The 5 Do’s Of Long Exposure landscape photos

1. Three legs are better than two. A tripod is absolutely essential, but rather than running out and purchasing any old tripod I strongly suggest saving up for a well built model from a reputable tripod manufacturer, Gitzo and Manfrotto are two that spring to mind. A tripod that is poorly built or overly light weight for your camera will be next to useless as it will shake with any light breeze or even under the vibration of your cameras shutter.

2. Go low Mr ISO. You may first think ok, low light, lets increase the ISO. The unfortunate side effect of increased ISO is increased noise, this become a real issue when photographing with long exposure times so keeping the ISO down is of great importance. Simply use a longer shutter speed instead, knowing that the camera is supported well on your solid tripod.

3. ND is for me. The neutral density filter can be used to great effect in landscape photography. Sometimes you are shooting on your lowest ISO and smallest aperture yet you still desire a slower shutter speed. This is where the humble ND filter steps in. Available in a variety of strengths I recommend picking up a couple and having a play with slowing your shutter speeds even further.

4. Long live king Kodak. Now Kodak is often not the film of choice for me, but what is important is that film still has it’s place in photography. One area where film still outshines digital is in long exposure photography. Whereas digital cameras produce harsh noise during long exposures film chugs along nicely with few ill effects. One thing to be aware of if shooting long exposures on film is an annoying neighbour named reciprocity failure. Reciprocity failure likes to come in and ruin long exposures on film and must be dealt with accordingly. Basically find yourself a reciprocity chart specific to the film you are using, make any necessary exposure changes and all should be well in the world.

5. Carry a torch! Often when shooting long exposure photos it will be dark or getting dark, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten a torch and had to fumble around as darkness fell. A torch is so handy to keep in your bag for such occasions.

Read more great articles from samuel – wedding photography – film vs digital and destination wedding photography in Sydney Australia