First attempt at long exposure shots

[Eventer]

Went away for the long weekend to lake Taupo, brought my camera along (of course) the bach we stay in is right in front of the lake. i couldnt wait until nighttime to get these shots - Although i amused myself during the daytime by taking a few too many photos of the heap of ducks that hang around waiting for food! haha)
I set my camera up on my mini flexi tripod on a concrete culvet on the waters edge and tried a heap of different settings as i didnt really know what the settings should have been. shutterspeed ranging between 5 seconds and 30seconds and F stop from 5.6 to 32 i think! i tried load but i think these came out the bets, but truth be told they all came out rather identical reguardless of the setting, i havent editd much, just strightend and brightend one a bit.

then on the other side of the back was a busy maine road, but unfortunatly they didnt come out quite like i wanted, i dont like them much, i think the street lights lit up the scene to much perhaps... and made it to "orange"

 

[Eventer]

no one?

 

[RobNZ]

Hey Eventer, I will chip in.

To my eye at this image size they look ok technically, I think the composition and subjects could be better, however I have done the same in the past to get the technique sorted, and now I work on the composition more because I know how to do it.

So shot 1. to much of nothing at the top of the frame and there is not enough in the image overall to be all that interesting, sorry blunt, but to the point.

2 is better a bit tighter.

3 has some nice lines going through the frame but doesnt work for me personally and I cant help you with any useful advice, its not all that interesting.

4 same as above, but there is too much of nothing top of frame, I am thinking that maybe the POV is wrong for this type of shot, up higher and have the road and sidewalk leading away into the distance, so shoot wide perhaps.

Go out tonight and shoot star trails, should be good, you will have a nice frost over on the waikato tonight, so clear skies? Do it for me, because I hate the cold, lol.

 

[Eventer]

Thanks for the advice! i agree with you, i dont particuly like the last too. and the top too looked better in real life than on camera! haha ill work on it when i get the chance. would they be a bit better with a crop?
What are star trails?

 

[RobNZ]

Thanks for the advice! i agree with you, i dont particuly like the last too. and the top too looked better in real life than on camera! haha ill work on it when i get the chance. would they be a bit better with a crop?
What are star trails?

Cropping would help but you also dont want to make the aspect too wide (pot calling the kettle black here, some of my most popular canvases are super wide ie: 1:0.266 or 1 metre wide by 266mm high)

Star trails: Long exposures of the night sky where the stars leave trails basically, because of the earths rotation, 6 minutes or so will give you trails about an inch long on screen, quite cool, and depending on your settings you will realise just how many stars you cant actually see with the naked eye.

The catch with star trails is you really need something in the foreground.

I want to do a landscape shot of the Mount like that, but I cant do it from the Mount or Tauranga side, way too much light pollution, so I will get over to Matakana Island at some point for an overnight and shoot back from that way, I just have to pysch myself into a cold night and convince a non-shooter to keep me company, lol.

 

[Eventer]

ooh they sound awesome!! but 6 minutes? my shutterspeed only goes to 30seconds... hmm wouldnt get much of a trail would I?
do you have any pictures of star trails you've taken?

 

[cutestguy]

Im not an expert, but just my 2 cents.

#1 . Despite the fact that you are trying long exposure, it can be a bit more crisp. I liked the misty thing near to the brim of the bay.
#2. I didnt find this exciting due to the uneven blur caused by the lights.
#3. This would 've been good if you chose a better angle to shoot - like shooting from your own eye height or from above, instead of this angle which is like you shot lying down. I understand you used a tripod but try the same with a higher angle. Also, the glare spoiled the shot to be honest.
#4. Same as above - try a different angle and see how it fairs.

 

[Eventer]

thanks yeah i couldnt really get higher and the camera was only about 30cm off the ground! if i had mor time i would have sat it on a fence (flexi tripod) but it was sooo bitterly cold i had to go in! haha

 

[cutestguy]

thanks yeah i couldnt really get higher and the camera was only about 30cm off the ground! if i had mor time i would have sat it on a fence (flexi tripod) but it was sooo bitterly cold i had to go in! haha

There is always a next time mate....

 

[RobNZ]

ooh they sound awesome!! but 6 minutes? my shutterspeed only goes to 30seconds... hmm wouldnt get much of a trail would I?
do you have any pictures of star trails you've taken?

Not really from 30 seconds, they may start to trail slightly. A simple corded remote shutter release will help there, I use an intervalometer.

I have a few somewhere but they are not worthy of publishing :blushing:

 

[UUilliam]

What camera do you have? if you have a DSLR and not a bridge, you could set camera to M mode (manual) and set shutter to B or bulb and set aperture to f/8 and if you have a remote press the button, and if it is a good remote, it should keep the exposure going until you press the button again, otherwise, hold the button down until the 6 minutes is complete.