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UER Forum > UE Photo Critiques > Tried my hand at long exposure (Viewed 7380 times)
hugedickfellas 


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Tried my hand at long exposure
< on 1/4/2016 6:07 PM >
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Hey everyone. Pretty new here. Just took my second real exploration trip yesterday.

I was in this abandoned medical center, and decided to take a picture out the window with a long exposure. The goal was to be 'looking out the window', and have a really cool long exposure of a highway on the other side.

I'm very new to exploration an to photography, so any tips would be greatly appreciated.


Long exposure window shot by Hugedick Fellas, on Flickr




Jeff_ 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 1 on 1/4/2016 7:28 PM >
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The camera shake is making it tough to see the image. What was your shutter speed?

For long exposure shots I will often switch to a timed shot, this prevents any shake due to finger movement and allows the tripod to settle.

Beyond that, I would say a shallower DOF would enhance the window (if that was your intent). And aligning the camera with the window edges is always a nice tough IMO.




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DawnPatrol 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 2 on 1/4/2016 9:50 PM >
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f/3.5
2 seconds
ISO 400

on camera flash fired

flickr shows the exif data.


I was a little confused as to why the interior of the building was sharper than the scenery outside the window. Until I realized you used a flash. Basically, there's A LOT of camera shake in this photo, so much so that I'm wondering if you attempted this handheld. The flash went off and got you a decent exposure of the interior and then the rest of the 2 second exposure exposed for what was happening outside the window.

My suggestion is that if you're not using a tripod, get a tripod. I wouldn't really attempt anything slower than 1/60 or MAYBE 1/40 (if I had something to lean against) handheld. If you are using a tripod, get a shutter release cable. You can get a wired one pretty cheap on amazon (under $10). It prevents you from physically having to touch the camera and shake it to open the shutter and allows you to shoot in bulb mode which you might be interested in if you want to do longer exposures.




hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 3 on 1/5/2016 1:35 AM >
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Posted by DawnPatrol
f/3.5
2 seconds
ISO 400

on camera flash fired

flickr shows the exif data.


I was a little confused as to why the interior of the building was sharper than the scenery outside the window. Until I realized you used a flash. Basically, there's A LOT of camera shake in this photo, so much so that I'm wondering if you attempted this handheld. The flash went off and got you a decent exposure of the interior and then the rest of the 2 second exposure exposed for what was happening outside the window.

My suggestion is that if you're not using a tripod, get a tripod. I wouldn't really attempt anything slower than 1/60 or MAYBE 1/40 (if I had something to lean against) handheld. If you are using a tripod, get a shutter release cable. You can get a wired one pretty cheap on amazon (under $10). It prevents you from physically having to touch the camera and shake it to open the shutter and allows you to shoot in bulb mode which you might be interested in if you want to do longer exposures.


Thanks for the feedback. We did bring a tripod, but only have a pretty small one that wouldnt have been able to stand high enough to get this shot. So we took the big plank of wood (previously used to board the window in the picture) that was on the ground, and had two guys hold it up while we took the picture with the camera using the wood as a point of contact. That shutter release might be worth looking into in the future.





hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 4 on 1/5/2016 1:36 AM >
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Posted by Jeff_
The camera shake is making it tough to see the image. What was your shutter speed?

For long exposure shots I will often switch to a timed shot, this prevents any shake due to finger movement and allows the tripod to settle.

Beyond that, I would say a shallower DOF would enhance the window (if that was your intent). And aligning the camera with the window edges is always a nice tough IMO.


EXIF data is included on the Flickr link. Thanks for the feedback about depth of field and alignment - like I said, we're new to this, and that helps a lot!




DawnPatrol 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 5 on 1/5/2016 3:05 AM >
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haha, I'm not really sure where the logic that two people holding a piece of wood would be sturdier than one person holding a camera came from... You really should just get a taller tripod. Your camera is light so you can go with a cheap one. Years ago I bought a dynex on amazon for $40 that was 60", you could probably find one even cheaper that would be fine for your uses. Then once you've used it long enough, you'll figure out what you might want to look for should you decide to upgrade to a nicer sturdier one.




tiffers 


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...

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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 6 on 1/5/2016 11:20 PM >
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Tripod is a definite must. I also am not sure that a 2 second exposure would be considered 'long exposure', but perhaps for some. It looks to me like there was a flash or a flash light? It's reflecting in the window...and also lighting up the inside wall...? I would also advise straightening your images, if you can't take them straight, straighten them in post. Good luck.




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hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 7 on 1/6/2016 11:56 PM >
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Posted by DawnPatrol
haha, I'm not really sure where the logic that two people holding a piece of wood would be sturdier than one person holding a camera came from... You really should just get a taller tripod. Your camera is light so you can go with a cheap one. Years ago I bought a dynex on amazon for $40 that was 60", you could probably find one even cheaper that would be fine for your uses. Then once you've used it long enough, you'll figure out what you might want to look for should you decide to upgrade to a nicer sturdier one.


We figured two people braced against the wood made for a good surface for the photographer to use as an extra point of contact, in addition to his hands and head. It didn't seem like such a bad idea

If we decide to get more serious with shots like this, a new tripod will be one of the first things we pick up.




hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 8 on 1/6/2016 11:57 PM >
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Posted by tiffers
Tripod is a definite must. I also am not sure that a 2 second exposure would be considered 'long exposure', but perhaps for some. It looks to me like there was a flash or a flash light? It's reflecting in the window...and also lighting up the inside wall...? I would also advise straightening your images, if you can't take them straight, straighten them in post. Good luck.


Thanks for the tips!




blackhawk 

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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 9 on 1/7/2016 12:19 AM >
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Posted by antuna


We figured two people braced against the wood made for a good surface for the photographer to use as an extra point of contact, in addition to his hands and head. It didn't seem like such a bad idea

If we decide to get more serious with shots like this, a new tripod will be one of the first things we pick up.


Many times tripods are over rated and not worth the trouble. Use a towel in between to brace to any hard surface.
The real trick is getting the shot square; this shot is not.

For exposures over 1/8 a second a tripod is nice with a remote shutter control.
Going with a smaller aperture setting like f/8 would yield a better shot if you can kill the shake. Most lens are sharpest between f5.6-8.0 however there are exceptions. Determine where your lens is sharpest by referring to online interactive blur charts for that lense. Don't stray from its optimum f/ setting without good reason.
A higher ISO setting would have been a fair trade off as well for a smaller aperture setting or shorter exposure time.




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sirpsychosexy 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 10 on 1/7/2016 1:07 AM >
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The idea is very good! Execution could be a lot better. Most has been said about it already; use a tripod and a remote or the timer on your camera to eliminate shake. The tripod also helps with getting a shot straight, especially if you buy one with a bubble level. If you for some reason can't or don't want to use a tripod (although you absolutely should, don't be lazy ) you can check out what the maximum ISO setting of your camera is. Setting it higher will result in a shorter exposure needed at the expense of more noise. In terms of aperture f/3.5 is already pretty wide, but if you can lower that number even more (thus widen the aperture - letting in more light) it also shortens the exposure time needed. If you have a cheap compact camera these settings might not be available, in this case start saving for a DSLR ;)

The flash isn't looking bad in this one, but an on-camera flash is a risky thing to use. Often it eliminates all shadows and you'll end up with very adynamic photos. The better way is lightpainting with (a) flashlight(s), or doing some pops with a handheld off-camera flash.




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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 11 on 1/7/2016 4:48 AM >
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Posted by blackhawk

Many times tripods are over rated and not worth the trouble.



I have to strongly disagree with this. Personally, for a long time I had a pretty limited beginner dslr. ISO couldn't go passed 400 without being unbearable. A tripod was the only way I could get decent shots without sacrificing quality when it came to interiors. Even now that I'm shooting with a camera that's light years away from my old one in quality, I still bring my tripod with me because when I'm shooting abandonments (a still subject) there's no reason to sacrifice quality and get a shallow depth of field or a grainier shot when I can just be slightly more patient and do a longer exposure with a tripod. Just my personal opinion... but if I haven't said it enough in here already I'm completely pro-tripod :p




hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 12 on 1/8/2016 1:48 AM >
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Posted by blackhawk


Many times tripods are over rated and not worth the trouble. Use a towel in between to brace to any hard surface.
The real trick is getting the shot square; this shot is not.

For exposures over 1/8 a second a tripod is nice with a remote shutter control.
Going with a smaller aperture setting like f/8 would yield a better shot if you can kill the shake. Most lens are sharpest between f5.6-8.0 however there are exceptions. Determine where your lens is sharpest by referring to online interactive blur charts for that lense. Don't stray from its optimum f/ setting without good reason.
A higher ISO setting would have been a fair trade off as well for a smaller aperture setting or shorter exposure time.


Thanks for this. A lot of that can be confusing for a new photographer.




hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 13 on 1/8/2016 1:50 AM >
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Posted by sirpsychosexy
The idea is very good! Execution could be a lot better. Most has been said about it already; use a tripod and a remote or the timer on your camera to eliminate shake. The tripod also helps with getting a shot straight, especially if you buy one with a bubble level. If you for some reason can't or don't want to use a tripod (although you absolutely should, don't be lazy ) you can check out what the maximum ISO setting of your camera is. Setting it higher will result in a shorter exposure needed at the expense of more noise. In terms of aperture f/3.5 is already pretty wide, but if you can lower that number even more (thus widen the aperture - letting in more light) it also shortens the exposure time needed. If you have a cheap compact camera these settings might not be available, in this case start saving for a DSLR ;)

The flash isn't looking bad in this one, but an on-camera flash is a risky thing to use. Often it eliminates all shadows and you'll end up with very adynamic photos. The better way is lightpainting with (a) flashlight(s), or doing some pops with a handheld off-camera flash.


Thanks for this one. Good info about the flash and aperture. The camera is a DSLR (you can see on the Flickr what it was shot with), a Canon t3i, so all those settings are available!




blackhawk 

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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 14 on 1/8/2016 2:26 AM >
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Posted by antuna


Thanks for this. A lot of that can be confusing for a new photographer.


It's not as confusing as it seems once you immerse yourself in it. Learn the basics first and understand that photography is a combination of art and science. You need to understand it on both of those levels, the deeper the better.

Here's a site that has interactive blur charts for many lens. Knowing the limitations and the strong points of a lense helps you to get the most out of it. Great aid when deciding which lense to buy too.
http://www.slrgea.../reviews/index.php




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Forgotten Beauty Photography 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 15 on 1/8/2016 2:37 AM >
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Definitely putting in another vote for needing a tripod for long exposures. I personally don't like to use mine when doing explores because it's just another piece of shit to carry, but I tend to explore during the day and I have a camera that does all right at higher ISO. If you're shooting at night or anywhere with such low light you need a decent tripod.

I'd recommend getting one with a ball head too, since leveling a tripod without one is a pain in the ass since you're constantly fiddling with the height of the legs.

Also, definitely get a remote trigger. You've got a T3i, so you can grab something like this: http://www.amazon....eras/dp/B00BCEJ0E0 for less than $10.

For night or very low-light, I like to set my camera to use the remote on a 2 second timer and set the shooting controls to full manual with manual focus. Make sure everything is good and settled and then shoot away. Adjust ISO, shutter speed, and aperture as needed and try again.

It's sometimes hard to gauge what combination of these factors will work best for a given lighting environment, so it helps to experiment a little and see what works for your camera and shooting style.




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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 16 on 1/8/2016 4:41 AM >
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If you really don't want to get a tripod, learn to use surrounding objects as a makeshift tripod. See a table or counter or chair? Set the camera down, put it in timer mode, click the shutter release and wait for it to finish. Get creative. It isn't optimal, but it can work.

Otherwise, you could do what I do, and take 4-8 pictures at an incredibly high ISO, then auto-align them in photoshop, and take the median value. This gets rid of most (if not all) of the outlying ISO noise. The result is a decent quality picture. Most people will tell you not to bother. It can be a lot of work, but it's either that or bringing a tripod.



[last edit 1/8/2016 4:44 AM by Piecat - edited 1 times]

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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 17 on 1/8/2016 4:41 AM >
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How has nobody mentioned his Flickr name Lolol.




hugedickfellas 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 18 on 1/8/2016 12:42 PM >
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Posted by Rinzler
How has nobody mentioned his Flickr name Lolol.


It's a long story but if you look on or Flickr there's a bunch of guys I explore with. I don't remember exactly how but we just decided to coin the name and use it as our exploration group!




rachelmackayy 


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Re: Tried my hand at long exposure
< Reply # 19 on 1/8/2016 1:29 PM >
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Hello!

not bad for your first shot!

Here are some things I do to get a killer long exposure shot:
- I use a canon rebel t3i
- my shutter speed is 30" or 25"
- ISO goes to the lowest, so thats 100
- I also use a tripod
- I also try to not get any street lights in the photo because I believe thats why it gets all orange, I could be totally wrong that's just my opinion.

some simple things such as straightening the picture and making it darker would help! again, this isn't too bad. if you didn't wanna take any of the tips others and myself have suggested I would simply darken the window area in photoshop or something. I recently took my first long exposure. I'm probably going to post my attempts and ask for advice as well. keep trying with it. I stood outside in 14 degree weather last weekend on a bridge for two hours trying to get a decent shot!

lol I fell taking my first one so here, oh boy1.





[last edit 1/8/2016 1:49 PM by rachelmackayy - edited 2 times]

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