1. Three legs are better than two. A tripod is absolutely essential, but rather than running out and purchasing any old tripod I strongly suggest saving up for a well built model from a reputable tripod manufacturer, Gitzo and Manfrotto are two that spring to mind. A tripod that is poorly built or overly light weight for your camera will be next to useless as it will shake with any light breeze or even under the vibration of your cameras shutter.
2. ISO, the way to go. So we are about to photograph using low light levels, first things first turn your ISO up, right? WRONG. Digital sensor noise becomes particularly bad during long exposures and the best way to avoid such noise is to shoot with a low ISO. For most circumstances my camera performs best set to 100 ISO so I try to leave it there. Simply lower the shutter speed to obtain a correct exposure, after all, with a good tripod you camera isn't moving anywhere.
3. ND is for me. The neutral density filter can be used to great effect in landscape photography. Sometimes you are shooting on your lowest ISO and smallest aperture yet you still desire a slower shutter speed. This is where the humble ND filter steps in. Available in a variety of strengths I recommend picking up a couple and having a play with slowing your shutter speeds even further.
4. Is Film, Is Dead. For long exposure photography it's not. Unlike digital sensors which develop unpleasant noise during long exposures film handles it nicely and can render some really great long exposure images. One issue of note when using film for long exposure work is a bugger known as reciprocity failure. Basically film loses sensitivity to light over the length of the exposure and this must be compensated for. Find a reciprocity chart for the specific brand and type of film you are using, make your exposure corrections and bob is your uncle, assuming you have an uncle named bob, that is.
5. Guiding light. No I'm not referring to a golden light emanating from the sky and leading you towards the path of forgiveness, that's called acid and was big in the 70's. What I am referring to is a cheap, battery operated torch. Trust me when I say it is an essential piece of kit. As you start shooting long exposure photos you will start finding yourself in situations of fading light, a torch is a great asset to help you change camera settings and find your way out of locations in the dark.
2. ISO, the way to go. So we are about to photograph using low light levels, first things first turn your ISO up, right? WRONG. Digital sensor noise becomes particularly bad during long exposures and the best way to avoid such noise is to shoot with a low ISO. For most circumstances my camera performs best set to 100 ISO so I try to leave it there. Simply lower the shutter speed to obtain a correct exposure, after all, with a good tripod you camera isn't moving anywhere.
3. ND is for me. The neutral density filter can be used to great effect in landscape photography. Sometimes you are shooting on your lowest ISO and smallest aperture yet you still desire a slower shutter speed. This is where the humble ND filter steps in. Available in a variety of strengths I recommend picking up a couple and having a play with slowing your shutter speeds even further.
4. Is Film, Is Dead. For long exposure photography it's not. Unlike digital sensors which develop unpleasant noise during long exposures film handles it nicely and can render some really great long exposure images. One issue of note when using film for long exposure work is a bugger known as reciprocity failure. Basically film loses sensitivity to light over the length of the exposure and this must be compensated for. Find a reciprocity chart for the specific brand and type of film you are using, make your exposure corrections and bob is your uncle, assuming you have an uncle named bob, that is.
5. Guiding light. No I'm not referring to a golden light emanating from the sky and leading you towards the path of forgiveness, that's called acid and was big in the 70's. What I am referring to is a cheap, battery operated torch. Trust me when I say it is an essential piece of kit. As you start shooting long exposure photos you will start finding yourself in situations of fading light, a torch is a great asset to help you change camera settings and find your way out of locations in the dark.
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Read more great articles from samuel - wedding photography - film vs digital and destination wedding photography in Sydney Australia
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