Long Exposure Photography Tips?

echoyjeff222 · Dec 20, 2011

I have to start shooting some photos for my final assignment, and I'm going to try my hand at long exposure photography. It's all film and in B&W. Do you guys have any tips for subjects or just general tips when I go and shoot?

Thanks

ewick · Dec 20, 2011

If you only plan on using it once or very limited, i would suggest going down to your local welding store and buying a welders glass and gorrilla gluing it to a step up ring for your lens. Get your settings right with a digital camera first(cause film can get expensive) and then go down to like the ocean or a freeway or somewhere where there is a lot of movement and there you go! hope this helped.

thereyougo! · Dec 20, 2011

Or else you can get a ND (Neutral Density) filter. Welder's glass might block light, but it's not neutral and will leave a colour cast, which can affect the tones in a black and white shot. The strength of the ND filter will depend on when you shoot.

Dillard · Dec 20, 2011

Also a sturdy tripod and a remote. Eliminate all possible camera shake!

echoyjeff222 · Dec 20, 2011

for night scenes (ex. highway) how long does the shutter usually stay open for? more than 8 seconds? (if i'm using F11 or so, or smaller)

DiskoJoe · Dec 21, 2011

echoyjeff222 said:
for night scenes (ex. highway) how long does the shutter usually stay open for? more than 8 seconds? (if i'm using F11 or so, or smaller)

Depends on how dark it is. Around sunset, which is probably the best time, 8secs would be long enough or possibly just a little much. I would say take a few shots at like 2secs, 5 secs and 10 secs. For film you will probably need to adjust the iso some too. maybe around 200-400, maybe even 800 if it is dark enough.

echoyjeff222 · Dec 21, 2011

Does anyone know why people don't do F32 vs F11 if they're doing this type of landscape photography? Does it sacrifice quality, or what? All of the guides I've come across have suggested F11 or F8.

echoyjeff222 · Dec 21, 2011

Here's my list of places to go to shoot:

- Waterfront
- Highway?

and that's all, lolz. any additions?

j-digg · Dec 22, 2011

echoyjeff222 said:
Does anyone know why people don't do F32 vs F11 if they're doing this type of landscape photography? Does it sacrifice quality, or what? All of the guides I've come across have suggested F11 or F8.

Yep, quality tends to suffer when using an "extreme" aperture of f32 in the form of softness due to diffraction.. but it'd still be worth trying if you really want a longer exposure.Sharpness may suffer but the effect you'd get from the difference in exposure times will be unique.