Shooting with shutter speed. Long exposure photography. Tips for beginners. Sea waves blur
Greetings to all amateur photographers! Today, in the “Photography Theory” section, we will take a closer look at one of the components of exposure, namely shutter speed, find out what it can be, what it affects in photography, and what effects can be achieved if you adjust the settings correctly.
We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the material contained below may be useful when creating photos for the project “Photo Association “Movement”.
So, let's start studying.
The camera shutter is like a curtain that opens to allow light exposure to begin, and then closes to complete it. As a consequence, the picture does not reflect a moment, but a certain interval of time. The term used to describe this interval is "excerpt"(exposure duration).
The shutter speed is calculated in fractions of a second: for example, 1/30 s, 1/60 s, 1/125 s, 1/250 s. Only the denominator is displayed on the screen of many cameras - “60”, “125”, “250”. Often, long exposures are displayed as a number with quotation marks – 0”8, 2”5. There is also a standard range of shutter speeds. 1 , 1/ 2, 1/ 4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000 s . For the longest shutter speeds, the camera has a "Bulb" setting - the shutter is open as long as the shutter button is pressed.
Short(1/250 sec and shorter) the shutter speed seems to “freeze” any movement, and the photo turns out clear, without the slightest blur.
In general, a shutter speed of about 1/250 - 1/500 is sufficient to capture human movement, but for close or extremely fast subjects, 1/1000 or 1/4000 of a second may be required.
Fast moving cars or animals: 1/1000 s;
Waves: 1/250 sec.
Long shutter speed makes it possible to properly expose the frame, especially when there is insufficient lighting - at dusk, at night. It also allows you to shoot many interesting stories. Since with a long shutter speed there is a possibility of “shaking” and blurring, it is advisable to use stabilization if the camera or lens has it. In such cases, a tripod will be a good helper. Stabilization should be turned off when mounting the camera on a tripod.
Depending on what shutter speed we use when shooting, short or long, we can get completely different effects in the photo.
Whenever there are moving objects in the frame, the choice of shutter speed determines whether the motion will be frozen or cause blur. However, it is not possible to change the shutter speed itself without affecting the exposure or image quality.
1. When reducing shutter speed you need:
Increase the ISO speed (possible side effect: visual noise in the photo)
Close the aperture (side effect: depth of field may decrease)
2. When increasing shutter speed you need:
Reduce ISO (side effect: you can't do without a tripod)
Open the aperture wider (side effect: decreased sharpness)
It’s very good when the camera has a bulb mode. In this mode, you can manually set the time for which the shutter will be open. The manual shutter mode will be useful when photographing celestial objects at night, in scientific photography, when a process is filmed slow in time. If you shoot, for example, a night landscape with a starry sky on a moonless night with a shutter speed of several hours (at a medium aperture value), then the image will show traces of the rotation of the stars, an arc relative to the North Star. But again, be aware of noise in digital cameras, especially at high ISO settings.
To get the correct exposure in a photo, you need to take all this into account and select the values of three values (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) depending on each specific scene and situation.
What should be the endurance for different situations? Let's look at examples.
Five classic camera shutter speeds:
1. Freeze the motion, or shoot 1/250 s or faster.
The faster the subject moves, the shorter the shutter speed should be. For example:
Fast moving cars or animals: 1/1000 s;
Mountain bikes or running people: 1/500 sec;
Waves: 1/250 sec.
It should be remembered that individual parts of the object can move very quickly. A striking example of this is a helicopter. The fuselage itself can be frozen at a shutter speed of 1/250, but for the blades even 1/2000 may not be enough. Or, for example, when photographing a girl fluttering her hair in order to freeze the ends of her hair, it is also necessary to use shutter speeds of the order of 1/1000 or even less, while the model itself is moving relatively slowly.
Using a fast shutter speed helps to get a fairly balanced shot, but makes the photo too static. Any movement in the frame will be frozen.
You can fix this by trying to slightly change the camera's tilt to get a more dynamic photo composition. But the best option is to use the wiring technique, which will be discussed later.
2. Shooting with wiring.
Shooting with “wiring” is a technique that gives the effect of movement in the picture, while the object turns out sharp against a blurred background.
And here endurance plays a very important role. It should be in the range from 1/15 to 1/250 s. If you shoot at faster shutter speeds, 1/500-1/1000, the effect of movement will decrease or disappear altogether. Since a short shutter speed will make the background and the subject equally sharp. Compare these two photos.
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For example, some quantities that photographers most often use:
Fast moving cars, motorcycles or birds: 1/125 sec;
Mountain bikes close to camera: 1/60 sec;
Mountain bikes, animal movement or human work: 1/30 sec.
3. Creative Blur - Shutter speed 1/15s to 1s.
For example, fast flowing waterfall: 1/8 s; people walking near the shooting point; waves; slow water movement: 1/4 sec.
In bright light conditions (on a sunny day), it may be difficult to obtain the required shutter speed (below 1/8 sec.), even by changing the aperture or using low ISO settings. To reduce the amount of light, use a neutral gray (ND) filter, which is designed for just this. Here you should also not forget about the tripod.
The set shutter speed also affects the transmission of weather in the image. You can convey rain in solid lines using shutter speeds of 1/4 s or longer. If you want to “freeze”, stop individual snowflakes in flight, set the shutter speed to 1/125 s.
Adding flash to a blur photo allows you to freeze certain subjects, meaning you can move the camera around for an artistic effect.
A long shutter speed combined with the movement of a small constant light source allows you to add a graffiti effect to the image.
4. Photograph with shutter speed from 1 s to 30 s.
There are processes that take a long time, and a shutter speed of up to 1 second is no longer enough. These processes differ not only in time, they differ in perception. At shutter speeds from 1 to 30 seconds, all processes that occur quickly in the frame are erased, leaving only static... soft static. There is a feeling that the world has frozen. The movement disappears again. Only if at shutter speeds of 1/1000 the movement disappears, but a person sees an object that could move, then at a 30 second shutter speed there is no movement left. This effect can only be achieved if you use a tripod.
Shutter speed is the most understandable and obvious of the three factors that influence exposure and can create the most noticeable effects. If you don't know much about shutter speed, you may end up with blurry or blurry photos. This tutorial will teach you how to choose the right shutter speed for different situations and how to use it to create creative effects.
Step 1 - What is shutter speed in photography?
Without going into unnecessary detail about how the shutter works, shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter opens. If you use a shutter speed longer than a certain one, you will end up with blurry photos in most cases. Shutter speed controls the stops of exposure just like aperture, but much more simply. since the dependence in this case is directly proportional. For example, to reduce the exposure by half, you need to shorten the shutter speed by half, say, from 1/200 to 1/400 of a second.
Step 2 - Motion Blur and Freeze.
Assuming you're not taking blurry photos for creative effect, you'll need to choose a fast enough shutter speed (fast shutter speed) to prevent blurry images. Blurring also depends on the focal length of the lens. A telephoto lens requires a faster shutter speed because even the slightest camera movement will be magnified by the lens. A wide-angle lens can handle longer shutter speeds.
Typically, the average person can take a sharp, blur-free photo by setting the shutter speed to the inverse of the focal length. For example, to take a photo at a focal length of 30 mm, you need to set the shutter speed no longer than 1/30 sec. If it is longer. then the likelihood of getting a blurry or blurry image will increase significantly. However, it's worth noting that this applies to a full-frame camera. If the camera sensor is smaller, then the shutter speed should be shortened by the crop factor. For example, for a crop factor of 1.5, the shutter speed will be 1/45 s.
There are exceptions to the rule, for example if the lens has an image stabilization system, which allows you to use much longer shutter speeds. As you learn how to handle your camera and gradually improve your skills, such as how to hold the camera correctly in different situations, you will be able to take sharp photos at longer shutter speeds.
Here's an example of creative motion blur
Freezing
Freezing is much easier to do when shooting. This happens when shooting at a very fast shutter speed (1/500 sec or faster). This shutter speed freezes any movement, and the photo turns out clear, without the slightest blur. Personally, I don’t like to shoot at such fast shutter speeds as the photo will come out flat. Instead, when shooting fast-moving subjects, I try to include a little movement, otherwise the subject will look unnaturally frozen in place. This is shown in the bottom image, the object appears to be suspended in the air.
Step 3 - Correct Shutter Speed for Different Situations
Fast shutter speed for telephoto
Since the photo below was taken with a telephoto lens, it was important to use a fast shutter speed (1/500). If you had a tripod, you could use any shutter speed and cable release to prevent camera vibration. A tripod allows you to hold the camera motionless.
Capture moving subjects in low light conditions.
When you're shooting a subject in low light, such as a concert, the performers are likely to move around the stage. In this case, there is a contradiction between using a fast shutter speed and low light. In this case, you need to use the widest possible aperture and high ISO, which allows you to shoot without moving.
Step 4: Creative Use of Shutter Speed
Creative blur.
By using a remote shutter release and a tripod to hold the camera steady, you can play with the shutter speed and create interesting blurry, out-of-the-box photos.
Adding flash to a blur photo allows you to freeze certain subjects, meaning you can move the camera around for an artistic effect.
Pan
Panning is a technique where you move the camera to follow a moving subject, resulting in the background being blurry and the subject being sharp. This photo was taken from a moving car that was traveling at the same speed as the train.
Drawing with light
To paint with light you need a long shutter speed and a light source. This photo was taken with a 30 second exposure while I was moving and shining the flash on the beach houses. This method is excellent for shooting at night and allows you to add light there. Where would you like to go.
A slow shutter speed combined with the movement of a small constant light source allows you to add a graffiti effect to your image.
Since this photo was taken at night, I used a slow shutter speed and a tripod to get a normal exposure. You can also install the camera on a flat, stationary surface.
This photo required a long exposure, but for a different reason. I had to wait for a passing car to get into the frame, which took quite a long time. It took me about half an hour to find the best camera position and angle before I got the final image.
Learning how neutral density darkening filters work and how to use them to achieve longer shutter speeds was a turning point in my landscape photography. I immediately fell in love with the soft, dream-like feeling I was able to achieve by shooting daytime scenes with long exposures.
Since that day I have learned a lot, and although I do more than just long exposure photography, long exposure photography is a very important part of my work. And this is exactly what my students ask very often. Long exposure photography has the ability to instantly transform a standard image into something more exciting.
As expected, mastering any subject takes a lot of practice, but I want to help you with that by sharing some important tips that will make understanding long exposure photography much easier.
1. Pre-focusing when using neutral density filters
When I started learning about neutral density filters, or ND filters, there weren't many articles or tutorials on how to use them. This meant that it took a lot of time and effort to find solutions to some of my mistakes. I just couldn't figure out why all my photos with the 10 stop filter were blurry...
After a while I realized this was due to the fact that I was using autofocus with a screwed-on filter.
By the way, for those who do not know what an ND filter is. This is a filter that screws onto the lens and darkens the image without affecting the colors. These filters come in different densities.
Each step or “Stop” of the ND filter reduces the amount of light entering the camera matrix by exactly 2 times. Here's what the marking of each filter ND2, ND8 means:
1 Stage = 2 =ND2 (attenuation of light by 2 times)
2 Steps = 2x2=4 =ND4 (light attenuation 4 times)
3 Steps = 2x2x2=8 =ND8 (light attenuation 8 times)
4 Steps = 2x2x2x2=16 =ND16 (light attenuation 16 times)
10 Steps = 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2=1024 =ND1024 (light attenuation 1024 times)
This makes it clear that a 10-stop ND filter is essentially a piece of black glass. Try looking through it at the sun when it's low in the sky, and I bet you'll see almost nothing. This also applies to the camera. Most cameras can't focus correctly when using dark ND filters - just like they can't autofocus at night.
The solution is to switch to manual focusing. I know this sounds boring to some of you, but here's an easy way if you prefer autofocus:
- Mount your camera on a tripod and frame your shot
- Focus on the desired location or main subject, if there is none, then focus to about one third of the depth of the scene (depends on the scene and the desired view)
- Switch autofocus to manual mode (read your owner's manual to find out how to do this with your camera/lens)
- Attach the ND filter to the lens
- Set the desired shutter speed and take the photo.
Since you switched to manual focus, the camera will not attempt to focus after you attach the ND filter.
Note: Be sure to repeat the process when changing angles and switch back to autofocus when you're done shooting with the filter.
2. Avoid light from the viewfinder entering the lens
The biggest frustration I've ever had with long exposures was the mysterious purple glow that appeared in the center of my images.
It turns out that this is caused by light leaking through the viewfinder, and the solution is quite simple: close it!
Some cameras have a button to turn off the viewfinder. If your camera doesn't have one, I recommend using a piece of cardboard to place in front of the viewfinder.
However, it should be clarified that such light leaks do not always affect the image. This phenomenon is most common when:
- You have a light source directly behind you (such as the sun or a street light)
- You use a shutter speed of 1 minute or more
I would still make it a habit to close the viewfinder whenever you use a shutter speed of 20 seconds or longer.
3. Remote Shutter + ModeBULB = Clear shots
One of the biggest challenges you'll face when experimenting with neutral density filters and long shutter speeds is getting sharp images. There are many factors that can cause images to be out of focus; One of the most common is camera shake.
Most DSLR cameras have a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds. To use a slower shutter speed, you need to use the “Bulb” mode. In this mode, the shutter is open as long as the shutter button is pressed.
You can imagine (and try if you don't believe me!) that manually pressing the shutter button for a minute or two will cause significant camera vibration. What does this lead to? That's right, blurry photos.
In this case, a remote shutter release, wired or wireless, is absolutely necessary. You can find an inexpensive remote control for 200-400 rubles, but I recommend paying attention to those models that have:
- ability to “lock” the shutter button pressed
- LCD display that shows exposure time
But such remote controls can be more expensive
Conclusion.
Long exposure photography is very cool, and it's a great way to improve your understanding of how the basic principles of a camera (ISO, aperture, and shutter speed) work together. Since we work with shutter speeds up to several minutes, there are many factors that can lead to bad shots, but the results can be stunning with a little practice.
The tips I've shared in this article provide solutions to some of the most common problems in long exposure photography, and I hope they eliminate some hassles for you. If you want to learn everything you need to know to take beautiful long exposure photos, be sure to take my online training course: Long Exposure Photography Secrets for Beginners. To view the course and get it at a good discount*, click on the picture below (*DISCOUNT IS AVAILABLE TO MY LISTENERS FOR ONLY 48 HOURS)
An unexpectedly free Sunday and an extraordinary attack of remorse did their job and I finally finished writing the long-suffering article about long exposure photography! The chosen method of publishing in parts justified itself - with its help I learned a lot of useful information, which I supplemented the final version of the article with. Many thanks to everyone who took part in the discussion in one way or another and helped with examples.
Let's go!
The article is divided into four parts:
- Introduction, it will also be a small educational program;
- For what. In this part we will look at shooting situations in which it would be logical to use a long shutter speed;
- How. Everything is clear here, the conversation will focus on filming equipment;
- Conclusion. A little blah blah blah.
Introduction.
First, let's define the concepts. Shutter speed is the period of time during which the photosensitive element (digital matrix, film) of our camera captures the image received on it. Accordingly, shutter speed is measured in time units - seconds, minutes, etc. To determine a long shutter speed, let's divide all possible options into two intervals - normal and long. Normal is one in which the blur of moving objects - grass, water, cars, etc. - will not be noticeable in the final image. And the long one, accordingly, is the one at which the lubrication will be noticeable. Blurring strongly depends on the speed of movement of objects, for example, with a shutter speed of 1/3 of a second, grass in a slight wind will be relatively sharp, but a car passing at high speed will not. I suggest that a shutter speed of more than 1/10 second be considered long. Another very important blur criterion is the distance to the moving object, but we will not consider this parameter in this chapter. So, we have decided what values we are interested in - from 1/10 of a second and more. Now all time indicators, such as longer, shorter, etc. will relate specifically to this interval.
For what.
Let's move on smoothly to the shooting itself. More precisely, to situations in which it would be appropriate to greatly (or not very) lengthen the shutter speed. This technique is mainly used to display, create or eliminate dynamics, as well as several artistic effects. In order not to reduce everything to a mess, we will look at each topic using a specific example.
Creating and displaying dynamics.
1. For the first example, let’s take a stormy river or mountain stream. The current speed is quite high, so even with our eyes we see somewhat blurry water. That is, to show the intensity of movement, a relatively short shutter speed of up to 2-4 seconds is enough for us. If we shoot longer, then most likely our stream will freeze - turn into a single “water” monolith.
The left photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/6 second, the right - 45 seconds.
2. Example two - ice drift. Rare pieces of ice are crawling along the river. When shooting from afar, a short shutter speed (up to 3-4 seconds) will not create a noticeable effect of movement, making pieces of ice barely blurred. But in 10-20 seconds the ice will travel a considerable distance, turning into short traces on the water. But it is not worth extending the exposure time to the limit. With rare accumulations of ice and a large amount of open water, there is a chance to “remove” the ice, leaving only light traces on the dark surface of the water.
However, there is a small exception - if you place moving objects closer to the camera, in this case 1-3 seconds of shooting will be enough.
A shutter speed of 1.3 seconds helped convey the rapid movement of the ice masses, while preserving their outlines and not giving the image surrealism. Notice how the blur decreases as objects move away from the camera.
3.Example three. We film the flow of cars during the day, traffic is free. We want to show the speed of city life by slightly blurring the cars. If we set the shutter speed for more than 1-3 seconds, then there is a high probability of blurring the car to the point where they will no longer be visible, and only dark spots and traces from the headlights will remain. Therefore, a shutter speed of 1/3-1/2 second will be optimal - the car will not have time to travel a distance exceeding its own length, but will no longer be sharp, distracting attention to details.
4.Example four. Most of the picture is occupied by clouds, ordinary ones, slowly floating. In a short period of time, they will not move much relative to the initial position, and therefore their movement will not be so noticeable, but at shutter speeds of 10-15 seconds, as a rule, a rather interesting blur is obtained that beautifully conveys the movement.
171 seconds for the frame with the sky quite blurred the passing clouds, showing the dynamics, but at the same time retained their outlines
5.And the last example is a wave near the shore. A short shutter speed of up to 1 second will help us show it in all its glory. By betting more, we risk getting the much-loved fog, which is not the goal in this case.
0.6 seconds and the moment was caught correctly. At the end of the article there will be a chapter about the “hat” method and release cables, which in one way or another can be useful in a similar plot.
Let's try to sum up intermediate results: to create dynamics in the frame, adequate exposure time is inversely proportional to the speed of movement of dynamic objects. In other words: the slower what we shoot, the longer the shutter speed we will need.
Eliminating dynamics.
Everything is much simpler here - the longer the shutter speed, the less detail will remain in the frame:
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the stormy sea will turn into haze:
10 seconds was enough to create the effect of fog, the sea was very stormy - a longer period of time would not have changed the frame much, but it would have greatly increased the likelihood of splashes hitting the lens.
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calm in "asphalt":
In 50 seconds, small ripples turned the water surface into a single matte area, similar to asphalt.
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a very calm water surface in the calm will remain so (but boats, birds, etc. floating in the distance will disappear):
The calm water surface looked very picturesque even without a long shutter speed, however, by setting it to 120 seconds, I removed small splashes, a passing boat and slightly blurred the sky, which made it even more picturesque.
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floating clouds will become shapeless and uniformly blurred:
And in this night image, the clouds were moving quite quickly and in 120 seconds they managed to turn into a kind of canvas that covered the city.
By the way, this is a very interesting, but, unfortunately, not often used technique in photographs - you can set a multi-minute shutter speed with sufficient lighting only by wearing a fair amount of filters, and not every author wants to wait that long for one frame.
Now examples:
1. We're filming the same city. Only this time we want to remove cars and people, leaving the streets empty. Let me clarify right away that miracles do not happen and we will not be able to evacuate parked cars or clear the street of traffic jams. Nevertheless, we can significantly reduce traffic. At a value of 20 seconds, the average passerby and most cars already disappear. Next, we have a choice: extend the shutter speed further (spots from people and cars will become even more invisible, but there will be more trails from headlights in the frame, which is not always bad, but may be an undesirable criterion) or make the shutter speed minimum; about 20-30 seconds (here the opposite is true: there will be fewer headlight marks, but noticeable stains are possible, especially from those who like light-colored clothing).
2. Sea (river, lake, whatever) landscape. An extra-long shutter speed will allow us to remove unnecessary details; such as clear silhouettes of clouds, waves, boats, etc., creating good conditions for shooting minimalism.
In the last chapter, I clearly showed how an extremely long shutter speed can kill a shot of a stormy river. This time I will show the opposite effect - waves and ripples on the water do not add dynamics to the right photo, but only add a lot of unnecessary details behind which the stone in the foreground is lost. In the left photo, the value of 33 seconds left only the most important thing noticeable.
Another before-after example, this time at sea.
But here is an example of using this technique in a real situation - add waves and ripples of the water surface - the impression of the photo would be completely different, and the idea would not be so clearly visible.
3. Photographing a specific object, be it a bridge, a monument or an excavator. A super-long shutter speed will help focus attention on the main subject and will be a good addition to a dynamic shot at a faster shutter speed.
The bridge is the main subject in this photo, the waves on the water and the clear outlines of the clouds in the sky would only steal the attention. The 35-second shutter speed allowed the water and sky to be blurred, leaving only the architectural component sharp. At the same time, without adding significant dynamics to the picture.
It turns out that the longer the shutter speed, the less detail we leave in the picture. For water this can be a small value - from 10-20 seconds, for clouds much more. There are also exceptions, such as trees and grass.
Blurred foliage does not remove the dynamics, but rather takes the photo into the surreal. For standard landscapes, this seems to be an unartistic effect and I personally use it extremely rarely.
The grass in a strong wind turned out to be very blurry in 35 seconds, this emphasized the fortress in the background and added mysticism to the photo. In an ordinary landscape, such a technique will hardly be justified and will be perceived rather as a technical defect.
Artistic effects and techniques based on long exposures
1.Game with zoom.
Before writing this article, I had never used this technique. Firstly, I have fixes, and secondly, the effect is not for everyone. Nevertheless, to add variety to shooting or highlight one stationary object, the technique may be quite appropriate. The most interesting thing happens with the street lighting turned on. Therefore, as an example, we will shoot at night. Our task is to fix the desired object with a long (longer) exposure time and tighten the zoom at the end of shooting. Thus, we will leave the main object sharp and blur the bright lights along the radius. It is more logical to place the object in the center, and the lights around it, thus the traces of the flashlights will not block anything important. You can work with a similar technique without manipulating the zoom, simply moving the camera to the side at the end of the exposure. This is not the most suitable technique for landscapes, but it can be interesting as an option for a photo with a car.
The simplest way to use the technique is to shoot the main part for 25 seconds at a long focal length, and for the next 5 seconds I gradually reduced the focal length. As a result, we got the effect of fireworks or rockets launched from the bridge, while maintaining the recognition of the place.
2.Use of flash or other light source.
Long shutter speeds open up unprecedented freedom to use external or on-camera lighting. After all, over a long period of exposure, we can not only sufficiently illuminate the object we need, but also do it the way we want - simulate several light sources, create the desired light pattern using just a flashlight, highlight interesting objects, leaving all the rest in the shadows. There should not be any difficulties in using this technique, the main thing is not to shine on moving objects and do not forget to turn off the light source while moving from one lighting point to another. Of course, the technique is interesting primarily for night photography, but you shouldn’t forget about it during the day.
The classic option is stones against the background of the post-sunset sky. Backlight from the sky will not help us here - with this arrangement, the illuminated silhouette of the stones will not save the photo. But a few impulses from another camera ten meters to the right are quite possible.
3.Drawing with light.
We know that with a long exposure, any moving light source will leave its mark. This could be a car headlight or a mobile phone display. I will not go deeper into this topic, because... it is covered in great detail on the website freezelight.ru. Moreover, this phenomenon relates to “classical” photography very mediocrely and has too many of its own nuances.
A rare example of my freezelight photography. I just wanted to try myself in this, without pretense of artistry.
4.Hat method.
The name is funny, yes.
This technique is used to film repetitive actions, allowing you to eliminate intervals between them. A simple example: we are filming fireworks. It is launched from one place, but in different directions. We want to capture only the upper, culminating action, eliminating the trace of the taking off charge.
What are we doing:
- we measure the required exposure time (with an exposure meter, experimentally, at random - it doesn’t matter),
- set the manual shutter speed control mode - bulb (will be written about it later),
- We start shooting, count the seconds on the screen, and after waiting for the “unnecessary” action, we simply cover the lens with something opaque, stopping counting for the closing time.
The method is a kind of digital continuation of film multiple exposure. It seems to me that the example is quite indicative and quite clearly reflects the essence of the technique.
To reinforce this, I’ll describe a few more situations:
1.1. We photograph the sea and some object in the foreground. It is not directly in the water, but is periodically washed by tidal waves. We want to catch exactly the moment when water surrounds our artifact. We have two options: the first is to shoot at a short shutter speed - ½-1 second, predicting the beginning of the “tide”, but then the water in the background will be quite chaotic; the second option is to set a manual slow shutter speed and open the lens only at high tide. This way, the dynamics of the foreground will not be lost, and the background will become somewhat calmer.
1.2.Again the city and again a passing car. For clarity, we will film at night. The street is quite deserted, but during the required long exposure time (simply because it is dark), a couple of cars can pass into view. At such times, even one passing car can spoil the frame with traces from headlights. Then you know what to do...
1.3. Even when shooting a cityscape at a long shutter speed, the eternal problem of traffic lights may arise - cars are standing still and their silhouettes and headlights become noticeable in the traffic. We close the lens at the moment of stopping and rejoice.
1.4.The same method helps to get rid of passing white yachts or swimmers on a sunny day.
5.Synchronization of a pulsed light source using the second curtain.
If in the second point I advised not to shine light on dynamic objects, then here it’s the other way around. The method is interesting primarily when shooting tall grass. By synchronizing the light using the second curtain, we will freeze the moving stems at the end of shooting, having previously blurred them. This will give the frame additional dynamics.
6.Creating correctly exposed, “soft” traces from the headlights of passing cars.
High-quality shooting in the dark requires us to increase the shutter speed, and therefore cars passing by in the vast majority of cases will leave behind only blurry bright stripes - traces from the headlights. If you want to use these trails as an artistic element, shooting, say, a fairly dense stream of cars, I advise you to pay attention to ultra-long shutter speeds.
The lighting in most cityscape scenes rarely requires us to shutter speed longer than 30-35 seconds. This time allows us to get quite interesting tracers, but they are often overexposed in their “far” region (usually where the car shines its high beam directly into the camera) and rare - because Not many cars pass through the frame in half a minute.
But by increasing the shutter speed to 90 seconds or more (depending on the flux density, the stability of the set, the willingness to spend this time on 1 frame, etc.) we get a rather interesting effect:
- tracers will merge into denser streams, in which it is no longer possible to distinguish the trace from one specific car;
- tracers will become “softer”, sharp outlines will be smoothed out;
- strongly overexposed areas will disappear, and in most cases small highlights can be compensated for when converting from RAW.
A 350 second shutter speed for the frame with tracers helped show the flow to be denser, softer and more uniform
However, we should not forget about the disadvantages of this technique:
- not suitable for photographing a rare flow of cars - in this case, the traces from the headlights will become less obvious than at lower shutter speeds;
- there is a danger of shaking and camera shifting, which is more relevant in an urban landscape - because filming can be carried out from more shaky roofs and bridges;
- a lot of time is spent on creating one frame;
- there is a need to use additional filters, hence a more complex calculation of exposure time;
Night shooting and without the use of special equipment. techniques involve the use of long shutter speeds. I recommend
8.
To all of the above, you can add such elementary things as turning water into fog, asphalt, eliminating people or cars, etc. Some of these effects are discussed in previous passages, the other part seems to me to be intuitive.
How. Filming equipment.
So we have decided on the situations in which it is appropriate to use a long shutter speed. It's time to talk about the tools that allow you to use this technique. We know that shutter speed is one of the components of the exposure pair, which, in combination with the ISO sensitivity value, regulates the brightness of our photo. The longer the shutter speed, the brighter the photo. I think that many have noticed the above-mentioned effects in night and evening photographs, when there is not enough light and it is necessary to lengthen the exposure time. During the day, it is rarely possible to set a value longer than one second without using special devices, such as:
- Neutral gray filters (nd);
- Neutral gray gradient filters (gnd);
- Release cables and remote controls;
- Bulb mode;
- Tripods;
1. Neutral gray filters (nd).
Perhaps the main attribute of long exposure photography during daylight hours. Its main task is to reduce the amount of light entering the matrix. Unique sunglasses for the camera. The main characteristic of an ND filter is the number of steps by which it reduces illumination. One step is a 2-fold difference in illumination.
Example: we have a shutter speed of 2 seconds, increasing it by one step, we get 4 seconds, and lowering it - 1 second. We increase it by 4 steps - 32 seconds, etc. The marking of a light filter often indicates not the number of dimming steps, but how many times the filter reduces the amount of light: nd2 - one step (reduces by 2 times), nd4 - two (reduces by 4 times), nd8 - three, etc., nd400 - about 8-9 steps (reduces by 400 times). As an example: if under certain conditions we can set the shutter speed to 1 second, then with the nd8 filter we will get 8 seconds, nd16 - 16 seconds, nd1000 - 1000 seconds, respectively. Filters can also be screwed onto each other, in which case the steps are added and the times are multiplied. On average, having a couple of filters in stock - for example, nd4 and nd400, you can adapt to almost any task. Only slightly changing the camera parameters - iso and aperture. In this case, nd4 will serve to slightly lengthen the shutter speed - up to 2-4 seconds during the day (remember the previous passages: shooting rough water, traffic flow), and nd400 will be used for shooting at extremely long shutter speeds (from 15-20 seconds mainly). Their combination will give a very dark variation - nd1600, which can be useful, for example, for shooting almost standing clouds on a sunny day, etc. Unless, of course, you are too lazy to wait 10 minutes for one shot. However, we should not forget about such a phenomenon as vignetting (darkening in the corners of the image), in the case of a full-frame matrix it becomes a real problem and by placing two filters on, say, a 17mm lens, we actually end up with the edges of the frame touching the circumference of the filter. This effect is less noticeable on a cropped frame, especially when using full-frame optics (optics designed for use on a full frame). Or when shooting at a large focal length, when the number of filters does not play such a significant role (due to the fact that the viewing angle is much smaller than at wide range). Light filters can be conventional (ring) and system (Cokin, Lee).
Ring filters
Ring filters are quite simple and reliable to use. Special cases are available for them and can be worn without removing them from the optics.
There is also such a variation as fader nd - a neutral gray filter with variable density - for example from nd2 to nd400:
I can’t judge the quality of the picture and the real ease of use of such a gadget, because... I’m familiar with it only in theory, but by design it’s quite a practical thing.
An ordinary circular polarizer (c-pl) will also work as a low-density nd filter. And a combination of two polarizers screwed onto each other will give us the most perfect fader filter - by twisting them relative to each other, you can achieve a transition from an almost transparent to an almost opaque filter.
System filters
System filters have the shape of a rectangle and are attached to the lens using a special holder and an adapter ring that is screwed onto the lens thread. The main advantages of this type are revealed in the gradient segment (including neutral gray ones), and in ordinary nd the main advantage will be the ability to relatively quickly remove the filter, whereas the ring filter will have to be twisted. Holders for system filters can also fit into the frame (darkening on the sides) at a wide angle, for which special models are produced with only two (instead of three) slots for attaching the filter or with removable mounts, the number of which can vary depending on the angle of view of the lens and the required number of filter plates. In principle, the same effect can be achieved by cutting off the extra groove yourself. Or holding the filter plate near the lens in your hands.
2. Neutral gray gradient filters (gnd).
The main purpose of these filters is to equalize the brightness in the image. The same problem that most landscape photographers face - the sky is much brighter than the ground. Gradients help make a smooth transition, minimizing the number of gaps in light and shadow, without the use of shooting several frames with bracketing (shooting several identical frames with different shutter speeds) and subsequent fine-tuning editor As an example, let’s take this landscape, shot in one frame. With ground metering:
We can use a gradient filter in a ring format. The main disadvantage of this variety is that the gradient is located in the middle and the smooth darkening effect is not suitable for all shooting situations:
For such framing, for example, you would need to shift the gradient slightly above the lens axis:
It is much more convenient to use system gnd filters. Freedom of vertical movement will allow us to control the gradient relative to the horizon:
For example like this:
The “softness” of the gradient can also change; different models are suitable for different situations. In the examples above we used a smooth gradient - Soft Edge. Hard Edge will be appropriate for a relatively sharp transition from sky to ground:
An equally interesting option would be a reverse gradient filter, which will greatly facilitate shooting sunset landscapes, when the brightest part of the image is concentrated near the horizon and darkening the sky at the top of the frame would be unnecessary. It looks something like this:
And this is the same photo, only taken with exposure bracketing and stitched using masks:
Please note - the island is in the ZP - it is not sunk into the shade, but processing with this technique takes much more time.
However, let's return to the topic: These filters will help us slightly increase the shutter speed at the bottom of the frame without overexposing the top.
Example: we shoot a seascape, measuring the exposure on the water, we can set a second shutter speed, in which case we will get the desired artistic effect, but we will overexpose the sky. We don’t want and don’t know how to take several frames with different exposures. As a result, in order not to overexpose the sky, we set the shutter speed twice as fast - 0.5 seconds, we get an unexposed, but also inexpressive light sky and a rather dark bottom, moreover, without the effect we intended. But by using a neutral-gray gradient filter gnd2 and a shutter speed of 1 second, we get the same sky, but the bottom is normal in terms of illumination with the desired effect. With the gnd4 filter we will darken the sky even more, keeping the bottom as in the previous frame.
An interesting alternative to a neutral gray gradient can be a regular black plate. By covering some area with it for PART of the exposure time, we will darken it.
Example: experimentally we determined that the ground in our landscape requires 20 seconds of exposure, and the sky - 10. We set the camera to 20 seconds, cover the sky with a black card for 10 seconds, remove it after this period, and we get something like a gnd2 filter. You can also adjust the degree of hardness of the transition from light to dark - simply by moving the plate or holding it motionless.
Addition:
You can also soften a hard gradient manually. To do this, you need to hold the filter plate (without a holder) in front of the lens, slightly moving it up and down.
3.Release cables and remote controls.
Essentially, remote controls and cables can be divided into two types - simple and programmable.
Simple cables.
Such as in the photo on the left. They usually have one button with a double press (for autofocus) and the ability to lock in the pressed position. Their use opens up several good techniques for us:
- The ability to press the shutter without shaking the camera. This problem can be solved without a cable - simply by using a release delay. By setting the value to 2 seconds, we allow the camera to “shake” after pressing the shutter. However, with such shooting, efficiency is greatly deteriorated - it is unlikely that we will have time to catch the right moment. In addition, the possibility of shooting in series is lost.
- Possibility of shooting with mirror pre-raising. In this mode, on the first press of the shutter, the camera only raises the mirror, on the second, recording begins on the matrix. This eliminates shaking from the click of the mirror. The same effect can be achieved in LiveView mode, because... in front of him the mirror is already raised.
- Well, and the most important thing is the ability to shoot in bulb mode, which we will talk about a little later.
Programmable cables
As in the photo on the right. These are more expensive and more functional models. In addition to all the functionality of regular cables, they can do a couple more interesting things:
- Change shutter speed settings directly from the remote control. This will help you change exposure settings without camera shake.
- Series mode with a specified interval. The function is suitable for shooting timelapse or night photos with stars with subsequent stitching.
- Adjustable release delay, instead of in-camera two and ten seconds.
- Illuminated screen. The screen on the camera turns off during shooting and counting seconds, especially at night, becomes extremely inconvenient.
4.Bulb mode.
Bulb mode. It uses manual settings, and the shutter speed is determined by the length of time you press the shutter button. In other words, as much as you hold, it takes off as much. This mode is interesting primarily because with its help we can shoot at shutter speeds longer than 30 programmed seconds. Secondly, the possibility of shooting using the “hat method”. Thirdly, the possibility of “manual” bracketing. Of course, this is convenient only at long exposures (pressing with your hand for less than half a second is quite difficult), but it saves a lot of time.
Manual bracketing(according to exposure).
Exposure bracketing is shooting several frames with different lighting settings, intended for subsequent assembly in the editor or selecting the most suitable one. Used to expand the dynamic range of the camera - drawn lights and shadows.
Even the simplest cable will help us use this technique. It lies in the fact that we can manually, without much effort, first shoot the main, for example 30-second, frame, and then shoot additional frames for bright places at a lower shutter speed. We are not tied to additional levels. frames, so it is removed quite quickly and conveniently.
Determining exposure.
Without using an additional exposure meter, the camera will not show us the desired shutter speed value. There are two options: the first is to measure without a filter and multiply by the number of times the darkening occurs. Example: if with an empty lens our camera sets a shutter speed of 0.5 seconds, then with the nd400 filter we should set it to about 200 seconds (400 times longer). Option two, which I use, is to use a natural exposure meter, which is built into every photographer. And take test shots. As a rule, one is enough.
5. Tripods.
Here you are unlikely to find anything new for yourself. Let's start with the fact that few people can hold the camera motionless for a second. Therefore, the first thesis is that you need a tripod. Well, if it dangles, then it will be of no use, hence the second thesis - the tripod must be stable. Stability depends on several parameters:
- The quality of workmanship, the materials used and the estimated weight of the camera. As a general rule, the larger and heavier the tripod, the more stable it is. The same will apply to tripod heads. The price also increases proportionally;
- The height to which the tripod is extended. The fewer knees are extended, the lower the tripod and, as a result, more stable. The middle bar should not be extended unless absolutely necessary. Here you can add the value of the angle at which the legs are placed; the smaller it is, the greater the likelihood of shift;
- Tripod weight. Here, in any case, you will have to compromise - because... Not everyone wants to carry around a few extra kilograms. Many models have a hook at the bottom to which the load hangs. You can carry a net with you, which you can load with stones or something similar right at the shooting location;
A low shooting point can be achieved in at least three ways:
- Shortest knee length. Such tripods will be completely unsuitable for shooting in an unfolded high position - their height rarely exceeds one and a half meters, and stability will deteriorate sharply due to the small width of the legs. But the weight of such a tripod is minimal and for targeted shooting from a low angle this is a very good option;
- The widest possible opening angle of the legs - most expensive tripods unfold 100-120 degrees, this greatly increases stability.
- Also, some tripods allow you to attach the head to the bottom - the opposite part of the rod, in this case we can achieve a minimum height, but the camera will have to be attached upside down, which is not always convenient for changing settings. In addition, the stability of this position will be lower than that of the standard one. There will be less information about tripod heads, because... I was never seriously puzzled by this. Despite all the convenience of ball heads, I prefer conventional ones with three degrees of freedom - having fixed the horizontal position, I can only manipulate the vertical one, which is very convenient when shooting two-frame panoramas.
- This is where my knowledge of tripod science ends. I’m not extremely picky about this topic and for personal needs I use fairly inexpensive tripods - anyway, the lion’s share of pictures are taken in the lowest possible position, and it’s not such a shame to drown it in water and mud.
Conclusion
It’s probably stupid to write about people’s obsession with photographic equipment, after ten paragraphs about it...
Nevertheless. The biggest stir was caused by the passage about filters and cables; most of the questions were about what camera I was shooting with and what filter I used in this or that situation. I consider this approach to be fundamentally wrong and encourage everyone to spend more time on filming techniques rather than on filming equipment!
Now a few words about the appropriateness of long exposure photography as such. I myself am sick of this and use it where necessary and where not necessary. It is not right. This kind of shooting is a rather highly specialized technique that can help in certain shooting situations. This is how he should be treated. This is not the author's style and is not an indicator of skill!
Good luck! ilyast
If you forgot someone, you did it deliberately and out of malice!
The Ferris wheel at night, with long exposures, looks very impressive. To capture it you will need a wide-angle lens. Set up your camera on a tripod, frame your shot, and shoot. Since we want the maximum area of the frame to be in focus, it is worth setting the aperture within f/11-f/32. When photographing at night, such an aperture will require a slow shutter speed. You will have to work in manual mode, or shutter priority mode. The shutter speed should be set to a value from 1 to 30 seconds. It is best to shoot using a timer, cable release or remote control. The result should be a shot with a dark sky, a clear center of the wheel, and blurry wheel lights.
Photographing star trails
By shooting at slow shutter speeds, you can achieve beautiful effects that show the movement of stars across the sky. Such photos can be made much more beautiful with trees and other interesting foreground objects. For this type of shooting, you need to set the camera's shutter speed to "Bulb" mode and set the aperture to f/2.8 - F/4 for optimal results. Use your remote control to activate the shutter button. ISO sensitivity should be set to its minimum value in order for photos to be as sharp and grain-free as possible. After the desired period of time has passed, press the button on the remote control again, thereby completing the process of creating a photo. In this case, at least 15 minutes should pass, and even better, it should be several hours.
Headlight blur
Shooting at long shutter speeds creates a stunning effect from the headlights. Photographing cars is a great way to learn how to work with long shutter speeds in particular, and manual modes in general. For such shooting, you will definitely need a tripod, since any hand shake will lead to blurry frame. In terms of settings, it is advisable to set the aperture to around f/16, this way most of the frame will be in focus and sharp. Then set the shutter speed. The longer the shutter speed you set, the longer the lines from the headlights you will get.
Sea waves blur
When photographing the sea coast with a long shutter speed, you will get a beautiful effect of a blurry wave that will look like fog. For this type of work, it is best to photograph in the last hour before sunset. For this work you will also need a tripod. For photography, it is recommended to use a wide-angle lens with the smallest aperture and focus at infinity. Turn the camera mode dial to manual mode, and use a slow shutter speed (5-30 seconds). The longer the exposure, the more sea water will look like fog. To avoid even the slightest blur, use a remote control, cable release or timer.
Exposure determination
The settings used during night operation will depend on certain factors. If, despite the night time, there is light around, then the shutter speed can be set lower, or the aperture can be closed larger. In any case, to create blur effects, it is recommended to set the shutter speed to about 1/2 second, which means using a tripod is mandatory for a high-quality result. If you have little experience with night photography, then play with the settings and try different values for the aperture and shutter speed.
When photographing at long exposures, an important factor in choosing a setting should be understanding what effect you want to achieve. It is necessary to use such endurance, which would be sufficient to achieve one or another result. If the shutter speed is too slow at a wide aperture, the photo may end up being overexposed and image detail will be lost. When attempting to create a headlight trail, the shutter must be open for at least 1 second. Use shutter priority mode and, starting with a shutter speed of one second, observe what results are achieved. Then increase the shutter speed to two seconds, and so on, changing either the aperture value or the shutter speed value. Once you take a beautiful photo, you will understand it immediately.
In addition to your DSLR or mirrorless camera, you will need a tripod; without one, there is practically nothing you can do for night photography. A tripod will allow you to stabilize the camera, making it stable, and this will prevent blurry images. To practice night photography, your camera must have the ability to manually set the shutter speed and aperture.