Do not let technique determine determine your subject
selection, not every subject or scene will lend itself to a
long exposure technique.
Ideally long exposure subjects are dynamic, that is
moving subjects like water and clouds.
High contrast scenes make better long exposure
scenes.
When photographing water or clouds in a long exposure
scene they tend to become bright highlights, darker
areas such as rocks, cliffs and stones now become
more prominent and stand out as your subject matter.
This is why high contrast scenes make for better long
exposures.
Use wide to moderate angle lenses rather then
telephoto lenses, reason being that telephoto
lenses tend to magnify movement leading to
blurred subject matter.
Max focal length for long exposures around 100mm.
Long exposure considerations,
. Composition
. Sharpness
. Level of blur ( dictated by shutter speed)
Composition
Look for the ‘z’ curve, look for subjects that follow a
zigzag course through your scene leading the viewer’s
eye from point A to point B, C, D and E into the scene
which will also create a sense of depth in your photograph.
Look for foreground interest like bushes, stones, rocks,
gates or fences to start off the ‘Z’ curve point ‘A’.
Because high contrast scenes make for the best long
exposure photographs, it also stands to reason that
converting to black and white will also make for a more
dramatic image as high contrast scenes make for the
best monochrome images.
Use shutter speeds of 1/2 seconds to 30 seconds for
the best results.
You can then drop this shutter speed to 15 seconds and
adjust your aperture to keep the same exposure then
bracket your exposures by 1 stop, -1 , 0 (15 secs), +1.
ISO - Use the lowest setting available on your camera i.e.
100.
Aperture - Changing your f/stop will affect your exposure
and depth of field. Long exposure photography
is all about shutter speed, DOF is rarely an issue.
Shutter Speed - This is where you are going to be making
your exposure adjustments. Set up your
initial exposure with your aperture then
make the creative adjustments using
shutter speed.
Typical settings - f/11 - 2 seconds - ISO 100
f/11 - 4 seconds - ISO 100
f/11 - 8 seconds - ISO 100
Batteries - long exposure photography drains your batteries
very quickly, this is because the shutter is being held open
for extended periods of time so always have extra batteries
fully charged and close at hand ready for a quick swap out.
Filter maintenance - for some reason the greater density
filters ND 10, seem to attract a lot of grease or may be its just
more noticeable so keep your filters clean,
At home, filter care ,
. Wash your hands first.
. Blow the filter first to get rid of any heavy particles.
. Spray some filter cleaner onto a soft lint free cloth.
. Move in concentric circles, starting in the middle and moving
outward, this will move any dirt or grease to the outer edge
of the filter.
. Polish the filter with a second dryer cloth.
. Last quick blow with the blower on both sides to finish.
. Before putting the filter away give the filter pouch a quick blow
out to remove any dust within.