Long Exposures
A snapshot steals life that it cannot return. A long exposure creates a form that never existed. - Dieter Appelt
I have gotten into the habit of accompanying my Instagram posts with a qoute that in some way relates to the image. I was looking for an appropriate one for this first image and instantly knew it was perfect. Long exposure photography is something that I enjoy but don't often practice. One of the things that is so attractive to me is the essence of the quote - I am creating something the never existed, something not visible to the naked eye. It is nonrepresentational but not necessarily abstract.
When you say "long exposure photography" people have a wide range of interpretations - some say anything slower than about 1/15
th or 1/20
th of a second while others may think something slower than a full second. I tend to think of anything slower than 1/2 of a second but I have no hard and fast rules. If I am shooting a sunrise at the beach and the sun is in the image, I work on the faster end of the spectrum because I the sun is moving quickly and I don't want it to be just a blog in the sky. If I am isolating some waves crashing on rocks or flowing on the beach, I will work with a slower shutter.
The most important piece of equipment for long exposure photography is, of course, a good, solid tripod. I have seen claims that some of today's cameras can be effectively handheld to as long as two (2) seconds using image stabilization but I am leary. As a landscape photographer you probably already use a tripod for most of your work so this shouldn't be an issue. I would argue that, equally important, is a good imagination. The ability to visualize the end result is something you will develop over time but every image will always be a surprise.
I use long exposures for different reasons; showing motion, smoothing water, and creating mood to name just a few. Each of the images presented here show one of these reasons. A long exposure can introduce a calming effect to a scene, like the Manasquan Reservoir image, and it can be used to create tension or mystery, like the black & white image at the start of this piece. In the latter case the viewer expects to see water but instead is greated by something more like smoke.
So comes the end of another blog - I hope you enjoyed the images and, maybe, I inspired you to go out and try your hand at long exposures. They are a lot of fun and there is no right or wrong way anymore than there is a right or wrong subject. Shooting at night and capturing light trails from cars can be a lot of fun, as can creating your own light trails with a flashlight, laser pointer or sparkler
**.
Note: The two images captioned "Spring Lake" were made on the same day, within about a thirty (30) minute timeframe. They are two (2) different areas of the beach but the wave heights and frequency were about the same. You can see how dramatic the difference in exposure time can be.
** Note: Sparklers generate a lot of heat and throw sparks in the air than can start fires if they land on something flammable. They should be used with caution and only under adult supervision.
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Technical information:
- Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i (crop sensor - 1.6 factor)
- Lenses: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
- Tripod: MeFOTO Roadtrip Classic
- ISO 100
- All focal lengths are as-recorded - the full-frame equivalent in parenthesis.
- Shutter tripped with wired shutter release.
For Sale
Waves - Long Exposure #1 is for sale on Saatchi Art. It is available in a 20x20 Limited Edition - follow the link for more information.
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