Question about long exposure and filters

[Hobby Shooter]

OK, thanks for the gear tip. I am actually moving back to Europe in a few weeks and will hold any further investments until getting back. Also, this is a first try and I will see if I get hooked, looking at your pictures and if I could at least get close to that, I am sure I will be.

We have some beautiful landscape areas with creeks and a big lake close to our summer house. I'll likely continue to practice there before I'd go all in on more gear for this area.

Interesting comment about how you meter. You're on a quite advanced level. I have a lot to learn just starting out with it. I checked out a couple of videos and will shoot in AV and let the camera give me the shutter speed. It's a start and I don't want too much to think about.

Again, many thanks for all the info.

J

Good luck. You are blessed to have those potential subjects around you. Make do first with what you have and shoot in the golden hour/blue hour for optimum results. Long exposure photography is indeed a very interesting genre. As you already shoot in RAW, I also suggest you shoot in either MANUAL or BULB mode for more flexiblity as you don't have enough control of the shutter speed in Av mode. The key to long exposure photography is controlling your shutter speed but watching out with your aperture as well. Also, set your ISO as low as possible. Long exposure may also result in high noise(even at ISO 100) and this you'll have to find out yourself as you get along.  Vignetting is also another issue but this can be addressed easily in LR or PS.

Hi, back now. I captured 24 pictures during a 75 minute period. I had good help of a friend who is also an enthusiast like me but has some more experience. I will process and post at least one of them by tomorrow.

I am very grateful for yours and J.R.'s advice, it's really helped me. Not sure the result will reflect that though    - All I know is that it was fun and I already have plenty of ideas of where I want to try this again and under which circumstances.

Thanks alot guys!
J

[shutterwideshut]

Hi, back now. I captured 24 pictures during a 75 minute period. I had good help of a friend who is also an enthusiast like me but has some more experience. I will process and post at least one of them by tomorrow.

I am very grateful for yours and J.R.'s advice, it's really helped me. Not sure the result will reflect that though    - All I know is that it was fun and I already have plenty of ideas of where I want to try this again and under which circumstances.

Thanks alot guys!
J

You're welcome! Keep shooting! 

[cayenne]

OK, thanks for the gear tip. I am actually moving back to Europe in a few weeks and will hold any further investments until getting back. Also, this is a first try and I will see if I get hooked, looking at your pictures and if I could at least get close to that, I am sure I will be.

We have some beautiful landscape areas with creeks and a big lake close to our summer house. I'll likely continue to practice there before I'd go all in on more gear for this area.

Interesting comment about how you meter. You're on a quite advanced level. I have a lot to learn just starting out with it. I checked out a couple of videos and will shoot in AV and let the camera give me the shutter speed. It's a start and I don't want too much to think about.

Again, many thanks for all the info.

J

Good luck. You are blessed to have those potential subjects around you. Make do first with what you have and shoot in the golden hour/blue hour for optimum results. Long exposure photography is indeed a very interesting genre. As you already shoot in RAW, I also suggest you shoot in either MANUAL or BULB mode for more flexiblity as you don't have enough control of the shutter speed in Av mode. The key to long exposure photography is controlling your shutter speed but watching out with your aperture as well. Also, set your ISO as low as possible. Long exposure may also result in high noise(even at ISO 100) and this you'll have to find out yourself as you get along.  Vignetting is also another issue but this can be addressed easily in LR or PS.

Hi, back now. I captured 24 pictures during a 75 minute period. I had good help of a friend who is also an enthusiast like me but has some more experience. I will process and post at least one of them by tomorrow.

I am very grateful for yours and J.R.'s advice, it's really helped me. Not sure the result will reflect that though    - All I know is that it was fun and I already have plenty of ideas of where I want to try this again and under which circumstances.

Thanks alot guys!
J

Yes, please post your images...anxious to look at them!!

C

[cayenne]

Yes, please post your images...anxious to look at them!!

C

[Hobby Shooter]

Alright, here we go. It did not come out as I expected which I guess is a good thing. I haven't processed all pictures yet, but I pulled this one to show you guys. I clearly need to practice using Bulb mode.

This picture is taken with a 5D3, 24-105mm, ISO100, 73mm, f/22 and 30sec exposure, with Bulb I could (should) have gotten a longer exposure. A lot of banding and noise (not unexpected). This shot is taken to the west, away from the setting (actually already set) sun. Will post one of those taken into the sun later also. Downsized to sub 2MB for upload here.

Good fun and a lot of learning, this forum at its best. I'll continue to practice this fun technique.

Thanks to all of you guys.
J

[shutterwideshut]

Try applying the 6400 rule. That means 1s at ISO 6400 = 1 min at ISO 100. Nice first attempt on long exposure. Here's one ultra long daytime exposure I'm sharing with you.  Cheers! 

Déjà vu
Canon EOS 5D Mark III ı Canon EF17-40mm f/4L USM  ı Hoya R72 IR Filter ı 17mm ı 239s ı f/8 ı ISO 100

Déjà vu by shutterwideshut on Flickr

[Hobby Shooter]

Hey, thanks for the words. It's a start, I know they are sub par, but as I've said, it's a starting point and I know I have a lot of work to do.

Thanks for the tip about the 6400 rule, I will read up on more about how to calculate exposures and try to settle for a few basic pointers that I can keep in my head while doing it, which eventually becomes instinct as one gets more experienced.

It's a great pic you posted there, perfect sharpness and the sky is very nice.

I found it very difficult to focus manually, I can't see well enough to nail the focus, I will need to work around that somehow.

Please see another one of the pics from yesterday, it is taken into the setting sun just after it has settled below the buildings. To the left is the famous Independence Monument of Phnom Penh and in the centre is the PM's mansion.

My pictures have very little artistic value at this point, they are work in progress and I feel motivated to learn more. Hopefully I'll be able to post some good stuff here eventually 

thanks
J

[Rienzphotoz]

I finally made the decision to go in for the LEE filter system and things are way much better.

I know you were the only person who got the LEE big stopper from B&H recently, so stop making the rest of us jealous

[J.R.]

I finally made the decision to go in for the LEE filter system and things are way much better.

I know you were the only person who got the LEE big stopper from B&H recently, so stop making the rest of us jealous

Ha ha ... but I must correct you, I was one of the two CR members who got the Big Stopper. There was another CR member who saw my post the other day!

[paul13walnut5]

This sounds like a job for 'the photographers ephemeris'

What you need to do is use the above app to show you when the 'magic hour' is, and where you need to set up to be facing towards the trajectory of the sun just after it has set.

Filters will give you more exposure options in terms of duration, but unless you use an ND grad they won't help with bringing the sky and foreground within contrast range do you have detail in both.

For this kind of shot a good guide is to use 'lighting up time' i.e when the streetlights come on.  This is usually dusk, so buildings will be illuminated and car lamps on.

Then its a waiting game.   You don't need 30s for the efffect you seek.  10 would be ample, even 5s with a bust road in the foreground.  Although using a cpl will give you say a 10s exposure where the camera is metering 3s.

You'e over filtered or left it too late and so lost the detail in the sky.

Google 'tpe' its free for your desktop and available at a very modest cost for smartphones and its the landscapers best friend.

Good luck!

[Hobby Shooter]

This sounds like a job for 'the photographers ephemeris'

What you need to do is use the above app to show you when the 'magic hour' is, and where you need to set up to be facing towards the trajectory of the sun just after it has set.

Filters will give you more exposure options in terms of duration, but unless you use an ND grad they won't help with bringing the sky and foreground within contrast range do you have detail in both.

For this kind of shot a good guide is to use 'lighting up time' i.e when the streetlights come on.  This is usually dusk, so buildings will be illuminated and car lamps on.

Then its a waiting game.   You don't need 30s for the efffect you seek.  10 would be ample, even 5s with a bust road in the foreground.  Although using a cpl will give you say a 10s exposure where the camera is metering 3s.

You'e over filtered or left it too late and so lost the detail in the sky.

Google 'tpe' its free for your desktop and available at a very modest cost for smartphones and its the landscapers best friend.

Good luck!

Paul, thanks for the input. I checked the app out and will download it and try it out. As I'm moving back to Europe in  a few weeks I will wait with getting the paid for smart phone app until I get settled there. It's for responses like this and from the other guys that I posted here and dared to expose myself.

Yes,  I thought of the graduated filter also as the foreground was so dark and the sky much lighter. I was definitely over filtered a little later in the session, but we had a couple of beers and kept chatting so we lost track of time and things to do (clearly I'm not a pro but doing it for fun). I took the CPL off, but should have probably also taken the grey filter off also. It's a learning process and I will keep trying. I lack a lot of fundamental knowledge of photography as it's a hobby I have taken up only the last few years so I am still adding that.

On the other hand, there are a couple of areas I feel quite comfortable with that I have done more of. Now I am trying to learn a new technique to have some fun with.

Big thanks for your advise!

cheers
J

[shutterwideshut]

Hey, thanks for the words. It's a start, I know they are sub par, but as I've said, it's a starting point and I know I have a lot of work to do.

All of us start from scratch and I, myself, is also an amateur just like you. Photography is just my hobby and passion although I occasionally get some proceeds from Getty Images.  We learn each day and practice is our friend. 

Thanks for the tip about the 6400 rule, I will read up on more about how to calculate exposures and try to settle for a few basic pointers that I can keep in my head while doing it, which eventually becomes instinct as one gets more experienced.

The 6400 rule is very easy. It is simply 1s@ISO 6400=2s@ISO 3200=4s@ISO1600=8s@ISO 800=16s@ISO 400 and so on. If you have basic understanding with exposure, it is easy to grasp actually. This method helps you figure out exposure especially if you are struggling on which shutter speed to use.

I found it very difficult to focus manually, I can't see well enough to nail the focus, I will need to work around that somehow.

Focus manually in liveview and zoom in for more precision. You should meter on the foreground, about 1/3 of the frame.

Please see another one of the pics from yesterday, it is taken into the setting sun just after it has settled below the buildings. To the left is the famous Independence Monument of Phnom Penh and in the centre is the PM's mansion.

My pictures have very little artistic value at this point, they are work in progress and I feel motivated to learn more. Hopefully I'll be able to post some good stuff here eventually 

thanks
J

The sky in the your image is amazing and so are the light trails. But the foreground is underexposed. You can overcome this by using an ND grad filter(as what have Paul mentioned already earlier) or by exposure bracketing then merging it later in the post via HDR or you should have waited a little bit later for the twilight wherein the light in the sky and foreground is about the same. Well, it's also about planning and scouting the location before shooting. The Photographer's Ephemeris is one good app for planning and figuring out the sun's position/golden hour/blue hour timings. Other options would be the Helios and LighTrac.  Here are some of my examples using the ND grad filter method to enhance the cloud movement at twilight and HDR technique at times when I decide not to use any filter:

20.12.2012
Canon EOS 5D Mark III ı Canon EF17-40mm f/4L USM  ı Lee 0.3 Soft ND Grad Filter  ı 17mm ı 30s ı f/14 ı ISO 100

20.12.2012 by shutterwideshut on Flickr

Memories of Kuala Lumpur
Canon EOS 7D ı Canon EFS10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM  ı Three exposures at 10mm, f/14 & ISO 100

Memories of Kuala Lumpur by shutterwideshut on Flickr

[Mick]

A daylight shot with Lees big stopper.

[DIABLO]

Looking to do more landscape photography. Shooting with a 60d at the moment and looking to buy a 17-40 in a few days. Will be moving to full frame soon so the EFS 10-17 is out for me.

As far as filters go I'm looking at Singh Ray and Lee. The warming filter and ND reverse filter for starters.

The 17-40 is 77mm thread, so do I need to get the regular screw in filter and screw in adaptor ring to stack filters that way? Or will this cause vignetting?

[Hobby Shooter]

Looking to do more landscape photography. Shooting with a 60d at the moment and looking to buy a 17-40 in a few days. Will be moving to full frame soon so the EFS 10-17 is out for me.

As far as filters go I'm looking at Singh Ray and Lee. The warming filter and ND reverse filter for starters.

The 17-40 is 77mm thread, so do I need to get the regular screw in filter and screw in adaptor ring to stack filters that way? Or will this cause vignetting?

The filters I got, I can just stack them on each other, no adaptor rings or similar. Vignetting, yes in the wide end. I had some serious vignetting at 24 on my 24-105. I had only two filters stacked.

thanks
J