Long Exposure 101 (Pt 4) Top Advice
Merry Christmas Steemians!
It's an odd time to be posting, but as I'm sitting down for some good old Christmas Eve TV it struck me as a great time to finish off my Long Exposure 101 series!
I'll be finishing the series off with some of the best tips I could give to anyone heading out for some epic long exposure photography!
Have Patience
If you've read the other parts in this series you may remember that I always advise getting to a location at least 30 minutes before sunrise and, if you're shooting sunset, staying until the light is gone. As such it's not usually a particularly short shoot! It's amazing how often you see a spectacular sunset, then, way after the sun has set, the clouds pick up some beautiful fiery highlights like in the photo above. The photo above was actually about 15 minutes before sunrise. The light was changing fast and looking back on the images from that morning, it was the pre-sunrise shots that were my favorite.
So plan in a good couple of hours just to make sure you're not rushing. Explore different angles but don't be afraid to settle on one angle and wait for that perfect light. Sometimes you get something that you can just tell is the best you're going to get, in which case find a way to adapt to the changing light and recompose for a better angle.
Find the movement
We all know what a long exposure does right? We're capturing an extended period of time in one frame. That means that we're emphasising movement. The resulting image can differ widely in terms of what happens to the subject. One of the most common is obviously water. Water will look silky smooth, often smoke-like - especially in rougher waters. Light sources will leave trails, whether that's sparks, fireworks, LED lights, mobile phones or car headlights. People appear blurred, or disappear completely if you slow your shutter down enough (A great way to make a street look empty!)
Just like shooting at a wide aperture emphasises perspective, long exposures emphasise movement. Don't forget that, it's the key to finding unique ways to use the technique!
Bring a lens cloth! [And a dog lead]
The first is obvious, well, it should be! I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten a lens cloth. Seriously, I think I have a genuine problem. In fact I've actually started keeping a cloth in my jeans, my jacket, my camera bag, the car, my backpack....you get the idea. Dust and dirt just seems to have a way of finding it's way onto lenses when you're doing long exposures. Then there's the added hazard that is adding/removing filters from your lens.
It's a tip that really applies to just about every photographer out there - be prepared! It never hurts to pick up half a dozen cheap lens cloths and stash them in various places/clothes! Trust me, they will come in handy!
As for the dog lead, if you're a dog owner like me I'm sure it's hard to imagine heading out into the countryside without your dog. I just couldn't do that to her! But no matter how well behaved she usually is, she's always fascinated by me changing filters. And she always seems to want to be in the photo. It's pretty handy just being able to keep her in check, even though she's never normally on the lead!
Foreground Interest
This is one of those pretty basic rules, like the rule of thirds. It's not to say you NEED it, not at all! But if you can find some good foreground interest it's certainly going to add to your images, or at least give you options! In the shot below I was struggling for something that really made the shot stand out. I did however notice a log that had obviously washed up when the rain had filled the lake a few days earlier. I moved the log to where it worked best for me and took the shot. Most of the time I prefer to shoot what's there, but there's nothing wrong with dressing the scene a little! Sometimes these small tweaks can really set a photo off, I'm pretty sure it's nothing that even the photography greats haven't done once in a while!
Kit List
I'm just about coming to an end. I'm sure once I'm done I'll think of a load more, but I guess I can always segue that into another series! For now I'm going to list the items you'll need/want for your long exposure experience! The ESSENTIAL items, are clearly marked. There's not many ;-)
1
You! ESSENTIAL!2
A Camera ESSENTIAL3
Tripod4
Warm Clothes5
Dog Lead DOG ALSO REQUIRED/PREFERABLE6
ND Filters7
Hand Warmers8
Head Torch9
Mobile Phone10
Sun positioning - http://suncalc.netI really hope you've all enjoyed this series!
Thank you so much for reading, upvoting, commenting, resteeming and following my work!
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Merry Christmas!!!
Nice pictures!!!
Thank you @georgitsachev! Happy Christmas!
Great tips! Unfortunately it's hard to find the time:(
Thanks @Peter-parker, and Happy Christmas! Yep, that's usually my problem! At least in the summer I can get out for sunrise and be back in time for office hours!
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STOPI have enjoyed this series, mostly for the beautiful photographs, but also bc you have a particular way of explaining things that make it totally accessible. The effort shows in your posts, they are quality!
Thank you so much @ilanaakoundi! Really appreciate that :) I take a lot of time over both photos and writing so it's really good to know it comes across well :)
And Happy Christmas!
The first and second last image are phenomenal. Really.
Thank you so much! Always appreciated! Merry Christmas!
Your articles are very interesting, shots of beautiful photos, and you're always very clear ! Comoliments .
Thank you, I really appreciate that :) Great to know the writing comes across clearly!
Thank you for the great article, so do I need to get a dog for photos like that? :D
I love long exposure photography, but here in Germany I fail to find lakes and waterfalls for the really great captures so most of my photography is actually from my travels where I am traveling very light and don't carry a tripod..
I have taken many long exposure shots without a tripod, but I probably should get a light one for my next trip.
Thanks for the great shots and Merry Christmas!