One of the more serial types of photography is long exposure photos. The eerie or dreamy look can take the simplest subject and give it a whole new life. Being a local Toronto photographer I am lucky that I have a great big lake at my doorstep. This has given me a number of opportunities to find creative ways to develop my long exposure photography ideas.
How to calculate exposure settings for long exposure pictures
I have to confess I’m not much into calculating the right camera settings for a given shot. A simple way I’ve used is called trial and error and that’s worked out surprisingly well. I start off thinking of the depth of field for a particular shot and work backwards from there. It’s a given the ISO should be as low as you can go, say ISO 50 or ISO 100. Often the aperture is in the area of f/18 to f/22 to start off. On an average day I would use these exposure settings as a starting point and then adjust as needed. Agreed this isn’t the most efficient way to take a picture but for now it’s the simplest way out in the field.
Why some people try to take long exposure long exposure iPhone
I simply don’t understand this. Why do people feel an iPhone is a camera? It’s not and trying to take long exposure night sky photography on a device used for calling people is beyond me. An iPhone is that a phone it’s not an iCamera. Ok now there is something Apple might pick up on.
Types of long exposure photos you can take
There are a wide range of subjects you can take when looking at long exposure photos. When considering long exposure photography in daylight you need to think ND filters and many of them. On a recent location shoot in Toronto it was critical to have a number of filters that helped me control the overall look and feel. The exposure takes on a new life when considering long exposures.
Just as equal and opposite in exposure consideration is night time long exposures. Usually used to capture star trails this requires some different thinking. One of the simplest tips is to bring a flashlight (or torch for those in the UK). This will help you navigate around in the dark.
How to do get the most from long exposure photography
As with may of my other photography tips the best one is to get out and do it. Too often we wait until we have read every article out there. The key to improving your skills in long exposure photography is to just do it. Get out there and go through the motions of taking pictures. This is by far the number one long exposure photography tip I can give you. You’ll soon realize that there are so many things to considering none more important than the other. Each adds to the success of your shot and any one can be the demise of it.
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