How can I lengthen the shutter speed on my camera and keep the lighting the same?
Patricia asked:
When I try to take photos during the day with an longer shutter speed, the photo turns out completely blank. But I’ve seen so many photos that have used a lengthened shutter speed that have completely normal day lighting. Does anyone know how to do this?
Thanks x
When I try to take photos during the day with an longer shutter speed, the photo turns out completely blank. But I’ve seen so many photos that have used a lengthened shutter speed that have completely normal day lighting. Does anyone know how to do this?
Thanks x
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Change the white-balance, it should work. [who] CapsHockey
To use a longer shutter speed without over exposing the image you need to use a smaller aperture. If you reach the point where you can’t close the aperture down any further then reduce the ISO. If you want to go still further you can use whats called a Neutral Density filter (they come in various powers).
All that combined should enable you to take photos with shutter speeds of several seconds even outside on the brightest days of the year. If you could tell us the type of effects you are after, there may be some other cheats you can use… [who] Crim Liar
With any given light source there are three components to exposure:
1) ISO
2) Aperture
3) Shutter speed
All three must work in balance to produce a correct exposure. If we set the ISO and don’t change it then we have two variables to control. If we change one then the other must change.
We can refer to the ancient “Sunny 16 Rule” which states: “On a sunny day, set your f-stop to 16 and your shutter speed to 1/ISO.” So on a sunny day using ISO 100 we could shoot at f16 and 1/100 sec. and expect good results. The following chart will show you the f-stop/shutter speed relationship:
ISO 100
f16 @ 1/100 sec.
f11 @ 1/200 sec. + 1 stop
f8 @ 1/400 sec. + 2 stops
f5.6 @ 1/800 sec. + 3 stops
f4 @ 1/1600 sec. + 4 stops
f2.8 @ 1/3200 sec. +5 stops
The aperture controls how much light is admitted by the lens. The shutter speed, based on the ISO and f-stop, controls how long the light admitted is allowed to expose our film or digital sensor. As more light is admitted (f11 admits twice as much as f16; f8 admits twice as much as f11, etc.) the time needed to expose our film or sensor decreases.
So how do we achieve a slower shutter speed without changing the ISO? (Somet entry level DSLR cameras have a low ISO of 80. A few allow ISO 50 but most limit you to a low of ISO 100). There are two ways:
1) Use a circular polarizer filter. There is usually a two stop loss with these.
2) Use a Neutral Density (ND) filter. These usually come as 2X, 4X and 8X. A 2X = – 1 stop. A 4X = – 2 stops. An 8X = – 3 stops.
Lets apply this to our earlier chart.
ISO 100
f45 @ 1/12.5 sec. – 3 stops. 8X ND filter
f32 @ 1/25 sec. – 2 stops. 4X ND filter, circular polarizer
f22 @ 1/50 sec. – 1 stop. 2X ND filter
f16 @ 1/100 sec.
See previous for f11 thru f2.8
Now you know how to use a slow shutter speed in bright sunlight and still achieve a correct exposure.
You might want to add these books to your personal library:
“Understanding Exposure” and “Understanding Shutter Speed”, both by Bryan Peterson. [who] Edwin
Are you shooting with a DSLR or a point-and-shoot. If it’s the former you can use a smaller aperture and a lower ISO. If it’s still overexposed after doing this you’ll need to use a neutral density filter.
If you’re shooting with a point-and-shoot your only option will probably be a neutral density filter. [who] hipp5
The exposure is the balance between the shutter speed, the film speed and the aperture. Therefore the adjustment of aperture or film speed will help you. Play with them a little. [who] MHB