I recently purchased a Nikon D3300, hoping that it would be the perfect camera to get me started in photography. So far, that has been mostly true (there are a lot of features on the camera that are way over my head as a beginner).

Anyways, a friend and I were doing some draining in hopes of shooting some cool long exposures. These are the first long exposures I've ever shot, and are among some of the first pictures I've ever taken on a DSLR. Feel free to rip them apart, but keep in mind - we were just shooting for fun and for the experience. NONE HAVE BEEN EDITED

1

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2

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3 (I know it's a shitty picture, but I'm curious how to make it better)

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Very neat location! One thing that would make these pics more interesting is limiting each shot to having 1 thing happening. All of them have 3 objects of interest that overlap each other, and this can create confusion if not done carefully. By having just the glow-sticks, or just one of the swirls, or removing the reflection or even shooting a clean plate and just adding the reflection from one of the pictures would be cool.

Certainly what you need is help with light effects, rather than photography.

It looks like you've done everything right -- camera on tripod, using bulb exposure to give yourself all the time you need (right?), and the focus is decently sharp which I often struggle with in dark situations (other than 3). I like 1 the best because there is less light on the distracting wall outside the tunnel.

Other things you could do include trying to shoot from within the tunnel looking out, using steel wool (it's a cliche but still a lot of fun), and painting less abstract designs with light.

Usually I think buying a DSLR as a starter camera is a waste of money, but you seem to be handling the deep end well.

Would you guys say that in photography (generally) there should always be only one point of focus, or one thing your eyes are instantly drawn toward?

Posted by Steed Other things you could do include trying to shoot from within the tunnel looking out, using steel wool (it's a cliche but still a lot of fun), and painting less abstract designs with light.

Yeah I did use bulb exposure! How does the steel wool effect work? I've seen it done, but I dont know how people do that!

Posted by ZyK Would you guys say that in photography (generally) there should always be only one point of focus, or one thing your eyes are instantly drawn toward?

Not necessarily. Pictures with three of something are generally considered good in composition terms. Any picture that shows some sort of a relationship, like a person looking at or interacting with something or someone else usually works too.

As for steel wool, you just need something that can hold something that gets very hot. Ive used old usb cables, untwisted coathangers, and metal twine borrowed from a fence.

Posted by Steed As for steel wool, you just need something that can hold something that gets very hot. Ive used old usb cables, untwisted coathangers, and metal twine borrowed from a fence.

Try stuffing the steel wool into a whisk, and then tie string to the whisk so you can spin it.

I think you've got two problems in #3. First, it's out of focus. Focusing can be hard with light painting, but I've found the best way to do it is have someone stand in the picture pointing a flashlight straight at the camera, and use that to focus.

And the other problem is there's just not enough light. In 1 and 2 you had enough light to actually light up the drain so we can see where you are. In 3, there wasn't enough, so it's black. You can either fix this by using brighter lights, or by keeping the shutter open longer. You could even think about doing a wash of ambient light with a flashlight from behind the camera.

nothing practice can't help! #2 has to be the best

I think multiple points of focus are OK, but it has to make sense. Typically you want to have the eye-catching elements placed in such a manner that they eyes will follow a natural path from one to the next to the next. (Triangles are a good place to start.) With these images, my eyes are jumping all over the place.

Posted by ZyK Would you guys say that in photography (generally) there should always be only one point of focus, or one thing your eyes are instantly drawn toward?