Long exposure photography is one of the coolest ways of taking pictures. It requires a longer shutter speed, anywhere from 1/2 sec up to several minutes or even a hour.
The ability to take long exposures requires a user to use a tripod for optimum results (of course, some people prefer the hand shake look). The use of a tripod is essential because the inability for the human hand to stay still is truly remarkable. No matter how good you get, it will be very hard to hand hold a 1 second shutter release without very noticeable blur. As well as a tripod (or monopod in some cases could work), a photographer should make use of the timed shutter release. This will allow the user to set the shot up, and set a timer to release the shutter. Most cameras have the option of one or more timed shutter releases, for example my Canon 40D has a 2 second and 10 second wait. I usually use the 2 second release as this gives you just enough time to get your hands off the camera to not bump the shot. This is even more important on longer shutter times.
Having a longer shutter speed of a few seconds allows the camera to take in more light to the sensor (or film for the film buffs). This means that the camera can read more “data” from the scene and gather more detail in a low light condition, creating some truly remarkable results as you will see below.
As well as low light conditions, a slow shutter speed allows for creative uses of motion in photographs. Some very cool portraits can be taken using a slower shutter speed, for example someone riding by on a bike creates a blur of the background and the bike, but could create a detailed portrait of the rider’s face if you follow the action. The same goes for a moving car, a fast shutter will catch a car in the exact instance, it could look like it’s not even moving (even at 200 mph with a fast lense). But using a slower shutter and following the path of the car could create a remarkable sense of speed that is tough to mimic and master.
Enjoy the great examples below and get out their and experiment with your camera taking long exposures.
Reader suggested Long exposure Photographs
I would like to add some of the best long exposure photographs suggested by my readers here. So that this post will remain alive for a long time. Will update this post regularly !
About the author /
Mohamed Rias
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213 Comments
Fantastic photography. I love them all, thumbs up n twitted =)
These are really amazing collection. One of my fried refer me to this page and I like this collection
As one of the photographers who’s work was posted, just a quick thank you for linking back to the source image(s) unlike many other sites.
Hi
I would also like to say thankyou for including my work and linking back to the source photographs.
Great collection of photos in the article.
interesting photos you have there, is this a new blog, i have not been here before
Yes , its a new blog indeed. I will try to provide you some cool tips which other top sites missed 😀
15 Incredible Photography Roundups – Designzzz
Nice collection! Lighthouse is just amazing!
Thanks Yegor 🙂
Hi, Enjoyed all the photos. I would like to save some for my desktop. How is this done. I’ve viewing on
StumbleUpon
Awesome stuff. Very inspiring!
Wow those are amazing, I just love the lighthouse one!
Beautiful and amazing shots!! I luv them..
Most of these are HDR not just long exposure
thanks for featuring my work!
Amazing. Great works of art. Thanks, so beautiful. 🙂
I love those pictures. I just want to ask if all of those pics are real. The device that used here is also great, I want to have one of the best camera someday and take photographs like photographs here. I want to learn about that technique. ^^
Amazing shots!. Brilliant!
muito legal , very cool Fantastic 🙂
WOW! BRAVO!!! Stunning work. Love them all!
This is really fantastic. Thanks for sharing it.
Great work from all! Thanks for adding displaying my work (CA State Capitol @ Xmas) in your collection!
-joe
These are very cool pictures, would be nice if one could buy their print from their photographer directly using a service like fotomoto.
Thanks for all your comments 🙂 I am really very happy to see your response on my new Blog.. I will try to provide you all interesting posts like these..
regards,
Mohamed Rias
Thanks for adding my work in this excellent collection! (and link to the source :D)
Its indeed my pleasure to add your work in my collection.. Your “News from Mars” image is really stunning dude 🙂
hi, im new to doing long exposures and i really like doing them so far, so if i were to try and get a long exposure of the starts moving, what would be a good exposure be? on a nikon D40
Hopefully this should work on a D40.
First get yourself a tripod or a suitable stable surface and a remote trigger (to remove camera wobble). Secondly set your camera to shutter priority mode (S on the dial on top) and put it as low as it can go (biggest number) and also set your ISO to the lowest number (best is 50 or 100).
Have a couple of test shots. If they are too bright you’ll need to pick up an ND filter (buy good ones, not not £5 rubbish of ebay). Now take a series of pictures and use something like photoshop to merge the images so that ten 30 second exposures become one 5 minute exposure.
If your taking an image of the stars try to have the ground in shot too.
Test it out and most importantly have fun and experiment by adding your own twist to the images.
Gordon C Burns
“If you buy cheap, you buy twice”
thanks for the advice, hopefully it will work. Im gonna go try it out tommorow night.
I have had great success shooting long exposures with a D40x.
Get a tripod and an IR remote, as the camera won’t shoot past 30 seconds (bulb) without it.
I use mine on M (manual) and control both shutter speed and aperture myself.
Awesome and awe inspiring.what beauty.Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing, it made my Thursday.
What a great collection. Such an inspiration! Good job, all you photographers- what artistes 🙂
gorgeous!
those are some of the best pics I have ever seen, Thank you for sharing them and Great work for those that took them.
Great collection – as someone else previously stated, a lot of these are not long-exposure.
Still, nice collection.
Awesome. Many photos in this collection are ones I could see myself owning prints of.
Those are awesome. I’m amezed as a newbie photographer. Hope I can do it with Canon 1000D.
Wow… it’s amazing work of art.
I really drawn into what i see here
But my question is how do you take these picture when the exposure is already enough in the camera???
Wouldn’t it be over expose???
Wow! nice, very beautiful!!!
Nice and great… there is so much you can do to make it better… nice talent and skills.
HI!
I have been trying these things and it is indeed a pleasure to see such a beautiful collection.
Here is one of the snap from my humble canon 1000 D, some one had asked whether it was possible with 1000D, yes it is…
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_leXSB19u0A8/SqfVcsg4tsI/AAAAAAAABkk/py0WH7zToZw/s640/alkhuwairroundabout1.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_leXSB19u0A8/SpVqmFklNRI/AAAAAAAABjA/u8WvP1p9cak/s640/IMG_5086.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_leXSB19u0A8/SY-41_uwtnI/AAAAAAAAAXg/PveR76au55A/IMG_1294.JPG
Trying harder to learn more…
Jaison
really awesome jaison , I love them 🙂
Really nice set of pictures. I enjoyed that! Thankyou.
Very nice collection! Absolutely beautiful… Good luck with your new blog!
Thanks Angie. I will be providing more interesting collections like this 🙂
these are great! amazing, stunning, thaks for that
Fantastic works.
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morguefile » 45+ SURREAL LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRATIONS
The second image down in a h u r r y is great. Loving the hit of color with the no U turn.
Long exposure photography « Four Adventures
wonderful.. apperture is intact. nice frames. Iris open in exact hues..
Amazing pictures
Great collection of long exposure photography. Keep it up
Real collection of Long exposure photography
Fine collections
Gorgious and amazing view’s this photo’s were great.
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