Night Shots

Long Exposure

Tips from http://digital-photography-school.com/8-tips-for-long-exposure-photography, http://

www.exposureguide.com/long-exposure-photography-tips.htm, and http://www.exposureguide.com/

long-exposure-photography-tips.htm. 

Using long exposure techniques you can capture some really striking pictures. These work by using 

low shutter speeds to capture the light and motion for the effect you are looking for. There are a few 

things you will need to get your images to come out the way you want. The first is a tripod set on firm 

ground to keep the camera steady. If it is windy out, make sure to secure the strap so it doesn’t catch 

the wind. Cover the viewfinder so light doesn’t get in and pollute the image. If you don’t have a remote to trigger the shot use the timer mode so the camera settles between you pushing the shutter button 

and it starting the exposure.  One last housekeeping tip before moving on to the settings used: bring a 

flashlight or headlamp so you can see the buttons and LCD screens on your camera when it’s dark out! 

This is frustrating when overlooked.

Set your camera to manual, you’ll want to be able to adjust both the aperture and shutter speed. Keep 

the ISO low at 100 to get the least noise possible. If your images are coming out too dark, adjust the 

shutter speed, not the ISO. Aperture will depend on what you’re going for.  Use low aperture of f/1.4-4.0 for particularly low light situations, or when you are close to the subject and want a blurred background. 

High aperture f/9.0-22.0 will get everything in focus, so it’s good for cityscapes, landscapes, car light 

trails, etc. Now set the shutter speed accordingly, it will usually range from 5-15 seconds, but can go 

over 30 seconds if you are trying to capture star trails, in which case you will need to switch your camera to Bulb mode. To get the focus right either get there early because cameras have a hard time focusing in the dark, or use manual focus. There is a lot of variation with these shots so play with the settings until you start to see how the camera records the light.

Need to know:

ISO 100

f/ 9.0-22.0

Shutter speed 5-15 sec

ISO 100,  f/9 @ 7sec

ISO 100,  f/16 @ 10sec