Posts Tagged ‘Long exposure photography’

While neutral density filters can help you capture photos or video that wouldn't otherwise be possible, they do bring with them their own set of issues you need to watch out for. This is particularly true for the stronger neutral density filters.

In this article we'll go through a variety of issues you should look out for when using your ND filter, and when deciding what ND filter to purchase. We'll also look at how to best prevent or at least minimize any problems using an ND filter can give.

You might think that using an ND filter is simple - just attach it to the end of your camera's lens, right? Well, in actual use there is more to it than that, especially with stronger neutral density filters. In this article (and the next one) we'll look at some tips on using ND filters to get the results you want.

Neutral density filters are available in a range of different strengths, types, and mounts. Different manufacturers may rate their ND filters in different ways, which can make make it quite confusing when you're looking for a specific strength filter. In this article we'll look at what the different ratings actually mean, and types and mounts available, so you can make a more informed choice when deciding what ND filter to purchase.

Neutral density filters are like sunglasses for your camera. They reduce the amount of light that your camera receives. They can be very useful for long exposure photography, recording video in bright sunlight, and when you want to use flash in a location that is already brightly lit.

Over the next four articles we'll look at the different densities and mounts of ND filter that are available, how best to use them, and potential problems to look out for. To start off with, in this article we'll cover some of the ways ND filters can be useful for photography and videography.

Often in photography, the problem we feel we have is that the photos we take don't match what we saw at the time. The way the camera works is quite different from the human eye. While there is nothing wrong with trying to capture what you saw, have you ever thought about using your camera to capture what you can't see?

In this article I'll cover 10 things that your camera can see but you can't, with an added bonus point at the end. Capturing photos that don't exactly match what you see with your eyes can often give stronger images than just an exact record of reality.

Bulb mode is a special shooting mode that will let you take really long exposures. It allows you to keep the camera's shutter open for as long as you like (or until the camera's battery runs out). You're not likely to find it as feature of most point & shoot cameras, but it can be found on most more advanced cameras.

Most cameras that feature bulb mode allow up to 30 second exposure times in normal modes. This is more than enough for most situations. During the daytime a typical exposure time will be around 1/500s to 1/160s, a pretty quick shutter speed. But if you're out in the middle of nowhere at night, then a shutter speed of over 30 seconds may be necessary.

You can create surreal spark filled photos by burning steel wool during a long exposure photograph. In this article we'll look at what's involved to get great photos like this:

Black Materia by joo0ey on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Waterfalls can range from giant thundering torrents to small serene cascades, with everything in between as well. They can make for great photographic subjects, and this article I'll share some tips on photographing waterfalls to make them look their best.

Yellow by Ian Sane on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Light painting is the process of manually lighting a photo during a long exposure, often using a torch or small LED lights. There are two types of light painting photography. One is where you shine the light onto your subject, I have covered this previously in How to use light painting for flower photography. In this article, we'll look at how to do light painting where you use the light source as the actual subject of the photo, painting the light into the air.

Painting the City by StandUPP on flickr (licensed CC-BY)

Here are some tips to help you get some spooky photos for Halloween.