Exposure Use: How to take sports photos in water and air
If you’ve always loved pictures of landscapes that blurs streaks of clouds across the sky, or oceanscapes that have flowing, soft waters, yet haven’t tried your hand creating one for yourself isn’t as hard as you believe. The techniques for long exposure in the daylight are a great way to add a touch of drama to any landscape photo and can make landscapes more appealing, by blurring small waves to gentle whiteness. This helps to emphasize the stationary elements in the picture.
Settings for long exposure during the day.
When you employ normal shutter speeds when shooting an ocean or landscape during the daytime, the clouds and the waves will be frozen since they don’t move in the very brief exposure.
Make the switch to an exposure that is just a couple of seconds, or minutes their movements become significant enough to be blurred in the image.
Although you may choose a narrow aperture with your camera’s most sensitive setting, it’s often possible to create the proper exposure time for this kind of blurring in the sunlight. That’s why a powerful neutral density filter will change your daytime long exposure photography.
Neutral density filters can be found with a variety of strength and function by slicing sunlight without introducing a hue. If you’re planning to shoot long shots during the day, you’ll need a filter that filters off approximately 10 EV (10 stops) of light. At night, a filter of 6EV might be better.
Lee Filters The Big Stopper can be a well-known option for a filter with 10EV and the smaller Stopper removes 6EV. There are also filtering systems that use two layers of polarizing material which is extremely beneficial because they can be adjusted in densities by rotating the portion of the filter.
If you decide to use this filter type make sure not to turn it over to the point where it could appear as a cross on the picture.
Using a strong ND filter for daytime long exposures
Since a powerful ND filter makes a mess of light, it’s often difficult to compose the image or even focus it once it’s at the other end of a lens.
Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure that the focus and composition correct prior to attaching the filter. If you’re in autofocus mode then switch to manual focus after your subject is clear to prevent shifting focus, or lens hunting after pressing the shutter release for the picture.
Change your camera’s settings in manual exposure mode, and then set the aperture which allows you to get the amount of depth you’d like. Set the camera to low sensitivity and read the exposure to determine the required shutter speed without the filter on.
After that, put the filter in place and then calculate the shutter speed needed by using the filter-free, measured amount as your reference point.
If you’re using the 10EV filter, then the exposure will need to be extended by 10 stops, or the equivalent of 960 times. It turns the shutter speed of 1/6 sec to a shutter speed of 15 minutes.
A filter with 6EV extends the exposure 64 times over and makes an exposure of 1/60sec lasting 1 second. It is possible to estimate the exposure required in your mind, or you could use an online calculator or one of the tables available online.
There are also many of free apps for your smartphone, and even ones that are from ND filter companies like NiSi and LEE Filters that can perform your job for users.
If the exposure calculated extends beyond 30 seconds, you’ll need to take the picture in the bulb setting and also time the exposure on your own.
In the mode of bulb, the shutter will open as soon as the release button is pressed It remains in place until the button presses once more.
It is for this reason that a remote release that has a lock essential as it lets you hold the shutter in place without being in contact with the camera or making it shake. Take a look at our guide on the most effective camera remote controls for a better idea of which one works for your needs.
It is essential that your camera be held steady during exposures, which is why it should be placed on a sturdy tripod set on firm base. If you’re shooting using the DSLR is also recommended employing its mirror lock-up feature to keep the mirror’s movement in causing vibrations which could result in blurred images.
If you’re a novice to ND filters, get more details on the way they function in our comprehensive guide neutral density filters – explained. Find further information on our guides to the most effective ND filters and the best filtering options for variable ND..
Noise reduction
Many cameras feature an extended exposure noise reduction feature but even though it can double the time needed to create each image however, it’s incredibly effective and worth activating when making a photo of a longer exposure in the morning.
The prolonged exposures are very hot to the sensor, and without the noise reduction system for long exposures technique, the images will appear a bit spherical.
The system operates by taking an additional dark-colored exposure that is the same in the same time as the capture image.
The camera can detect the normal noise the sensor produces in a long exposure, and then remove it from the picture.
How do you shoot a minimalist time-lapse of a black and white exposure
It’s all we’ve ever seen The Zen-like, round-cropped black and white images that are shot with long exposures in order to make the water appear like creamy milk. This is among the most popular images of the last 10 years. And by knowing a few basic photography techniques, you can create a photo like this you can try it yourself.
To get the minimalist black and white effect, you’ll need one with water. Furthermore, the effects are best captured using fluid water. That’s the reason why photographers often choose the beach as their setting. But, a stream or river will work well.
Also, you’ll need a sturdy central point on your fore or your middle. Rocks, buoys, boats, even a bird works quite well. Learn how.
01 Pre-visualise your image
One way to being sure that your image is able to produce the look you’re looking for is to enable your camera to show the preview in monochrome. Many cameras come with an option to display black and white within their filter settings for creative. Make sure you set it to white and black or sepia to check out the results.
It is possible to take an photo in this way, in case you’d prefer. If you’re shooting raw images – something we’d strongly recommend – they keep all colors, and you’ll be able to make a backup of after downloading the photo from the memory card.
02 Be steady
Like we said earlier that you’ll need to install an Neutral Density filter that blocks out any light that comes into your camera in order that you are able to slow down the speed of your exposure. This lets you record the movement of waves or even the current. Always concentrate and compose your scene prior to attaching the ND filter.
In the event of shooting such a scene, we recommend that you place your camera on an appropriate tripod, and then use an extension cable to open the shutter. Try setting up the Mirror Lock-up function for the camera. Together, these options will assist in making sure the camera doesn’t shake and ruin the quality of your photos.
03 Convert the black into white
There are a variety of options to convert images into black and white by using Photoshop as well as Elements. It is the easiest method to do this by convert your photo to Grayscale within the Image Options > Mode.
But, it’s dangerous method for making it happen, and your image could be lost in small details. It is our experience that de-saturating the image best results and keeps some of the original quality.
It is always recommended also that you make use of the Black Adjustment Layer in White and Black. It is referred to as an editing method that is not destructive.
The way this works is that, instead of taking something from the original image it’s just creating a new image on top. If you aren’t happy with the result later it is possible to remove the image and then go back to the original photo.
Non-destructive editing lets you have complete the ability to control how the conversion looks and also allows you to modify the look at a later time.
Then, you can finish the effect with your Crop tool to create an equilateral crop.
