When it comes to the speed of a camera people usually want the one that will take pictures the fastest. Fast cameras are sought after for a good portion of photos taken today; whether that’s in events, sports, nature, weddings or many other different aspects of photography. Speed is important. Without a quick shutter time the photographer is liable to “miss the moment”, so to speak, in any of these given categories. However, a clear and precise photo gained with the fast shutter speed is not the only desirable affect possible. Different techniques are capable of altering the effects and look of a photo, one such technique is “long exposure”. This technique does not require much in order to work, but it is infinitely versatile. It can be used to create many different effects as well as be used in multiple styles of photography. However, in order to correctly apply the technique the photographer requires a knowledge of the basics of the craft.
What you need to be able to achieve a long exposure photo is a camera that has the ability to shoot with a slow shutter speed, a tripod, a remote trigger (if necessary); a neutral density filter is optional. When shooting in this way, it is best to have a tripod to capture the full detail of the subject. A remote trigger aids the photographer by minimizing the amount of shake delivered to the camera that would normally happen when hitting the shutter button, instead the button is on the remote so the camera never has to be disturbed. If the photographer is going to be taking photos during the day, it can be beneficial to also have a neutral density filter. This type of filter will cut down the amount of light that is let into the lens, allowing for longer shutter speeds and wider apertures.
A long exposure photo is not one that is a quick snap and go image, the subject must be arranged, the camera adjusted, and the desired settings set. The best order for settings to go in is ISO, shutter speed and then aperture. Whether shooting at night or during the day, having a longer shutter speed allows more light to be let into the camera. With more light, the quality of the photos is raised by having a lower ISO than in regular settings. After setting up the shot and picking the settings, all there is left to do is click the shutter.
The effects of long exposure can be split into three categories: motion, light and depth of field. With a moving subject, this technique causes blurring, as the subject appears blurred in the photograph. The complete opposite occurs when the subject is still, when stationary, a long exposure image can capture high amounts of detail, a similar effect occurs with the capturing of light as well. A moving light in the frame creates light trails and is often used to capture traffic at night and in light painting. With a stationary light, a twinkling effect occurs. What is interesting about this is that the twinkle will have as many points as double the amount of aperture blades that the lens being used has. For the majority of long exposure images, they have a high depth of field. Using a slow shutter speed, whether during the day or night gives room enough for the photographer to have a low ISO and a small aperture. This results in high quality and high depth of field photos, but because there is no processing required to obtain the effects, the images retain their realistic quality.
One effect that is quite pleasing about long exposure is when it captures light all light is being captured, no matter how much light the source actually puts out. This captures the texture of everything seen by the camera. This effect is one that was used by the great photographer, Edward Weston when he took photos of produce. One of his photos that stand out is Pepper Number Thirty. The long exposure used for this photo gives the pepper a very smooth, sensual look. However, despite there being a great photographer who used this technique, there are few who use it. It is mainly used in the mainstream for its light capturing capabilities. The common example of this is streams of light from cars on a highway late at night. It is a technique that many people have not unleashed the many looks that can be achieved.
Long exposure can be used for many types of photos: portrait, landscape, still life, architecture, macro, light painting, solargraphy, capturing water, high dynamic range among others. The trend in portraits taken in today’s time is to use a wide aperture to create a shallow depth of field, but the long exposure technique gives a unique look to the photo and can give the portrait a lot of depth of field. The majority, if not all, of the photo would be in focus giving more emphasis on the importance of a person’s background and surroundings.
Light painting is a popular form of photography that requires the use of long exposure to work. It must be done in the dark, the shutter is held open for as long as the photographer desires while a person holds a light facing the camera and moves the light source around. With the amount of light that enters the camera, it gets recorded as streams of light. A similar process is used for solargraphy and capturing stars.
In conclusion, long exposure photography is a technique that does not always get the credit that it deserves. It is versatile and creates a variety of effects while still maintaining a stunning realistic quality. What makes long exposure good to use is the fact that it there is an infinite number of ways that it can be used. Despite all that can be accomplished by using this technique as well as how easy it is to do, there are still few photographers who have done reputable work with it. However, there is an up and coming photographer who will use the technique to the full advantage. Her name is, Jessi Roy.
