipment: Neutral Density Filters

• Neutral Density Filters: reduce the amount of light entering a lens so that you can increase your exposure time.• Rectangular and Circular

• Solid and Graduated,

• Graduated Hard Edge, Soft Edge, Reverse Grad.

Note: For every stop of ND filter, you halve the amount of light entering the camera. When the light is halved, to maintain the same exposure, you need to double your shutter speed. Add another ND stop; double the shutter speed again.

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Neutral Density Filters

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ND 4 Solid

Graduated ND 2-Soft Edge

ND 10 Solid

Graduated ND 3 Soft Edge

Equipment: Neutral Density Filter

• Pros & Cons• Rectangular: heavier, requires holder, possible light leakage, better options

for graduated filters.• Circular: lighter, easier to carry, no light leakage, vignetting, could impact

focus when installing.

• Manufacturers• B+W, Format HiTech, Lee, Singh Ray, Vu (Benro) and many, many others. • Cokin P Series—inexpensive, resin, complete set.

So what difference will these make in your photos? Lets view another waterfall.

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1/160 second, f22, ISO 200, 80 MM no ND Filter

Niagara Falls Photos by Bruce Ryerson

Niagara Falls Photos by Bruce Ryerson

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2 seconds, f22, ISO 400, 84 MM, ND 9

Niagara Falls Photos by Bruce Ryerson

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1/160 second, f22, ISO 200, 80 MM, No ND Filter

2 seconds, f22, ISO 400, 84 MM, ND 9 Stops

1.3 seconds, f18, ISO 100 105 MM no ND filter

Graduated ND Filter

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13 second, f18, ISO 100, 99MMND Grad filter 3 stops

Water-Graduated ND Filter

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13 seconds, f18, ISO 100, 99MMND Grad filter 2 stops

1.3 seconds, f18, ISO 100 105 MM no ND filter

Water-Graduated ND Filter

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Long Exposure: Clouds & Plants

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Long Exposure: clouds/plants

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65 seconds, f22, ISO 100, 10 Stop ND

Jamie Konarsky Davison New Life Photos

Long Exposure: clouds/plants

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Jamie Konarsky Davison New Life Photos

63 seconds, f22, ISO 100 10 stop ND

Equipment:

• Camera with a bulb mode. (Gives you more flexibility.)

• Steady tripod—no movement.

• Remote shutter release cable or intervalometer.

• A timer if there isn’t one in your camera.

• Plenty of memory and battery power.

• Hoodman Loupe

• Black tape to cover gaps in filters and eyehole.

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Additional Equipment to Calculate Exposure

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A chart or app to calculate exposure.Chart: B+W Vision Chart

Apps for Calculating Exposure

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PhotopillsLee Stopper, DOF, QDSLRDashboard, LECalculator

Photopills

The Process

• Pay attention to the light.

• On tripod/turn off image stabilization.

• Do test shots before using the ND Filter to ensure the composition of the picture is what you want.

• Once you have the composition and focus you want, change to manual focus. (If round filter/tape the lens at that focus setting.)

• Note your exposure settings without the filter.

• Check your app or your chart to determine length of exposure using an ND filter.

• Choose the correct filter for the picture and add it to the lens.

• 4, 6 stops, 10 stops or a combination.

• For very long exposures you may want to turn on Noise Reduction in your camera.

• BE PATIENT

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346.8 seconds, f18, ISO 100, 32MM

• Need overcast • or 60% cloud cover.• Moving clouds. • Exposure will be from 30

seconds to 4 minutes.

Clouds

Clouds

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102 seconds, f18, ISO 100, 32MM 4 stops

Clouds

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6.8 seconds, f18, ISO 100, 32MM

102 seconds, f18, ISO 100, 32MM 10 stops

• Need overcast or 60% cloud cover• Moving clouds. • Clouds 30 seconds to 4 minutes.

Clouds

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109 seconds, f11, ISO 100, 50 MM 14 stops

1/250th second, f11, ISO 100 47 MM

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Flowers & Plants

21 seconds, F11, ISO 100, 55 MM

Flowers & Plants

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Jamie Konarsky Davison New Life Photos

1.3 seconds, f18, ISO 100 Polarizer

• 4 Stop Soft Graduated ND filter on top,

• 10 Stop ND & 2 Stop Reverse Grad on Horizon,

• Light Painted Tree

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Photo by Mark Hilliard

Blue Hour/Night Photography

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No Filters Required.

1.3 seconds, 5.6, ISO, 100, 15 MM

Night Photography

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1.3 seconds, f5.6, ISO 100, 15 MM

2 seconds, f14, ISO 100, 55 mm, (55-250)

Fireworks

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3 seconds, f14, ISO 100, 65 mm, (55-250)

Northern Lights

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9.2 seconds, f5.6, ISO 3200, 28 MM

5.2 seconds, f5.6, ISO 3200, 28 MM

References

• Mark Hilliard: www.markhilliardatelier-blog.com

• Mark Hilliard: www.markhilliardatelier.com

• Jamie Konarski: https://www.newlifephotos.com/

• Joel Tjintjelaar: https://www.photographize.co/joeltjintjelaar/

• Joel Tjintjelaar (exposure chart): https://www.bwvision.com/recommended-le/

• Julia Anna Gospodarou: http://blog.juliaannagospodarou.com/tutorials/

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Next: Night Photography with Bill O’Neil