Understanding the Long Exposure

#longexposure #cinematography #lightpainting

Shutter speed gives the photographer the ability to use motion — or to freeze motion — to tell a tale or capture a vibe. Whether you choose to take that split-second snapshot with a short shutter speed or to portray the motion of subjects in a slow shutter speed photo, you’re opening up narrative possibilities.

There are two type in Shutter speed.

1. Slow Shutter speed

2. High Shutter speed.

In this article, Let's we see about SLOW SHUTTER SPEED (also known as Long Exposure).

• Slow shutter speed photography is a truly vast area, with immense creative potential.

• A slow shutter speed can help you illuminate a darker scene, as it brings more light through the lens.

• "Light Painting" comes under the category of Slow shutter or Long exposure.

INTERIOR

Camera- Sony A7 iii with 18-55mm Photography : Sundar

Light- Godex LC500 R (single light)

Inframe- Rishi Ganesh (India)

EXTERIOR

Camera- Redmi Y1 Photography : Sundar

Adjust Long Exposure by using PRO mode.

Light painting is incredibly varied and goes by several different names – ‘light drawing’, ‘painting with light’, ‘light art’ – but ‘Light Painting’ is the most commonly used term in photography.

It is essentially drawing with light. It is used to describe an image created by ‘drawing’ or ‘painting’ with a moving light and capturing it on camera, usually with a long exposure. Emphasising the link between photography and art the moving light is often called a ‘brush’.

Light painting is not a new type of creativity. Ever since the dawn of civilisation, people have picked up burning sticks from a fire and sketched patterns against the night sky – these can be seen as the first light paintings.

Challenges that come with adjusting shutter speed

When adjusting shutter speed, consider light and motion. If you leave the shutter open a longer amount of time to capture more light, motion will affect the photo — maybe in ways you don’t like.

• For Light painting, Set the Shutter value above 1" (for example: 1', 2', 3', 4', 5' etc...)

• That means, Shutter get open upto that seconds.

• Moving a light in front of a camera is only the start – try moving the camera or have the subject move and there are so many light sources you can use for light painting photographs.

• From sparklers, LED strings or headlights to purpose-made ‘light sticks’.

Here's my few photographs for your reference,

Fast forward much more than a few thousand years and Light Painting has become a mode of creating images for photographers, performers and artists.

Mastering shutter speed puts that power into your hands and

Explore more...

Yusuf, DP & Director (India)