Not everybody sees the beauty in long exposure (night shoot) compared to other forms of photography. The beauty lies in the ability to absorb lights but before I get into the nitty gritty of this discussion first let me explain what long exposure means.
LONG EXPOSURE
What is generally referred to as normal photography or regular photography, is the way you perceive it but in long exposure it involves using a lengthy or the longer shutter speed that catches still images ranging from 1/60 sec to 1/4000 sec by blurring or smearing the image elements. In a long exposure, certain techniques are used to achieve a desired shot or effect. Most times there’s no specific transition level at which the shutter speed must be lower to determine your shoot. Long exposure is achievable in low light conditions but can also be done in bright light by using a neutral density filter.
Now you see how amazing long exposure photography is, but before I share with you the beauty of it let me quickly share gadgets needed to take a long exposure.
- You need a working digital camera
- A tripod stand
- Neutral density filter
Here are steps you can follow to make a long exposure shot.
Firstly set your tripod strongly on the ground and mount your camera on the tripod firmly. It is nearly impossible to capture a very sharp image without using your tripod only and only if you have spiritually firm hands but I will advise you to use a tripod not to be a victim of your own ignorance.
Secondly, attach your neutral density filter; basically what this does is it reduces the intensity of all wavelengths of light equally by allowing you have sharper long exposure images. You can also shoot without the neutral density filters but it is mostly advisable to make use of one but not necessarily the expensive ones.
Lastly, adjust your shutter speed to your digression and the amount of light in your scene. If you’re shooting on a manual mode it is not really smooth but it allows you to adjust your shutter speed to a perfect setting.
THE BEAUTY OF LONG EXPOSURE
- Long-exposure photography captures one element that conventional photography will not capture: a longer period of time.
- All moving objects become very and clearly visible—clouds form broad bands, vehicle lights draw bright streaks, stars leave trails in the sky, and water waves appear smooth.
- Only the bright objects leave visible trails, whereas dark objects usually disappear. Boats in long exposures disappear during the daytime, but draw bright trails from their lights at night.
