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Drawn Out Scenes
Creating brush strokes with a lens.
My favourite type of photography is most definitely long exposures. Milky waters, stretched out light trails, motion blurs… these feel to me like brush strokes - the photographer becomes a painter.
Although you require certain equipment to create the shot, there are many filters on the market that can be as cheap or as expensive as you’d like. So, once you understand the how-to, the world really is your oyster as to what you can create.
The Shard at night. The shutter was open for 8 minutes.
The Technical How-To
Gear needed:
Neutral Density (ND) filter(s). These come in varying stop levels, increasing in darkness to block out more stops of light, and therefore increasing the length of time the shutter is open for. You can also choose between square filters, which require a filter holder, and round filters which can screw directly onto the lens. I opt for square filters as I think these are easier to handle and ‘layer’ other filters on top of, such as graduated filters (which are useful for sunsets/sunrises).
Lee filters are the most renowned filters, and accordingly some of the most expensive. I use Lee, but I have heard that other, cheaper, alternatives are also good and even perhaps better value for money. Shop around and read reviews, and make sure you have a good case to keep them nice and safe! After all, they are glass, and glass can be delicate.
A good assessment of circular versus square can be found here.
Tripod. This is vital for all long exposure shots, but if you are hoping to create very long exposures, such as for 5/10/15 minutes or longer, it is especially important you use a sturdy tripod. Even the tiniest camera shake can blur these long captures.
Remote. Just pressing down on the button on your camera can cause shake, creating the need for a remote cable to take the shot. If you don’t have one or want to buy one (although you can get them for very cheap), you can circumvent this by setting your camera to timer mode of 10 seconds - but this can make timing shots more difficult and make the process more laborious.
Lee filters and Sioti filter holder for square filters. Check your lens diameter (either on the inside rim, or google the model) and get a filter holder that matches this. The filter holder does not need to be expensive.
Points to note:
If using a filter holder, make sure you purchase an adaptor ring specific to the diameter of your camera lens.
I probably use my 6 stop and 10 stop filters quite frequently, and the 15 stop filter the least. It depends on what photo you are hoping to achieve and therefore how long you want the shutter open for.
Similarly, ensure your remote cable is designed to plug into the specific make and model of your camera.
The time the shutter should be open for is entirely dependent on the image you are trying to capture.
Ferragudo in Portugal. Shutter speed 1.3 seconds. Natural props like this branch can be useful for creating interesting leading lines from the waves’ motion blur.
Now, let’s get to it:
First, set up your camera gear. Attach your camera to your sturdy tripod, and screw on your filter holder or circular filter. If using a filter holder and square filters, do not yet slot in the filter. If using a round filter, make sure to turn this to ‘nil’ so that the image is not being impacted by the neutral density filter.
Attach your remote camera cable.
Set the camera to aperture priority mode.
Particularly for very long captures, I tend to start off by setting the ISO to 100. If you need to bump up the lighting then you can bump up the ISO, but typically I will start off with 100 to retain as much quality as possible, whilst keeping the aperture and shutter speed that I want.
With the filter holder on the lens but the filter off, set up your shot - establish the composition and focus in on your selected focal point. I tend to set the aperture for around 8-11 (with 10 being my most common aperture) to allow a greater amount of the photo to be in focus.
If using autofocus, once you have established the focus, switch over to manual focus mode.
Take your photo. Confirm you are happy with the exposure and composition and then note the shutter speed that was automatically generated to take the shot.
Now, slot in your chosen neutral density filter/turn the filter if it is circular.
Turn the camera over to bulb mode. Make sure the ISO and aperture agree to the photo you just took.
Calculate the required shutter speed. Use the table at this link here to assist with calculating what shutter speed you will need to use, based on the shutter speed of your test photo and number of stops of your neutral density filter.
Press down on the remote shutter and hold for the required shutter speed. Check photo and adjust shutter speeds as required.
A river on the trail aptly named ‘Watersmeet’ in Devon. Shutter speed 10 seconds. Long exposures can add a sense of magic to river and forest scenes.
Points to note:
For shots under 30 seconds you can use manual mode instead of bulb mode. This is useful as you can press the shutter and do not have to watch the time on the camera for how long the shutter is open for. It also makes the shutter speed more accurate which can be important if you will be stacking images over each other.
Get used to how your camera works with ND filters and don’t treat it like an exact science. For instance, I typically double the amount of time the table says to have the shutter open for, as the images from my camera just come out too dark.
Particularly for very long exposures, keep an eye on the changing light conditions around you. If, when you took the test shot, the subject was brightly lit and then the light drops (perhaps the sun goes behind some clouds), this can add to the amount of time you may need to keep the shutter open for. Again, although it feels like a scientific calculation it truly is based on experience more than anything - the more you practice, the more you will get used to adjusting shutter speeds according to changing light levels around you.
Ultimately, the best way to learn is to get out there and do it. Things go wrong, they always do, but that is one of the best things about photography.
I feel the need…
…the need for speed!
How fast or slow should my shutter speed be? Well, this is entirely down to the image you want to create.
Faster shutter speeds add a sense of motion to a photo, making it feel more like a living, breathing snapshot in time. Conversely, long shutter speeds smooth out the world around us - clouds, water, people - and it creates a much more peaceful, sometimes even lonely, image.
Play around with shutter speeds: take the same image with varying shutter speeds from half a second, to 4 seconds, to 30 seconds, to 30 minutes. See how this changes the feel of the image in front of you.
Totland Boathouse in the Isle of Wight. The shutter was open for 48 minutes. It was a challenge to manage camera shake, as I was waist-deep with pebbles moving underneath the tripod feet as the waves came in.
Praia da Barriga (literally: belly beach) in Portugal. Shutter speed 1/5 of a second.
I hope this has been helpful! Please feel free to email me or reach out through my instagram with any questions or comments - especially if you have any amazing photos to share!