Long exposure photography is one of the most fascinating genres and it will get you forever hooked on photography. Show
Imagine you could keep your eyes open for a certain amount of time and capture everything you’re seeing in just one image – wouldn’t that be nice? That’s exactly how long exposure photography works; instead of “freezing” time, the idea is to capture everything that happens while the shutter is open. Did you know that long exposure photography is also a super versatile technique? From incredible daytime long exposure photos to dreamy long exposure night skies, it’ll help you create the magical and ethereal photos you’ve always imagined. However, long exposure photography can be a complex technique that is difficult to master. Do you have the right equipment to do long exposure photography? Do you know the basic settings to start with? Not sure? Let’s get into it! Long exposure photograph at Skogafoss Waterfall, Iceland – 0.5 sec, f/16, ISO 100 In this Ultimate Guide to Long Exposure Photography, we’ll talk about:
What is long exposure photography?Long exposure photography can be explained as a technique based on keeping the camera shutter open for a determined length of time. If you’re shooting handheld, your shutter speed should be somewhere between 1/5000 and 1/40 of a second to get sharp images. However, using a slow shutter speed, starting from half of a second and upwards, and placing your camera on a steady tripod, you’ll be able to capture motion in clouds, water, cars, animals, etc. Wherever there’s movement, there’s an opportunity to be creative using the long exposure technique.
Simply put, long exposure photography consists of keeping the camera shutter open for a determined length of time – Perth, Australia. 240 sec. f/11, ISO 50 Long exposure at night allows us to capture more information from the sky than what we can see with our naked eyes. By keeping the shutter open for a longer time, we’ll capture details of the Milky Way or colors of the Northern Lights that we wouldn’t be able to see with the naked eye. Long exposure at night allows us to capture more information than the one we see with our naked eyes – Iceland. 3 sec, f/2.8, ISO 5000 The final result of either nighttime or daytime long exposure images is magical because it can’t be perceived by your eyes. In fact, if they’re unfamiliar with the final image, many people think that long exposure photos have been “Photoshopped”. However, to take long-exposure photographs, all you need is your camera and a tripod (and ND filters sometimes). How to take long exposure shotsLong exposure photography has a lot of technical aspects that you should know beforehand. The most important one is the best long exposure camera settings. Let’s dive into how to do long exposure photography with your camera and how to create the unbelievable long exposure photos you dream of producing. The camera settings and technique are the keys for doing long exposure photography. Bruarfoss Waterfall, Iceland – 1/6 sec. f/22, ISO 50 Step-By-Step Guide to Long exposure photographyThere isn’t a single rule of thumb for doing long exposure photography. With practice and time, you will develop your own workflow. However, it’s good to have some references. In general, this is the best way to do long exposure photography step by step:
Following a series of steps is the easiest way to do long exposure photography. Sydney, Australia – 1/2 sec. f/11, ISO 250 One of the tips for learning to photograph is testing your creativity with the long exposure technique. Let’s look at the best settings to use. Long exposure photography settings and techniquesUnderstanding the long exposure photography settings and changing them according to the conditions you’re shooting in is vital for getting the photos you want. Before you take long exposure photos, there are a couple of suggested settings you must consider:
Some of the basic settings for doing long exposure photography are shooting in Manual mode and in Raw, using the matrix metering mode, and turning off the Image stabilization – Reynisfjara beach, Iceland – 3 sec, f/22, ISO 200 Now let’s get into the basic settings for long exposure photography and how you should adjust them. Focus for long exposureFocusing is one of the basics while doing long exposure photography. There is no way to fix a photo that is out of focus in post-production; it’s one of the most common mistakes. Even though it seems easy to take sharp images, there are some points you need to consider:
Make sure your focus is correct in your long exposure images – Sydney, Australia. 1sec. f/11, ISO 320 Long exposure and shutter speedShutter speed is one of the essentials of long exposure photography, and it will have a drastic impact on your final photos. So, what is the best shutter speed for long exposure photography? The best shutter speed is the one that fits the light situation and your intention. Understanding the final effects of using a shorter or longer shutter speed is the key to getting the photo you have in mind:
Use super long exposures to create minimalist images and dreamy atmospheres. Sugarloaf Rock, Australia – 105 sec. f/13, ISO 100
Use a shorter long exposure to capture details in moving elements like water. Stokksnes, Iceland – 8 sec, f/11, ISO 100 These exposure times are just a mere approximation and will vary based on your conditions and environment. There are lots of factors that may influence the exposure time, so we’ve created the ultimate cheat sheet for long exposure photography so you can calculate your shutter speed! Type of long exposureShutter SpeedSharp stars & Milky Way 12 - 25 sec. Star trails From 30 sec. - Meteors 3 - 25 sec. Static Northern Lights 8 - 25 sec Dynamic Northern Lights 0.5 - 8 sec. City Lights 15 - 60 sec. Car trails 30 - 120 sec. Fireworks 5 - 30 sec. Lightpainting From 5 sec. - Water with texture 0.5 - 3 sec. Smooth water-Silky effect From 5 sec. - Slow-moving clouds From 120 sec. - Fast-moving clouds From 15 sec. - Removing people 30 - 180 sec. Best shutter speed for Long Exposure Also, you can learn more in-depth information in our shutter speed photography guide! Long exposure and apertureIf you’re shooting during the daytime, you should set the f-stop for long exposure photography around the sweet spot of your lens to capture the highest quality. Wait a second! Sweet? My lens? No, your lens is not a candy; the sweet spot refers to the aperture that gives you the best quality and sharpest image. You should test your lens to determine this sweet spot, but it’ll normally be between f/8 and f/11 in wide-angle lenses. You can learn more about how to calculate the sweet spot in our guide to aperture in photography. This basic rule for daylight long exposure can make it a little tricky to get a well-exposed photo. If so, you’ll need to use ND filters to decrease a couple of exposure stops in your picture. If you don’t have any filters to play with, you can choose a smaller aperture like f22 to take long exposure photography. However, the smaller the aperture you adjust to, the more “optical diffraction” you will get, which reduces the overall sharpness and quality of the photo. For long exposure photography at night, choosing your aperture is easier. Just pick a wider aperture on your lens, like f/1.4 or f/2.8, to capture more light. Set the aperture to the sweet spot of your lens. Sunwapta Falls, Canada – 0.4 sec, f/9, ISO 100 Long exposure and ISOWhat is the best ISO to avoid noise in Long Exposure Photography? Let’s cut to the chase. To get the best quality when you take long exposures, use the base ISO of your camera whenever it’s possible. That means using the lowest native ISO on your camera when you’re shooting in daylight. Nice and simple. Why? Using the base ISO on your camera, around ISO 100, will reduce digital noise and increase the quality of your images. However, for nighttime long exposure, you’ll need to use a higher ISO. Another thing to consider is the heat of the sensor when taking long exposures, which increases the chance of some artifacts such as hot pixels and color noise. There’s always a little room to play. Increasing the ISO a couple of stops won’t drastically affect the final image in most cameras, so knowing the limits of your gear is essential. You can find more detailed information in our guide to understanding ISO in photography. I also highly recommend our guide on best settings for noise-free photos and, if noise does appear (especially in night long exposure photographs), have a look at the best noise reduction software. Use the base ISO whenever you can for taking long exposures. ISO 3200. Image by Uros Fink Long exposure Calculator in a long exposure appOne of the best tips for long exposure photography is to use apps to calculate the shutter speed that you need. These apps are specifically for long exposure photography and will help you determine the right exposure time/shutter speed depending on the Neutral Density Filters that you’re using. There are hundreds of apps to help you calculate your long exposure shot, but probably the most used are Photopills and Exposure Calculator. Let’s see how to use them:
Last but not least, before using any long exposure calculator app, make sure that you understand how exposure in photography works and how to strike a balance using the exposure triangle. Now you have all the information you need to shoot long exposure photos. If you don’t know where to start, here are the main types of long exposure photography. Nighttime long exposure photographyMost of the time you’re photographing at night, you’re shooting a long exposure. The lack of light forces you to have the shutter open for a longer length of time so the camera’s sensor can receive more light. Therefore, you’ll use long exposure for capturing the Milky Way, Northern Lights, star trails, and other night sky elements. Long exposure shot to capture the Northern Lights. Lofoten Islands, Norway – 4 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 Long exposure star photographyTaking a long exposure of stars allows many creative possibilities. In this genre, the shutter speed will depend on the scene. Using a long exposure to photograph star trails will take at any time from 15 minutes to several hours, but it’ll allow you to capture mesmerizing images, long exposure circumpolar star trails. Image by Uros Fink However, if you shoot a long exposure for the Milky Way because you want to capture the stars as we perceive them with the naked eye, you shouldn’t use a shutter speed longer than 20 seconds as I explain in my Milky Way photography guide. Whatever your aim is while using long exposure at night, I recommend checking my night-long exposure photography guide to get more ideas. You can use a long exposure to shoot the stars and the Milky Way. Utah, USA Long exposure and Urban photographyThere is something unique and delightful about when a city shifts to the nighttime version of itself. The diversity of lights, the skyscrapers, and the everlasting movement of the metropolis can create the most enchanting atmosphere. The use of long exposure in a city or town will transform the view of it dramatically. If there’s some light, there’s always a chance to do something amazing. Looking at, analyzing, and experimenting with the environment (cars, ferries, wheels, boats, etc.) will expand your imagination and the way you approach photography at nighttime. Long exposure in a city. NYC, USA – 30 sec, f/9, ISO 1250 Long exposure car light trailsSometimes, even the most boring streets can change dramatically when you use a long exposure. In this case, you can use the light of cars with long exposure to create a bright and colorful flow of light trails that you can use as leading lines to guide you across the photo. Look for busy intersections and streets so you can incorporate the light trails into your long exposure photos and enhance your composition. Long exposure and car trails. Madrid, Spain – 55 sec. f/8 ISO 100 Long exposure and light paintingLight painting is probably the most enjoyable and creative way to use long exposure in low-light conditions. It consists of using lights as brushes and painting around your photo to illuminate and create light patterns. Light painting using the long exposure technique. Florence, Italy. – 15 sec. f/5.6, ISO 800 Daytime long exposure photographyUsing a long exposure during the daytime can seem quite challenging due to the high amount of light, which can result in overexposed images. However, there are some ways to do this type of photography during the day. The use of Neutral Density filters for long exposure has increased rapidly in the last few years, making them a must-have accessory in your bag. Mastering your skills in long exposure photography in daylight will allow you to create interesting perspectives and effects even if it’s a sunny day. Long Exposure water shots and silky effectThe use of long exposure in landscape photography has a noticeable impact, but if you add water to the formula, the combination is mind-blowing. The ways water changes depending on your shutter speed are limitless, and it can be either beneficial or detrimental to your results. Let’s say you use a long exposure on a waterfall, using a shutter speed between half of a second and one second; this will keep the details of the streams and, at the same time, capture the movement of the water, making your photo more attractive. However, using a longer shutter speed can cause the loss of detail on the water, which may make your photo less interesting. Long exposure and waterfall. Svartifoss, Iceland – 1/10sec, f/11, ISO 100 Long exposure in lakes is a bit different, since most of the time you want longer exposures to get reflections. Long exposure and lakes. Maligne Lake, Canada – 0.6 sec, f/11, ISO 100 If, on the other hand, you’re shooting a small river or creek, it might be better to take a shorter long exposure to capture more detail in the water. Long exposure photography in rivers and creeks. Pennsylvania, USA – 0,5 sec, f/11, ISO 100 Also, there are different ways to approach long exposure photography while shooting at the beach. You may want to show the movement of a wave, with shutter speeds around 1 second, or create a more minimalist scene with longer shutter speeds, as we explain in our coastal photography guide. Use the long exposure technique to capture the movement of waves. The Canary Islands, Spain – 1.3 sec, f/8, ISO 500 Use a longer long exposure to create a more minimalist image. The Canary Islands, Spain – 20 sec, f/9, ISO 400 Long exposure and cloudsWithout a doubt, if there’s an element that changes drastically with a long exposure, it’s the sky. Clouds are super important in my photography, and the long exposure technique allows me to capture their movement. The movement of clouds is one of the most fascinating things to capture using the long exposure technique. Perth, Australia -232 sec. f/10, ISO 100 Choosing the right conditions is crucial, as well as predicting the cloud’s movements. Stormy and windy days, preferably during sunrise or sunset, are what you should be looking for. If there isn’t much movement in the sky but there are still some clouds, you can do ultra-long exposure photography using ND Filters. With long exposure times over 5 minutes, you will be able to make the most out of the slow-moving clouds. The long exposure time will depend on the movement of the clouds, but usually, you’ll have to take ultra-long exposures. Port Douglas, Australia – 180 sec, f/100, ISO 100 long exposure black and white photographySpeaking about black and white photography is speaking about light in its purest form. By combining B&W with long exposure photography, you can obtain images that are out of this world. Using ND Filters as the 10-stop filter in long exposure for black and white photography, you’ll be able to create a minimalistic and abstract scene that will attract the viewer’s eye to your photo. Black & White combined with long exposure photography create spectacular results. 30 sec. f/16, ISO 100 Long exposure cameras, lenses, and accessoriesWe have touched on all the settings and steps to do long exposure photography, but do you have the right equipment to take the photos you’ve imagined? Today, most cameras and even the latest smartphones will allow you to do this technique, and, to be honest, you can achieve great results just with basic long exposure photography equipment. Generally, your budget and your photographic goals will dictate the equipment that you should use. Even so, having an idea of your needs will save you precious time and some money. Let me give you an idea of the ideal gear for long exposure photography. cameras for long exposure photographyIf you’re considering buying a good camera to shoot long exposure photography, make sure that it meets these basic requirements:
Make sure your camera offers the basics for doing long exposure photography. Sydney, Australia – 3.2 sec. f/11, ISO 250 Lenses for long exposure photographyThe best lens to take long exposure shots is the one that best adapts to your needs and the type of the photography you want to do:
I highly recommend you read this article about the best lenses to shoot the Milky Way and the best lenses for Northern lights photography if you’re looking for a lens to do long exposure photography at nighttime. The best lens to take long exposure shots is the one that best adapts better to your needs Filters for long exposure photographyUsing ND Filters in long exposure photography is beneficial and sometimes completely necessary. To put it simply, these filters allow you to control the light that hits your sensor. This will help you, for example, to take long exposures during the day without getting overexposed images. Lens filters are sometimes fundamental for doing daytime long exposure photography. Lucroit 10-stop filter attached to the Nikkor 14-24 mm Depending on the light and your goals, you can choose between different opacities to adjust the shutter speed that you need. There are many types of photography lens filters. The most common ND filters for long exposure photography are:
Long exposure 0.4 sec. f/11, ISO 100 (Left), and 30 sec. f/11, ISO 100 and ND filter 6 stops (Right) One of the benefits of using a Neutral Density Filter is removing people with long exposure photography. This is a good tip when shooting in crowded and touristy spots, so the longer your exposure, the fewer the people in your photo. Long exposure to remove people from the image 1/250 sec. f/2.8, ISO 2000 (Left) 30 sec. f/22, ISO 100 and 10-stop ND filter (Right) Long exposure photography accessoriesA sturdy tripod is probably the most important piece among long exposure photography gear. Investing in a good, solid tripod is essential and will help you get sharp long exposure photos. If you want to know the different types of tripods available, check our article on the best travel photography gear. Another element that could be helpful is a shutter release. They are very cheap and will allow you to trigger your camera remotely, with the end goal of avoiding any vibration. An Intervalometer is the evolution of the basic shutter release, and it allows you to set up the shutter speed as well as other helpful settings for long exposure photography. Please bear in mind that some of the latest cameras have a built-in intervalometer, so maybe you won’t need one. A sturdy tripod is the most important accessory in long exposure photography
Long exposure photography examplesHaving success with long exposure photography is all about changing the way you see things and having a vision of the photo you want. Being creative and experimenting will help you develop an outstanding portfolio of long exposure pictures. However, remember that one of the best ways to improve your long exposure photography is by looking at other photography examples, so let me show you some long exposure photography ideas to inspire you. Long Exposure photography idea: capturing the movement of the elementsWith this long exposure photography idea, you can capture the movement not only of the water but also of other elements, such as lava or sand. Sandfall. Antelope Canyon, USA – 2.5 sec, f/8, ISO 200 Long exposure photography example: Capturing a sea of cloudsOne of the most exciting long exposure examples is photographing a sea of clouds. The longer the exposure, the dreamier the atmosphere will be. Sea of clouds in the Kamchatka peninsula, Rusia – 15 sec. f/32, ISO 100 Long Exposure original idea: photographing the movement of the fishAn original long exposure photography idea is to photograph the movement of colorful fish in a pond. Koi fish long exposure photograph. Takayama, Japan – 2 sec. f/11, ISO 200 Long Exposure photography example: Shooting city light showsCities like Sydney, New York, Singapore, Paris, and London offer big light shows that are good long exposure photography examples waiting to be captured. Long exposure and city light show in Sydney, Australia – 540 sec. f/8, ISO 400 long Exposure photography idea: photographing fireworksAnother long exposure idea is to leave your shutter open for a longer period of time to capture fireworks. Long exposure and fireworks. Niagara Falls, Canada – 1.6 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 Long Exposure photography example: capture drama on the cliffsOn rocky cliffs with fast-moving clouds, a good long exposure example is to shoot the movement of the clouds and water to create more drama in your image. Long exposure to capture more drama. Canary Islands, Spain – 25 sec. f/9, ISO 400 Long exposure photography example: Star TrailsA mesmerizing long exposure example is to capture the movement of the stars using an ultra-long exposure. You can learn more about how to create these images in our star trails photography guide. Star trail captured using the long exposure technique. Spain Long Exposure photography idea: create a minimalist sceneOne of the most popular long exposure photography ideas is to take a super long exposure to create a minimalist scene. Long exposure to create a more minimalist scene. Sydney, Australia – 240 sec. f/11, ISO 125 Long exposure FAQLong Exposure is a technique that consists of leaving the shutter open longer than usual. This allows us to capture the motion of a moving element or more light from a night scene. In photography, it’s generally considered long exposure when the shutter speed is slower than 1/60th of a second. Yes, long exposure is considered the same as using a slow shutter speed. To take a long exposure, you need to set a shutter speed that is slow enough to capture the motion of the moving elements in your photo or the details of a night scene that you can’t see with the naked eye. Yes, but you will need to set a small aperture like f22 in order to use slower shutter speeds. However, this is not recommended, since you will lose quality in your photos due to “optical diffraction.” To take good daytime long exposure photographs, you will need to use filters. It is a built-in automatic noise reduction system included in modern digital cameras. Through this internal noise reduction process, the camera doubles the exposure time to reduce the noise automatically. Yes, a tripod is an essential piece of equipment to do long exposure photography. No, but avoid doing long exposures with your camera pointing directly at the sun, and take special care with lasers pointing at your camera. Yes, all you need is a mini tripod or something similar to avoid any vibrations on your phone. Also, you will need to switch your camera mode to “Pro” or “Manual” mode and shoot in RAW if it’s possible.
ConclusionUnderstanding long exposure photography is a combination of learning the theory and basics and putting into practice every aspect that you’ve seen in this guide. Remember that long exposure photography is also about “learning to see” things differently. It’s a genre that takes some time and practice to master, but long exposure photography opens a new world of possibilities. Welcome to the magical world of long exposure photography! I really hope this tutorial on long exposure photography increases your interest in this beautiful and creative type of photography and shows you how to take the long exposure photos you’ve dreamed of. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any questions related to long exposure photography! How do you do long exposure photography?8 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Photography. Use a tripod. ... . Use bulb mode for long exposures. ... . Look for images with motion. ... . Choose kinetic backgrounds for static subjects. ... . Learn the 500 rule. ... . Regulate the amount of light that enters the camera. ... . Try a few test shots. ... . Adjust long exposure images in post.. What qualifies as long exposure?Long Exposure is a technique that consists of leaving the shutter open longer than usual. This allows us to capture the motion of a moving element or more light from a night scene. In photography, it's generally considered long exposure when the shutter speed is slower than 1/60th of a second.
What is long exposure photography used for?Using a longer than normal shutter speed to blur the moving parts of a scene is referred to as long exposure photography. It is a highly-effective creative tool when we want to imply motion in an image, particularly when the image also contains static elements.
What is the difference between long and short exposure?The major distinguishing factor between long and short exposure is the image blur effect. The camera sensor tends to capture everything when the shutter is open. Since a slow shutter exposes the sensor for longer, it captures any movement during that time, leading to blurring.
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