One of the easiest ways I have found to impress people with photography is with long-exposure light trails. For some reason, it has become a common perception that creating images like the ones below is extremely difficult, but it is far easier than it may seem. I’m going to break down how it works, and how to get the best results possible for you to impress your friends and family.
While there are a lot of nitty-gritty details you can get into (which you can read about here and here), the basics are pretty simple. Long-exposure refers to the amount of time that you expose the image, so basically how long you keep the shutter of your camera open and how long it processes light. While it is possible to take long-exposure photos with a smartphone, you will get the best results with a DSLR camera.
To adjust your settings, set your camera to manual mode so you’ll have control of both the f-stop and the shutter speed. You’ll want to have your f-stop at between F8 and F11 (which is explained better than I can here). Also, to avoid visual distortion and grain, keep you ISO as low as possible. Then, set your shutter speed at as long as possible given your other settings to give your camera time to capture as much light as possible. To avoid signs of shaking and camera movement, it’s best to use a sturdy tripod and a remote shutter.
(This is a photo I took in Time Square, using a trash can like a tripod.)
Long exposure photography is great for capturing movement and light in new and exciting ways. It can allow you to capture unique sports images, movement in nature, whether it’s moving water or the stars at night, and movement in artificial light, like from that of a car. With just another tool in your toolbox, the bounds of the images that you can capture are limitless.
Great post! It responds to an exigence of how to take a type of photo that’s super popular and well-known, and it also takes advantage of the web medium by using links and pictures. It also includes a more personal element because you also have pictures of that type that you’ve taken yourself. I do think these types of pictures are very cool, and a guide for how to take them is a great choice for a post. The only suggestion I have is that you use a lot of photography jargon in the middle bit. I know it’s kind of necessary for the purpose of the post, but I was kind of lost in all of the acronyms. You mentioned that it’s possible to take these types of pictures on an iPhone; maybe a simple tutorial for how to do that would appeal to a wider audience, rather than just those who have access to a good camera. However, even when you were using a lot of jargon, you did a good job either explaining everything or adding links so curious readers can understand them. Good post, and I look forward to reading more!