Long exposure photography
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Long exposure photography is a technique that requires a slow shutter speed to capture light and movement.
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[edit] Technique
When an image is taken including stationary and moving subjects (for example, a fixed street and moving cars or a camera within a car showing a fixed dash-board and moving scenery) using a slow shutter speed, interesting effects, such as light trails occur.
Long exposures are easiest to accomplish in low-light conditions, but can be done in brighter light using neutral density filters or specially designed cameras.
[edit] Light-Painting
While light trails at night are the most widely recognised form of long exposure photography, the same technique can be used to create light-paintings where the subject is kept dark, but the photographer moves lights about the subject.
[edit] Water and Long Exposure
Long exposure particularly lends itself to blurring moving water (particularly effective for waterfalls or for the sea at dusk if any object is standing in it).
[edit] Other Uses
- A more unusual use for the technique is to produce ghostly photographs. For example, if a camera were set to 20 second shutter, a picture of a model is taken. The model is asked to stay as still as possible for 15 seconds in the dark, while a small amount of light is directed at them. Then with slightly more light, the model is asked to shake their head about in panic. This creates a central image of a "normal" head with what appears to be panicked spirits trying to leave their head, if done correctly.
- If someone is photographed over a long period walking in the dark, lit solely by ambient light, with a flash of light when they are about half-way through the scene, a very supernatural effect can be created.
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