Monday, 29 March 2010

Long Exposure Shots

To enhance the book, I will attempt to shoot a few long-exposures to emphasise night and time.  Star trails always look dramatic and the time can range from 5 minutes to 8 hours.  Obviously, the longer you expose for, the more dramatic the effect:

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I found a good website - http://digital-photography-school.com/long-exposure-photography – which details how to do this using a digital camera.  I would like to use digital as all my other images are shot in this medium.

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Composite of 100 shots - each of 30 seconds

Obviously, when using a camera that relies on a battery, it may be necessary to create a picture containing a number of 30 second shots.  I have my old Pentax K1000 which I can use if all else fails.

The technique is to try 5 minutes, then 10, then 15, then 45 minutes to see what the results are.  Experimentation is key here.  It is best to set the camera to the lowest ISO you can and focus to infinity.  It is suggested that the aperture be left open to its widest, but experimentation will produce the best results.  Location is important too.  I will wait for the next clear sky and see what I can produce.