Why I like long exposure photography

Note: This tutorial was originally published in 2013. The tips and techniques explained may be outdated.

Living in a coastal town with no end of impressive features gives me access to ideal locations for long exposure photography, and since buying my 10 stop neutral density filter back in July 2012 I’ve indulged heavily in using it at every given opportunity.

Taking long exposure shots requires a lot of consideration. What I’m generally looking for is a stationary object within either a fluid or otherwise continuously moving environment. Good examples of what I would be looking for would include some nice rocks in a fast-flowing river, a pier in a rough sea state, a sea stack, a building with clouds moving past in the background, a tree in a field full of long grass that is being blown by the wind… you get the picture.

Once I’ve found my potential scene there are some more things I like to consider as part of my composition, just as I would with any other photo. This includes things in the immediate foreground of the image that will move around in a distracting manner or protrude into the frame, or a particularly bright patch of sky/reflection that will burn out in my long exposure.

After checking for all the things that could go wrong I calculate the length of my exposure, use my spirit level to check my horizon, attach the filter, click the remote… and wait.

So, why do I enjoy the long exposure process? Three things…

I’ve thought about the reason’s why I can’t resist long exposure shots when the opportunity arises. I think they’re good reasons.

The process of taking a long exposure shot is so lengthy that you are forced to think about getting it right first time. When I take normal landscape pictures or take my camera for a walk I may take 100 shots easily, but when I go out with the intention of long exposure shots I take 10 shots at the most! Long exposure photography is one of the best exercises in good photography you get, it requires more thought and less of the spray and pray approach.
The result of a long exposure shot is quite surreal. The subject appears to be suspended in time and isolated from its animated surroundings. Long exposure is the simplest way of showing the viewer a subject in a way they can’t see it with their own eyes. Showing people something in a way they haven’t seen it before is what photography is all about for me.
Finally, the most enjoyable part of long exposure photography is waiting in excess of 5 minutes for your image to bake, and then seeing the results… some good/some bad :)

If you’ve not tried long exposure photography I’d urge you to give it a go. It’s a great way to get into shooting in a more deliberate way.