Learn the very basics of long exposure photography, why it is used, and how you can implement it. We also covered essential camera gear, camera settings, and other tips to get you started.
Why Does Long Exposure Photography Exist?
Also known as the names timeexposure and slowshutter photography, it is one of the most exciting niches in this industry. In such shots, a photographer essentially compresses time in a single frame, with the final shot rich with visuals from a new dimension.
This method of photography is one of the most popular among photographers and is used in many ways to capture time in a single picture. With the advancements in camera technology, capturing such photos has become significantly easier.
Creative options with long exposure photography
There are many ways to use long exposure shots in photography. One of our favorites is to capture the colors as they change over time in a frame and blend the tones. The final shot can have some quite emotive results that might not normally be captured with a split-second shot.
Or you can go colorless in your stills with similar shots, and the result will smooth out, giving it an almost luxurious soft sheen in the shot. Such shots also allow the contrast in the image to be more prominent, which otherwise would not be that noticeable.
Such shots are also very commonly implemented to capture moving water in the rivers and coasts and are most popular at the waterfalls. All these scenes create a smooth movement trail of the water in the final shot. You can also capture moving elements like clouds in the sky or even traffic. All you need to control is stability for your shot, and let the motion of the subject pass through the frame.
Camera Gear for Long Exposure Photography
When doing long exposure, you are not only playing with the available light intensity but also its direction. This is why you have to plan and track the movement of light during the entire shooting time. If there is too much light in the frame, your camera body won’t keep the shutter open long enough to keep the entire shot with the same light intensity.
To deal with this, you have to invest in a quality ND filter, which can block some of this light and can help your camera shutter stay open for capturing smooth exposure during the entire shooting. Commonly used ND filters for this niche are 3, 6, 10, and 20-stop filters.
If you are just starting with long exposure photos, then a screw-in ND filter would be a great budget option instead of the professional kits used in the industry. You also consider a filter system, which is designed to be used with multiple camera mounts from leading camera brands without the need to buy multiple filters.
You will also have to invest in a cable release to avoid any camera shake if you need to switch camera modes during the shooting. Combine this with a stable camera tripod, which is absolutely needed for the stability of your shots. Check out the mid-range options from MeFOTO, they all worth consideration.
Taking Long Exposure Shots
Once you are ready, follow the instructions below to snap your first long exposure shot:
1. Set up your camera tripod at a desired location with full stability.
2. For aperture, start from f/10 if you are not sure, as it is a good starting point. This should be chosen based on how bright you want your image to be. Select a shutter speed like 1/10 second as a starting point.
3. Next, switch to manual focus and set your focus in the image. This will prevent the camera from refocusing during the shot.
4. Turn off image stabilization, as your tripod is already doing that job. Camera IBS can sometimes blur the image in these conditions.
5. Without the filter, take a test shot, and if everything looks good, note the shutter speed and aperture.
6. Use the LE Calculator app to find the long exposure time using the recorded shutter speed and aperture.
7. Now switch your camera to bulb mode and press the shutter button (using the camera release) with a 2- or 10-second delay before the actual exposure.
8. Pay attention to the timer on your camera and let it stay exposed for the time you calculated through the LE calculator app. If your camera doesn’t have it, use your phone clock.
9. Use the camera release button again to stop exposure, and you are done.
Best Lens for Long Exposure Photography
With all these techniques and camera hardware, your camera lens is doing the core job of collecting light and giving detail to the final image. Investing in a camera lens that can deliver optical consistency when racking focus for the long exposure shot is very much needed here.
We recommend investing in the SIRUI Saturn 35/50/75mm Full-frame Carbon Fiber Anamorphic Lens, a compact carbon fiber lens series that is easy to handle for long exposure shooting and packs cinematic optics to give more personality to your pictures. You will also get a cinematic 1.6× horizontal squeeze in your stills, which gives you more creative freedom for such a photography niche.
Wrapping Up:
Long exposure photography requires a strong knowledge of handling light, camera shooting techniques, and proper gear. To get smooth results with added cinematic vibes, the SIRUI Saturn 35/50/75mm Full-frame Carbon Fiber Anamorphic Lens is a great option to start with, which is both budget-friendly and retains a lightweight profile.
