First Attempt at Long Exposure

[Juga]

C&C Please
Taken with my Canon T3 and Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II (kit lens) @: 29mm, f/9, 3.2" shutter speed, ISO 200, manual mode w/ manual focus.

I am mainly looking for feedback regarding the composition and exposure. The more technical side of photography. However all feedback is welcome.

and Pgriz...if you have to ask then I am sorry...I am a work in progress

 

[Qveon]

First tell us what you think you need to do to make this shot better

 

[Juga]

First tell us what you think you need to do to make this shot better

Not be driving?

That is what I need help seeing but part of me says that the lower left could be a bit darker.

 

[Qveon]

Not be driving?

Thats where i would start. Yes please have someone else drive while attempting this.
(Again read my sig) I know it's dark but i think your shutter speed was too long and you got too many elements (jagged lines) in the picture. I think i would have tried it at ISO800 f4 1/4s focus on the blue car and recompose to where you took it. Your objects that are moving in the picture will look more stationary and your walls which are stationary should have enough blur to them to show movement. I would also try to match my speed to that blue car. Which my looking at the picture you were pretty close to doing.

 

[Juga]

Not be driving?

Thats where i would start. Yes please have someone else drive while attempting this.
(Again read my sig) I know it's dark but i think your shutter speed was too long and you got too many elements (jagged lines) in the picture. I think i would have tried it at ISO800 f4 1/4s focus on the blue car and recompose to where you took it. Your objects that are moving in the picture will look more stationary and your walls which are stationary should have enough blur to them to show movement. I would also try to match my speed to that blue car. Which my looking at the picture you were pretty close to doing.

I think that this is a fair assessment. Very much appreciated.

 

[pgriz]

You knew what I was going to ask!

But posting "learning/experimental" shots is very much part of the learning process. I do it. So do photographers much, much better than I am. We all are trying to see whether we're seeing stuff in a way that relates to other people.

In this case, there are at least three possible interpretations:
1) you were panning for the car up ahead (as Qveon suggested), the car's motion being the subject, or
2) you were just letting the light blurs to show YOUR motion, or
3) you pressed the shutter button while looking/feeling out the apple that you dropped on the floor.

If the last, please hand in your camera and go to the nearest driving school for remedial lessons. ()

What you're discovering here is that motion (in form of blur) can be a very important story-telling technique. Depending on what your focal point is for the pan, you'll communicate different meanings. For instance panning on the car would have the car more or less sharp, with everything else (including your own car) be blurred. Panning a stationary point alongside the road will also convey the feeling of speed, but in a different way. Or you can complete eliminate the pan and let your own motion create the light trails.

At this stage, just play a lot. Try to have a purpose to each experiment, and make notes (if possible) about what you were hoping to achieve, what you did to do that, how it looked, and what you would do differently to improve on the results you got. And when taking pictures from moving cars, be in the passenger seat. Less grey hair all around that way.

 

[Juga]

You knew what I was going to ask!

But posting "learning/experimental" shots is very much part of the learning process. I do it. So do photographers much, much better than I am. We all are trying to see whether we're seeing stuff in a way that relates to other people.

In this case, there are at least three possible interpretations:
1) you were panning for the car up ahead (as Qveon suggested), the car's motion being the subject, or
2) you were just letting the light blurs to show YOUR motion, or
3) you pressed the shutter button while looking/feeling out the apple that you dropped on the floor.

If the last, please hand in your camera and go to the nearest driving school for remedial lessons. ()

What you're discovering here is that motion (in form of blur) can be a very important story-telling technique. Depending on what your focal point is for the pan, you'll communicate different meanings. For instance panning on the car would have the car more or less sharp, with everything else (including your own car) be blurred. Panning a stationary point alongside the road will also convey the feeling of speed, but in a different way. Or you can complete eliminate the pan and let your own motion create the light trails.

At this stage, just play a lot. Try to have a purpose to each experiment, and make notes (if possible) about what you were hoping to achieve, what you did to do that, how it looked, and what you would do differently to improve on the results you got. And when taking pictures from moving cars, be in the passenger seat. Less grey hair all around that way.

I think I made a break through...

i was actual trying to accomplish 1&2. I wanted to show my motion and how it relates to others and pose the question "where are you going?" Not a deep meaning type theme but you got what I was trying to show. Thanks, your advice continues to motivate me to look deeper into each shot.

 

[Qveon]

Idea #1 DOES show both the other cars motion and your own. If it didnt, then the other car would have just been another faint blur. Thats why the other car would be sharp also and the tunnel blurred because you are both in motion.