How to Shoot Light Trails
One of the first subjects that I remember trying to capture as a teenager with my first SLR camera (film) was light trails created by cars on a busy road near my home.
I’d seen this type of shot in a photography magazine and was impressed by the eye catching results.
Light Trails continue to be popular subject matter for many photographers and they can actually be a great training ground for those wanting to get their cameras out of manual mode and to experiment with shooting in low light at longer exposures.
Following area few examples of light trail shots as well as some practical starting point tips for those wanting to give it a go.
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Equipment:
There is not just one particular type of camera and kit that you’ll need to capture light trails – however it is important to have a camera that allows you to have some control over exposure settings – particularly those that allow you to choose longer shutter speeds. This means you need a camera that has the ability to shoot in either full manual mode and/or shutter priority mode (something that all DSLRs and manypoint and shoot cameras have).
You’ll also need a tripod (or some other way to making your camera completely still) as you’ll be shooting with long shutter speeds which will make shooting handheld pretty much impossible.
Not essential but helpful to have with you are lens hoods (to help block lens flare from ambient lights), remote shutter release cables or wireless remote controls, patience and some warm clothes if you’re going out on a chilly night.
The Basic Principle:
At the most general level photographing light trails involves finding a spot where you’ll see the light trails created by cars, securing your digital camera, setting a long exposure setting on your camera and shooting at a time when cars will be going by to create the trail of light. Of course it’s a little more complicated than this – but the general factor behind it is longer exposures that will enable the car/s that create the trails to move through your image.
Experiment:
While there are a lot of tips that could be shared on the topic of photographing light trails – the main thing I learned in my early days of attempting to create these types of images was to experiment extensively. The beauty of digital photography is that you can do this with no extra cost to yourself and can get instant results (unlike when I did it on film and had to fork out for film and processing – not to mention wait days to see my results).
Setting Up Your Shot:
Photographing light trails is not difficult – it’s as simple as finding virtually any road with cars going down it once the sun goes down. But getting a shot that grabs attention means putting a little more thought into choosing your location, thinking about timing and framing your image. Here are a few tips on how to set your shot up:
- Timing/Light – one might think that the middle of the night is the best time for light trail photography (and it can be) – however one very effective time to do it is just as the sun is going down (just before and after). If you shoot at this time you’ll not only capture light from cars, but ambient light in the sky which can add atmosphere to your shots. You also might find that earlier in the evening you get a little more ‘action’ in your shot with more cars and even the movement of people through your shot.
- Creative Perspectives – some of the most effective light trail shots that I’ve taken and seen from others were taken from perspectives other than at the height of a normal person standing up. Get down low or find a place looking down on your scene that will create an unusual angle.
- Location – the most obvious thing with location is that you’ll need it to be somewhere near a road – however there’s more to think about than that. Choose a location that adds interest to the shot in some way. This might be one where there are well lit buildings along the road, one where multiple roads merge together to create light trails in different directions, on the bend of a road so that the trails sweep through the image, near a roundabout so the trails create circular shapes, in the middle of dual carriageways (on a triaffic island) so that you get traffic coming in two directions etc.
- Framing – the normal ‘rules’ of composition apply in this type of photography. Images need some sort of point/s of interest, the rule of thirds can be applied effectively, draw the eyes into your image using lines smartly, foregounds and backgrounds should add to and not distract from the image.
Settings:
- Aperture and Shutter Speed – I wish I could give you shutter speeds and apertures that will work in every situation – but as the ambient light and speed of cars will differ in every situation there’s no one exposure combination that will work in every setting.
Having said this I’ve found that I usually shoot at shutter speeds between 10 and 20 seconds (which gives cars time to move through the frame) and with apertures in the mid range (start with something around f/8).
The key is to start with something in the range above and to take a few test shots to see how the exposure works. You’ll quickly realize whether your shots are under or overexposed and whether the length of the exposure is long enough to let cars travel through the frame in the way that you want.
If your shots are overexposed – close your aperture down (increase the f stop number) or if your shots are underexposed open it up (decrease the f stop numbers). If you want the car’s lights to go further through the frame go for a longer shutter speed and if you want it to travel less through the frame shorten it.
Keep in mind that aperture impacts depth of field. If you need to go with a larger aperture you decrease the depth of field and more of your shot will be out of focus.
- Histogram – One thing to watch out for is letting any light source in your image (whether it be headlights, street lights etc) washing out your image. Lights that burn too bright can cause distractions and draw the eye of your viewer away from focal points – ruining your shot. One way to quickly check out if there’s any area in your shot that is overexposed to this degree is to view the histogram on your shot. If there are areas that are blown out you’ll have a graph with a right hand side that is too high on the graph. Learn more about histograms here.
- Choose a low ISO setting - this will give you images with as little noise as possible.
- Shoot in RAW if you have it - this will enable you to have more control in your post production work – particularly in getting white balance right (something that can be important as you’re shooting in a situation with lots of artificial light that can cause all kinds of color casts in your shot).
- Manual Focus - In low light situations cameras can struggle to get focusing locked correctly. The last thing you want is for your camera to be in and out of focus just as you need to hit the shutter release. Switch to manual focus and make sure your focus is upon a part of your image that is visually strong.
Timing Your Shot:
There is no right or wrong way to time your shot. Hitting the shutter just before a car enters the frame and releasing it just after it leaves the frame can create a lovely unbroken line – but sometimes shooting with shorter exposure times while the camera is in the frame can be effective also. Once again it’s about experimenting with different timings and seeing what effects it has.
Using Bulb Mode:
Many digital cameras have a mode on them called ‘bulb’ mode that allows you as the photographer to keep the shutter open as long as you wish. This can be very handy in this type of photography to time your shots with precision. If you use this you’ll want to be using a remote shutter release to stop any camera movement while the shutter is open.
Got some good light trail shots? Head over to our forum and share them with the DPS community.
Note: This is a ‘classic’ post from our archives – first published back in 2008 but updated this week with extra information. We hope you enjoyed reading it!
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
How to Photograph Fireworks Displays
Do you want to know how to photograph fireworks? With 4th July just days away I thought I’d refresh this article in which I give 10 Fireworks Photography tips to help you get started.
Fireworks Displays are something that evoke a lot of emotion in people as they are not only beautiful and spectacular to watch but they also are often used to celebrate momentous occasions.
I’ve had many emails from readers asking how to photograph fireworks displays, quite a few of whom have expressed concern that they might just be too hard to really photograph. My response is always the same – ‘give it a go – you might be surprised at what you end up with’.
My reason for this advice is that back when I bought my first ever SLR (a film one) one of the first things I photographed was fireworks and I was amazed by how easy it was and how spectacular the results were. I think it’s even easier with a digital camera as you can get immediate feedback as to whether the shots you’ve taken are good or not and then make adjustments.
Of course it’s not just a matter of going out finding a fireworks display – there are, as usual, things you can do to improve your results. With 4 July just around the corner I thought I’d share a few fireworks digital photography tips:
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1. Use a Tripod
Perhaps the most important tip is to secure your digital camera to something that will ensure it doesn’t move during the taking of your shots. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod (read our series on tripods and how to use and buy them). Alternatively – keep in mind that there are other non Tripod options for beating camera shake.
2. Remote Release
One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well and its very very hit and miss (read more on remote shutter releases).
3. Framing Your Shot
One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you’ll be photographing goes off – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right.
- Scope out the location early – Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into – you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).
- Watch your Horizons - One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in it’s framing. This is especially important if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (ie a cityscape). Keeping horizons straight is something we covered previously on this site and is important in fireworks shots also. As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up.
- Vertical or Horizontal? – There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better – particularly as there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length of if you’re wanting to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot – but I don’t tend to go there that often.
- Remember your framing – I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.
4. Focal Length?
One of the hardest parts of photographing fireworks is having your camera trained on the right part of the sky at the right time. This is especially difficult if you’re shooting with a longer focal length and are trying to take more tightly cropped shots. I generally shoot at a wider focal length than a tight one but during a show will try a few tighter shots (I usually use a zoom lens to give me this option) to see if I can get lucky with them. Of course zoomed in shots like the one to the left can be quite effective also. They enable you to really fill the frame with great color. Keep in mind however that cropping of your wider angle fireworks shots can always be done later to get a similar impact in your photography.
5. Aperture
A common question around photographing fireworks displays is what aperture to use. Many people think you need a fast lens to get them but in reality it’s quite the opposite as the light that the fireworks emit is quite bright. I find that apertures in the mid to small range tend to work reasonably well and would usually shoot somewhere between f/8 to f/16.
6. Shutter Speed
Probably more important to get right than aperture is shutter speed. Fireworks move and as a result the best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. This is a mode that allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds).
You can also experiment with set shutter speeds to see what impact it will have but I find that unless you’re holding the shutter open for very long exposures that the bulb technique works pretty well.
Don’t keep your shutter open too long. The temptation is to think that because it’s dark that you can leave it open as long as you like. The problem with this is that fireworks are bright and it doesn’t take too much to over expose them, especially if your shutter is open for multiple bursts in the one area of the sky. By all means experiment with multiple burst shots – but most people end up finding that the simpler one burst shots can be best.
7. ISO
Shooting at a low ISO is preferable to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Stick to ISO 100 and you should be fine.
8. Switch off your Flash
Shooting with a flash will have no impact upon your shots except to trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. Keep in mind that your camera’s flash will only have a reach of a few meters and in the case of fireworks even if they were this close a flash wouldn’t really have anything to light except for some smoke which would distract from the real action (the flashing lights).Switch your flash off.
9. Shoot in Manual Mode
I find I get the best results when shooting in manual exposure and manual focus modes. Auto focusing in low light can be very difficult for many cameras and you’ll end up missing a lot of shots. Once your focusing is set you’ll find you don’t really need to change it during the fireworks display – especially if you’re using a small aperture which increases depth of field. Keep in mind that changing focal lengths will mean you need to need to adjust your focusing on most lenses.
10. Experiment and Track Results
Throughout the fireworks display periodically check your results. I generally will take a few shots at the start and do a quick check to see that they are OK before shooting any more. Don’t check after every shot once you’ve got things set up OK (or you’ll miss the action) but do monitor yours shots occasionally to ensure you’re not taking a completely bad batch.
Also experiment with taking shots that include a wider perspective, silhouettes and people around you watching the display. Having your camera pointed at the sky can get you some wonderful shots but sometimes if you look for different perspectives you can get a few shots that are a little less cliche and just as spectacular. Most of the best shots that I’ve seen in the researching of this article have included some other element than the fireworks themselves – whether it be people, buildings, landmarks or wider cityscape perspectives.
More Tips from DPS Readers
- “Find Out the Direction of the Wind – You want to shoot up wind, so it goes Camera, Fireworks, Smoke. Otherwise they’ll come out REALLY hazy.”
- “Also, I find that if you shoot from a little further back and with a little more lens, you can set the lens to manual focus, focus it at infinity and not have to worry about it after that.”
- “Remember to take advantage of a zero processing costs and take as many pictures as possible (more than you’d normally think necessary). That way, you’ll up your chances of getting that “perfect” shot.”
- “Make sure you are ready to take pictures of the first fireworks. If there isn’t much wind, you are going to end up with a lot of smoke in your shot. The first explosions are usually the sharpest one.”
- “Get some black foam core and set your camera to bulb. Start the exposure when the fireworks start with the piece of foam core in front of the lens. Every time a burst happens move the foam core out of the way. You will get multiple firework bursts in one exposure”
- “Another tip I would add to this is pre-focus if possible (need to be able to manually focus or lock down focus for good) before the show starts so other elements in the frame are sharp They did mention that you only need to focus once but its a lot easier to take a few shots before the show starts and check them carefully rather than wait until the show has begun and you are fiddling with focus instead of watching fireworks!”
Tell us your fireworks display photography tips in comments below. Don’t forget to tell us which city you’re in and what the fireworks are like there!
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PS: Got some fireworks photos to share with us? Head over to our forum where there are a few fireworks photography discussions taking place.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
How to Photograph Fireworks Displays
Using The Ray-Flash Ring Flash Adapter To Reduce Shadows
I was recently lent a rather unique and useful flash adapter by the folks at Ray-Flash. It’s an adapter that fits over specific strobe and camera combinations in order to make the strobe usable as a ring flash. For those not familiar with a ring flash, in professional photography studios it is a circular flash that typically uses an accompanying softbox and special adapter to allow shots to be taken through the hole in the middle of the light. What Ray-Flash has done is simplify this setup and adapt it to already existing Canon and Nikon strobes (specifically the Nikon SB-800 and SB-900 and Canon Speedlite 580EX and 580EXII).
Check out the range of Ray-Flash Ring Flash Adapters on Amazon.
In use, the Ray-Flash is a simple device to handle; just slide it over the strobe and lock down the dial on top to make a snug fit. It will fit around most lens except the larger zooms with barrels beyond 80mm in diameter or so (noting that any LENGTH zoom will work, such as a 70-200mm if you like). If you have velcro on your flash, for use with gels, bounces or softboxes, you may experience some trouble as the fit is very specific and tight for the strobes. The ring flash adapter has many small channels to basically funnel light from the strobe along paths and spread it evenly around the circumference of the lens. In practice the adapter is very easy to slide on and off and dead simple to use. This set of diagrams from Ray-Flash’s site shows just how easy.
Of course, this diagram is showing the install without a camera attached. You’ll want to install the unit while the strobe is on a camera as the strobe mounts back to front and the Ray-Flash mounts front to back. Also, once attached, the Ray-Flash does cover focus assist lights on strobes that use them, but does not change any TTL functions of the camera.
Let’s take a look at a quick self portrait I shot after unpacking the adapter and eagerly tinkering with it. My setup is a Canon 7D with a Speedlite 580EXII strobe. First, a shot taken at 1.5 meters with the Ray-Flash removed. (ISO 100, 1/60 sec, f/4, 48mm equivalent)
Because of my proximity to the background, there are heavy shadows as well as under my chin. Yes, there are other ways to remove these shadows, but here I’m trying to show the utility of the Ray-Flash. I’m also in need of a haircut at this point. The Ray-Flash can not help with that.
Now the same shot with the Ray-Flash attached. (ISO 100, 1/60 sec, f/4, 48mm equivalent)
The shadows behind me are greatly softened and now make something of a halo effect. Also, the shadow under my chin is much more manageable and helps to add depth to the photo, rather than detracting from it. However, as you can notice, this photo is darker than the first. This is a by product of the adapter as some light loss occurs when all that light bounces around the channels before exiting the Ray-Flash. Different models (between the Canon and Nikon versions) require a bit of boost. You can either adapt by adjusting in post-process as I did below by upping the exposure one stop in Lightroom, or you can adjust your flash output while the adapter is attached.
Ray-Flash has more specific data on light output and flash ranges available on their website here.
Another example is below with the help of my friend Genevieve. I could not convince her to put down the book on climbing anchors (and quite frankly, I’m glad she didn’t as I had to rely on those anchors later) but it actually helped to show the difference in flash effects. In this case, because some of the flash is coming from under the book when the Ray-Flash is used, it does cause a bit of shadow from the book as compared to when no Ray-Flash is used and the light is only coming from the top. And as the background becomes further removed, so do the shadows seen in my self portraits. The first photo is without the Ray-Flash and the second is with.
While these photos are not ‘professional’ in-the-studio examples, I wanted to give a real world test to the Ray-Flash. I could have brought it in to a professional studio and compared it side by side with a softbox setup costing hundreds of dollars more, but this adapter is best suited to being stuffed in a bag for shots done on location. Also, while most of us do not have access to a much larger ring flash setup, the Ray-Flash makes it possible for the serious hobbyist to experiment and improve on the standard single strobe setup.
Check out the range of Ray-Flash Ring Flash Adapters on Amazon.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
Using The Ray-Flash Ring Flash Adapter To Reduce Shadows
How To Color Balance Your Flash With Gels
Quick, what’s the difference between the light from your flash, the sun, those crazy, twisted light bulbs and the not so crazy twisted light bulbs? Easy answer: degrees Kelvin, or the color the lights give off. Not all light is equal and those who have done any amount of photography know how radically different light sources can be. Even the sun light coming to the Earth’s atmosphere changes temperature as measured in degrees Kelvin as the Earth rotates. This became glaringly apparent when color film came on the scene. Special films were made to match the color range of certain lights. Then came digital and its ability to magically switch between light color temperatures on the fly.
As handy as the digital revolution has been for color balancing, it still can’t make much of an impact when a flash is used in conjunction another temperature of light, like incandescent indoor lights. We’ve all seen the photos with a slight blue-white color cast on a face and the scene behind is a sickly orange-yellow. Or the green light given off by florescent lights. So what are we to do to make our camera happy with the color balance selection?
The simple answer is color gels. Specifically, color gels that approximate the color temperature of specific light sources. There are a number of sources on the internet where these gels can be purchased and the easiest kits I’ve found come from Photogels.com. Complete with color correction gels as well as special effects gels, and enough velcro to attach them to a standard flash, I purchased a three pack to cover all my flashes. There are three shades of each color correction gel to help match the temperature of ambient light (NOTE: You can put velcro on both sides of the gels and stack them to further fine tune the correction) and the kit comes with gels for matching sunlight (blue in the picture above), incandescent(orange) and florescent(green).
In practice the use of gels is simple. Just add and remove to your flash as you see fit. The gels can even be stored on the flash, out of the way, when not in use. To give you a better idea of how gels can affect light, I tested them out in a few different configurations when using the orange gels for incandescent (indoor) light.
First, let’s start with a baseline picture. (Thanks to my daughter for unknowingly donating some of her travel gifts)
(50mm, 1 second, f/11, ISO 100) I took a custom white balance for the overhead incandescent lights. As the lights are directly overhead and this setup is shot on a counter, heavy shadows are cast and you can’t even see the Statue Of Liberty’s face. So let’s use the flash to fill in what’s missing.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) Yikes!! With the same white balance as before, the flash is killing this picture. The shutter is longer to get better depth of field with the closeness of the subject matter. Well then, let’s change the white balance to flash and get rid of the blue cast.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) Getting a little closer with the white balance now set to the flash temperature. The depth of field is still causing the shutter to remain open for half a second. This allows the overhead lights to cast their (now ugly) orange light on the scene. Hmmmm, what if we cut the shutter speed down to get rid of that overhead cast?
(50mm, 1/250 second, f/4, ISO 100) Increasing the shutter speed cut down on the orange cast, but the depth of field is horrible. It’s time to try out the gels on the flash. First we’ll use the lightest gel and work our way up. For reference sake, let’s call the lightest gel a +1, then +2 for medium and +3 for the darkest gel.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) We’re back to the custom white balance for the overhead lights. The flash is firing but now there is a +1 gel on the flash. Comparing this to the second photo above (no gel, but custom white balanced the same and flash firing) there isn’t a ton of difference. Let’s take off the +1 and try +2.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) With a +2 filter and custom white balance, we’re getting a little less blue cast from the flash, but need to keep going.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) +3 now and the color, while not popping out (truth be know, the overall white balance could be adjusted slightly, but incandescent bulbs aren’t always known for their wonderful color renditions) is noticeably less blue cast from the flash. Let’s combine the +3 with the +1 for a +4.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) We’re at +4 and, on my screen, the background is starting to become a tad orange from the power of the flash. But not horribly so.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) Now for +5 (the darkest gel combined with the medium gel). The background is indeed getting orange cast and the duck is looking even more sickly. No one likes a sickly duck. Or llama.
(50mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 100) And now for +6, all the gels combined. By this time it’s too much, but there are cases when you may need to use all three gels.
While this demonstration is a bit simplistic, I hope it helps you understand how flash gels can be used to balance out ambient light. While there are other adjustments that can be made (such as increasing the flash output when more gels are applied as I don’t feel the E-TTL compensated enough), it serves to show how just the color can be balance. The other colored gels work the same for outdoor light and fluorescent light. Just note that you can’t use multiple colors at one time to balance out multiple light temperatures.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
How To Color Balance Your Flash With Gels
Slow Shutter Shoot-Out – 3 Slow Shutter Speed Techniques
Experimenting with Slow Shutter Speeds can be a lot of fun. Today Charles Clawson from blog.chaselliot.com sums up three types of slow shutter techniques and invites you show off your attempts at doing them.
There have been some great articles and interest lately on long exposures so I thought I would put together a hodgepodge of techniques and then turn it over to DPS readers to see what they can come up with. I’ve broken this slow shutter shoot-out into 3 categories. When you submit your photograph, do it under one of these styles. I’ve thrown in a few of my own as examples into the article just to give you an idea. Get a tripod, set your cameras to shutter priority and fire away.
1. Light Painting:
Digital Photography School Forum member Sodaman420 couldn’t have done a better job introducing the technique of Light Painting. His video is posted here. Light is what makes up your photos. Perhaps too often we limit ourselves to the normal diffused lighting we are used to seeing. Locking your camera down on a tripod and setting it for a slow shutter speed allows you to manually get some movement on the lights in your scene. Experiment with flashlights, rope lights, candles or anything handy. In the picture here I had a friend sit perfectly still in a completely dark room. I set the shutter to be roughly the time it would take me to walk around his chair holding a candle (8 seconds). His face was entirely lit by candlelight. Since I was moving too quickly to get in the shot, all you see is the floating flame. I know, it turned out a little demonic, but unintentionally. This is just to get your ideas flowing.
2. Capturing Movement:
Blur isn’t always a bad thing, especially when it captures the movement occurring in a photo. Photoshop even includes a filter called “motion blur” to recreate this effect if you missed it while taking the photograph. Find a scene that could appropriately benefit from motion blur and experiment. In this photo, I used a shutter speed just slow enough to get the movement of the carousel, but fast enough to not record my handheld camera jitters or the movement of the kids in the foreground (1/20 second). It would have been nice to have a tripod, but since one wasn’t available I had to fire off a few shots until I got one without camera shake.
3. Turning Darkness into Day:
I recently talked about this on my blog, but on a good moon lit night, it’s fun to create the illusion of photographs being taken in daylight but with the added effects that come with slow shutter speeds. This is a photography I took in Hawaii around 10pm on a dark night. The moon was out in full, so by letting my camera soak in the light for about 30 seconds, the colors start to appear in full vibrancy. When I took this shot, because it was so dark, I had no idea someone was sitting out on the rocks star gazing. If you live near the ocean, I love the dreamy look it gives to the moving water, rendering the waves almost like low-lying clouds.
Share Your Slow Shutter Speed Shots
Have you played with slow shutter speeds? We’d love to see what you’ve done. Head over to our forums and share some of your shots in the Share Your Shots section.
Further Reading on Shutter Speed
- Introduction to Shutter Speed
- Understanding Shutter Speed
- 15 Stunning Images Using Blur to Portray Movement
- How to Control Aperture and Shutter Speed on an Entry Level Point and Shoot Digital Camera
- How to capture Motion Blur in Photography
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
Slow Shutter Shoot-Out – 3 Slow Shutter Speed Techniques
Moon Photography Made Simple
It follows the Earth on our yearly trips around the sun. It’s a constant companion, ever changing and moving across the sky. It’s our moon. And it can be one of the trickiest objects to photograph. It’s existence as a wonderful reflector of light, most of the time against a black night sky, and its relative size can confound amateurs and pros alike.
So then, how do we photograph this wonderful satellite in all its glory? Today Peter Carey shares some moon photography tips.
First, remember the moon has its own Golden (or Magical) Hour for optimal effect. The Golden Hour for moon photography has a twist though. Because the moon’s rise and setting each night varies by nearly an hour each day, unlike the suns, you have to do a lot of planning ahead. Or just have dumb luck, look to the East and notice the moon is rising. If you prefer the planning route, this site from the US Navy provides both moon and sun rise and set times for any day or location you’d like, both US and International. And then using the graphical information at Full Moon Calendar.net, it’s easy to calculate the best time for shooting. A full moon rising usually gives the most dramatic shots as the moon is coming up just as the sun is setting (within about 20 minutes, give or take). So using either of the resources mentioned here will get you in the right ball park. And don’t forget to check your local weather forecast for rain.
Next, you’ll need a setting. While a picture of the moon by itself is always nice, placing something else in the frame will give a point of reference and bring quality to the moon. Catching it right as it comes over a mountain or desert or even the ocean. Place it between some trees, buildings or with action in the foreground. Anything that catches your fancy will do. But make sure the object is distant enough to help emphasize the moon. If you aren’t zoomed in enough, the moon will appear as a mere bright speck in the sky. So grab at least a 200mm zoom lens before you head out for best results. The longer the lens, the better (all images in this post were shot around 400mm). Renting a lens for a few great moon shots is another option that won’t break the bank and allow you to experiment.
Another reason the Golden Hour is so important is contrast. The ideal time to capture the moon near the horizon is when you can still see the horizon. If you were to capture the moon long after
the sun has set, say 3 hours, the foreground subject matter will not be illuminated and may not show well in the image. Or if the sky is already black, the moon will show as just a white blur if you attempt to brighten foreground objects. The image at left was taken in Utah just 20 minutes after the sun had set over the mountains to the West. If much more time had gone by, the clouds and hillside would be much less illuminated and the moon would have been less ‘oranged’. This time right around sunset can bring some interesting colors to the moon and is often referred to in the Autumn as the harvest moon.
While the Golden Hour for the moon is great for full or near full moon shots, you can still use the traditional Golden Hour around sunrise and sunset to capture half or crescent moons. This will take a little more work as the moon will be further off the horizon and thus subject matter will need a little more work in framing, but it can be done with great affect.
Spot metering will be your friend in shooting the moon. If your camera has it, use it while metering off the moon. Experiment with bracketing to bring out other objects in the frame. If your camera doesn’t have spot mode, it may still have a bracketing feature. 
Use this along with biasing the exposure to underexpose everything. It’s better to have the foreground a little dark than the moon be completely blown out with no detail.
Lastly, give yourself time. Time to scout out a good location. Time to understand that unlike the sun, the moon’s rise and set move North and South by quite a bit each night. So take the time for a month or two to get to know the moon and its habits. You’ll be better set to capture a beautiful image with just a little effort.
What are some of your favorite techniques for capturing images of the moon? Do you have some amazing shots of the moon you’d like to share? Use the Comments section below to provide your input!
Peter is an avid photographer who enjoys travel, portraiture and wildlife photography. A travel related blog of his past and current shenanigans can be found at The Carey Adventures.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
15 Stunning Images Using Blur to Portray Movement
Photo by Mr Bones - No exposure settings supplied
Today, as a followup to our post earlier in the week A Beginners Guide to Capturing Motion in Your Photography I want to post a series of posts from Flickr that all illustrate a variation on the same theme – movement.
The following shots are all of moving subjects where the photographer has made the choice to set their camera to capture the movement as blur rather than freezing it. This is in all cases by choosing (or letting the camera choose) a ’slow’ shutter speed (although by slow you’ll see that the speeds (noted under each image) vary from anything from 1/30 second to up to 40 minutes).
Photo by Ben McLeod – Shutter Speed – 8 seconds
Photo by zane&inzane - Exposure Time – 10 minutes
Photo by PhotoToasty – Composition of 3 images at shutter speeds of between 1.6 seconds and 25 seconds
Photo by Amnemona – No exposure settings given
Photo by Sara Heinrichs – Exposure Time: 20 seconds
Photo by Mace2000 – 50 second exposure time
Photo by WisDoc – Shutter Speed – 1/30
Photo by Mace2000 – Shutter Speed – 50 seconds
Photo by Wam Mosely – Shutter speed – 4/5 of a second
Photo by Mace2000 – Exposure Time – 43 seconds
Photo by jon madison – Exposure – photographer estimates somewhere between 30-40 minutes
Photo by thorinside – Shutter Speed – 13 seconds
Photo by tschnitzlein – No Exposure information given
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Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
15 Stunning Images Using Blur to Portray Movement
How To Control Multiple Flashes Wirelessly With A Canon 7D
Among the features listed on our recent review of the new powerhouse Canon EOS 7D is wireless flash control. Sought after by many photographers, this version 1.0 feature has some useful capabilities thanks to the addition of a popup flash to Canons X D line. Controlling flash ratios, as well as exposure, from the camera can make shoots with multiple flashes far easier. Flashes can further be controlled as individual groups or treated as one large flash.
The system works by using the camera’s pop-up flash as the master, while other Canon EX-Series flashes are set as slaves. In the demonstration below, all remote flashes are set to channel 1 (three channels are possible to prevent misfiring when working around other photographers) and then each flash is assigned group A, B or C. For this simple demonstration, A will be to the left of the model (in this case, the fabulous Groovy Girls car borrowed from my daughter), B will be to the right and C will be behind the car, lighting the background. Let’s take a look at how the controls work.
First, pop up the built in flash by pressing the button located on the front of the camera housing. Here’s the first shot of the Groovy Girls enjoying a ride in their Groovy Car, lit by only the pop-up flash (All images Canon7D, Canon 28-300mm L lens, 1/200sec, f/16, ISO 100). Click on images for a larger version.
Because the lens is a bit longer than standard there is a slight shadow at the bottom of the image.
Next, press the Menu button and then navigate to the first grouping, scrolling down until you reach “Flash Control”. Press the Set button (center of the rear control wheel)
On the next screen, select Built-in flash func. setting
Now, scroll down to Wireless func. and enable it if it is not already. Select just the center option (while not covered in this article, the other modes allow for inclusion of the pop-up flash’s light either as a ratio or as part of the overall metering)
The menu will return to the previous screen, where additional options will be unlocked. Only functions that may be used with your current setting will be selectable from this point on. Select firing group and Choose the (A:B) option. This selection allows the flashes in group A to be set as a ration to group B, or the other way around.
Notice two items below the Firing Group is A:B fire ratio. Here is what the image looks like when that ratio is set to 1:1 with two flashes spaced equal distances from the subject and slightly in front (with included diffusers and flash bounces utilized).
There’s a little more dimension added to the photo.
Here’s the same scene with a 4:1 A:B ratio (use the rear control wheel to make your ratio selection)
And again, the same scene adjusted to 1:8 A:B ratio
All this is done from the camera with no need to fiddle with the flashes themselves.
Now let’s include a third flash behind the car to light up the background and reduce some shadows (NOTE: this photo is shot inside a light tent so a rear flash on the curved backdrop will cause some added reflection from the top). Go back to the Firing group option and first, selecting (A+B+C), here’s what we get.
In this mode, the camera will attempt to balance the entire scene while using all the flashes. This leaves scenes with a bit too much light on the backdrop. This can be adjusted by reducing the exposure setting for group C, but a better idea is to not include C in the over all ratio. Switching to (A+B C) mode in the Firing group setting means C will not be included in the calculation for A and B lighting the main subject. It is generally understood in this situation that group C will be used to erase shadow from backdrops, although there can be many creative uses for it.
Now let’s adjust the lighting so it’s coming from in front of the car, from flash A.
Lastly, let’s bring down the group C light by 2 stops to lessen the glare, This is done by scrolling down to the Grp C exp. comp.
And the tweaking can go on and on and on. By no means a finished photo, the image could still use some adjustment. My goal with this article was to show how easy it is to adjust remote flashes from the Canon 7D camera body. At the same time it must also be said that going back into the menu selection each time to adjust the ratios can be annoying. Canon could do with adding a shortcut directly to the adjustments.
For a first attempt at this wireless flash control feature, I’d say Canon has done a decent job. They have made it useful for a photographer to use the creativity multiple flashes can bring to a shoot. On top of that, multiple flashes may be used within a group. Add in some color gels to the flashes and your own inventiveness starts to become your only limit.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
How To Control Multiple Flashes Wirelessly With A Canon 7D
How To Shoot Lava With Photographer Bryan Lowry
During a recent trip to Hawai’i’s Big Island I was treated to a wonderful volcano tour thanks to KapohoKine Adventures. We toured around a number of sites and had the great fortune to watch fresh lava from Kilauea pour into the sea. The majesty of watching an island be built right before my eyes, and the mix of boiling lava churning with the blue of the sea, stayed with me long after I returned home. To the point where I started seeking out the better lava photographers in order to purchase a photograph. This is how I found Bryan Lowry on Twitter.
After touring his site, Lavapix.com, and purchasing one of his 8×10s that captured my interest, I wrote Bryan and asked if he would be available for an interview on his craft. As you’ll see in the answers below, Bryan has been shooting lava for quite a while and has honed his technique after nearly two decades watching lava flows. I thank him for taking the time to help others learn how to safely shoot this awesome natural phenomena.
You can catch up with Bryan on Twitter(lavapixcom), Facebook and his blog. Last month Bryan also started donating 20% of his photo sale profits from his site to Easter Seals Hawaii. Bryan has benefited greatly from Easter Seal’s help when he was younger and this is his way of showing his appreciation. As he states in his blog, “you don’t get wealthy being an adventure/landscape photographer. Its being able to do something you love that is the payoff.” More on his charitable efforts can be found here.
Q: How long have you been dedicated to your passion of lava photography?
A: Since my first hike at the lava flows in 1991. I’d always been into photography but, I didn’t get serious about it until I saw my first lava flow. Even then I never showed anyone my images for nearly 10 years.
It was and still is something I do because I enjoy it immensely. I’d have to say I live a very unusual life. Everything I do is based on the lava flow activity.
Q: What you consider work, most of us travel to Hawaii on vacation to enjoy. What is the most important piece of information you’d give to tourists coming to the Big Island and wanting good photographs of lava in action?
A: Well this might sound obvious but, when people get to actually see or go near flowing lava they seem to forget all common sense. I mean this in a good way as it’s an incredible experience. Safety is the most important thing for tourists.
Kilauea’s lava flows can be really visitor friendly but there are dangers. Too many to list here in detail, so it’s basic things like stay out of closed areas. One might think the area looks safe but lava flow activity can change suddenly and closed areas are where this happens often. How does this relate to getting good photos? There are no good photos if you’re dead 
Q: What’s something unique to lava photography that the amateur might want to think about before shooting?
A: Lighting changes every millisecond. It’s basically out of your control. Try not to use your flash on surface flows and no flash on ocean entry photos. Turn it off, it’s useless. Also, have lots of water. Twice as much as you’re uses to drinking. The hot lava dehydrates you quickly. Wear closed toe shoes. People seemingly always show up with only sandals and let me tell you, the old cooled lava is like walking on shards of glass. Cheap gardening gloves are handy too.
Q: Is there any particular gear you’d suggest bringing on a trip to Hawai’i to help capture great lava photos?
A: A good sturdy tripod is essential. Rent one on the island if needed. Also rain gear. Even something simple like one of those plastic grocery bags to cover your camera is better then nothing.
All of my gear is in ziplock bags within my pack for added protection. Its usually windy with passing heavy rain most of the day or night.
Q: What’s your opinion of the boat trips that get you close to where the flows enter the sea?
A: While I’ve never been on the tour, I do know from seeing them from the ocean entry’s I visit, that they get you very close to the action. So close I can easily talk to the people on the boats from land. I would think its a great way for people to visit closed or difficult to access areas.
Bring your Dramamine. It is an open ocean in that area.
Q: Is there any way to predict a good day for shooting?
A: I monitor USGS charts, webcams and seismic meters daily but, generally no nothing concrete. Many longer hikes to areas that are out of sight can lead to nothing. That’s when I go exploring. 
You never know for sure what the weather will be like so I carry everything you could imagine. Minimum 3 gallons of water for long hikes. Its hot during the day if it doesn’t rain. Even when it does the humidity drains you. In general my instincts of when to hike out have been really good. Pele has been good to me, too.
Q: What are your favorite places to shoot, besides lava in action?
A: The more out of the way areas of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Very interesting and no people. Also, the ocean entry’s.
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
How To Shoot Lava With Photographer Bryan Lowry
Rock Climbing Photography Tips With Kamil Bialous
I’ve been into rock climbing on and off for the past couple of decades. About the same amount of time I’ve been into photography (but that’s been more on than off). It hasn’t been until recently, though, that I’ve become interested in marrying the two in something more than an accidental way. After trying my hand at photographing a local indoor climbing competition and also planning an upcoming climb of a 20,000′ peak in Nepal, I decided to make learning the craft a goal of mine.
In searching for someone to help me, and you, learn more about climbing photography, I turned to Twitter. Kamil Bialous was kind enough to heed my call and after checking out his nicely designed portfolio website(http://www.kamilbialous.com), I set about asking him a few questions in hopes of learning how he captures his wonderful images.
But first, a small bit of climbing terminology is in order:
- Bouldering – Climbing on boulders low to the ground and not requiring ropes.
- Jug or Jugging – Ascending a rope by means of mechanical equipment or knots.
- Crux – The hardest move or section of a climb.
- Rap – Short form of rappel, using a rope to descend from a climb.
- Crag – Rock cliffs
- Pitch as in Multi-Pitch – approximately one rope length (about 120-150′)
- Tinnies – Canned beer. This is more a Commonwealth term than a climbing term.
There are no formal rock climbing photography schools that I’m aware of, so how did you go about learning your craft?
I started developing my climbing photography during a time when I was climbing heavily and training for climbing almost daily, for several years. This coincided with my exploratory period in photography where I was beginning to find my photographic vision. The opportunities arose from being surrounded all the time by ambitious, fun, and fit people. I started shooting bouldering on a few trips to Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee – I really love the rock in these areas, and the photos always had a very raw look to them, which I enjoyed. Photographing bouldering didn’t require me to operate a camera at a great height, and allowed me to really focus on my craft and discover new perspectives, and angles that looked good to me. That was really important to me – not replicating what was already out there.
What do you find most difficult about shooting on the side of a cliff?
For experienced climbers, shooting on a cliff will not pose too much technical difficulty. I’ll assume a new climber, or a photographer with limited ropes experience. There are a few notable challenges that present themselves. First and foremost is your own safety – learn the proper techniques, ropes, and systems management for shooting tethered to a cliff. Know, however, that once you are tethered, horizontal mobility becomes rather difficult, so your creativity may be restricted. Finding a vantage point that allows mobility for various angles and perspectives, while still allowing you to capture your vision for the shot/route/move/sequence is one of the interesting and challenging aspects to roped climbing photography. Next up is equipment management. I’ve got it dialed now with a little modified bag to hold my stuff without getting in the way, but there is no rule book on this. Comfort is also paramount while hanging in a harness for a long time while a climber works a route for the umpteenth time, so those cute sport climbing harnesses that look like a thong may not be my first choice.
What special precautions do you take to ensure your gear doesn’t take a plunge?
Again, no definite rule book exists for how you protect your equipment while on rope. Photographers generally work out and modify a system that allows their shooting technique the most flexibility. Personally, I tether my camera to myself, or to my main jugging rope. My gear comes on my back in a modified backpack that I can sling like a bucket below me from my belay loop or from an ascender. Careful is the keyword when changing lenses. My backpack, which also acts like a bucket due to its top opening, becomes really handy here. Camera body is never detached from its safety tether.
When you’re planning a shoot, are you typically climbing up before the climber or finding a likely location to rappel from above?
Planning for a particular shot or a shoot is really important, as you want to minimize the amount extra work you’ll be doing. You’re already hiking in with maybe 20 extra pounds, (maybe 20 extra pounds on top of that with a light setup), than the climbers, so no extra work, please. I usually start off speaking with the climber about where the crux of the route might be, or try to view and imagine the line and see where the best light, or most interesting movement may come. Again, creativity and knowledge of the sport is important here. If I can walk up the back of the climb, and rap down, I will. Failing that I will set up an anchor and jug up the line before the climber. On new routes or projects, I will often watch a climber on their first go, and try to determine where the most interesting image or scene will happen. Upon reaching the anchors, I will ask for them to haul up my rope and set up an anchor, so that I can jug up my rope and have vertical control of where I am on the route for their next attempt. Of course, again, if you’re shooting from a rope, horizontal mobility is compromised, so see if you can get an excellent image without having to jug.
During a typical day on the wall, how many great shots can you expect to take home?
For each climber/route combination I photograph, I challenge myself to walk away with one “cover” shot. To me this means that on that specific day, given the conditions, lighting, climber, and rock, this one shot represents the best photograph that anyone could create that encapsulates the story of that route the best. Perhaps it was the crux move, perhaps it was a moment of failure, a missed hold, or a victorious clip of the anchors or gear placement – it has to be cover worthy. If I get one of these, I am happy. Nonetheless, I try to shoot in a documentary style throughout the day for stock. These are shots that may become something, but I went to the crag first to shoot the climbing.
The shots looking straight down on a climber coming up, do you have to do a lot of contorting and waiting to capture the moment?
It does take a little bit of practice to keep your bits and pieces like rope, gear, slings, feet, out of the frame especially when shooting with wide angle lenses. Often times ending up in a horizontal position to get the perfect perspective, or to keep something out of the frame. At the same time, with practice, you realize that directly overhead, is usually not going to create the best photo – unless you’re shooting splitter cracks in Indian Creek, and even then it’s a maybe. Above and a little off-axis from the climb is usually best as it situates the line in the environment a little bit better. In any case, if you’re looking straight down, you’re going to have to be comfortable hanging in weird positions, waiting for the climber to reach the decisive spot on the climb. So get comfortable, and wait.
How much scouting do you do before shooting?
That really depends on how familiar I am with the area. If I know the area well, then very likely minimal scouting is required. The challenge will be on-location to find a new angle that I or someone else has not shot before. That’s the exciting creative side of climbing photography for me. For example, shoot really wide and far away, shoot through the trees, or shoot really tight – get the climber’s face and hand only, maybe. Try new things. Before getting to a crag, and if I know the route I’ll be shooting, I have in the past Google’d the route to see what images have been done, so that I force myself to shoot something new. I think the climbers I shoot with really appreciate the effort in not replicating the same thing, and telling a new story of the climb. When I get to the crag, I’ve been know to drift off and walk around a lot, sometimes far away, trying to find an angle from the ground that will work best while the climbers are getting ready. In any case, I always bring a mix of gear that will allow me to shoot from wherever the best perspective is for the given route.
What is one of your most memorable adventures while photographing climbers?
Friendships and relationships are the most important thing that will contribute to a memorable climbing shoot. A lot of my shoots are on multi-day trips and each trip has its own weave of stories and misadventures. I recall one day this past summer when two friends of mine were climbing a long multi-pitch route called Angel’s Crest in Squamish, BC. Although, not particularly difficult it’s rather long at 15 pitches, and the day turned out to be really hot, particularly long for them due to some questionable route finding – offenders to remain nameless. I comfortably watched with binoculars from the deck of a friend’s back yard as the duo wandered and meandered their way up in the heat of the day. When they were nearing the end, my friend and I headed up the back trails to the summit and awaited the climbers with a couple of cold beers that we insulated in our backpack. We were met with hoots and excitement when the tinnies came out. I snapped one of my favorite portraits of them at the top of that climb, as they quenched their thirst after 15 pitches of climbing. We hiked back down together in the dying light and had a killer bbq meal at our friend’s Peter’s house. Simple and perfect.
For the rock climbers in our reading audience, what other advice might you have to help them get started in taking great photos on the crags?
Without a doubt, you’ve got one step up on everyone else because you know and are comfortable with the lifestyle of the sport. For example, you know that when a climber rests on a climb, they are likely to re-chalk, when they pull out their hand out of the chalk bag, chalk will go flying everywhere and that may make for a cool photo if shot really tight. Emotions are most important in climbing images, as it’s such a dynamic and emotional activity. Don’t look in magazines to get your direction on what “look” you should be going for. Don’t try to compete with anyone for an aesthetic. Shoot to convey what YOU believe good climbing images should look like. Shoot what YOU believe should be running in magazines. That is the only way new creative content will be produced. Don’t get too hung up on gear, the more you have, the more stuff you have to carry. Try to compete on creativity of angles, composition, and light. That is where I believe the frontier lies in climbing photography. It’s not about how sharp an element of a photograph is – it’s whether you get sweaty palms from looking at the emotion in the photo.
For those looking for further inspiration beyond the wonderful images on your site, who are some climbing photographers you admire?
Thanks very much for that. I have a couple that I really enjoy seeing the work of. First off, I think Gordon Wiltsie’s work is quite amazing. (www.alpenimage.com) I admire his work with the late Alex Lowe on some of the world’s greatest big walls, as well as the stuff he’s been shooting for National Geographic. Andrew Burr’s work is also great (www.andrewburr.com), as is Cory Richards from Canada (www.crichardsphoto.com). I really enjoy these photographers for their documentary approach to shooting images that are essentially commercial, and depictions of emotions in their photos.
If you would like to check out more of Kamil’s work, you can find his portfolio here as well as connect with his work on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you Kamil for lending your time and talent!
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.
Rock Climbing Photography Tips With Kamil Bialous