Longexposure

Long exposure photography refers to the technique of capturing an image with an extended shutter open duration, allowing more light to reach the sensor than in typical daylight shots. The exposure time may range from about 1 second to several minutes or longer, enabling motion to be captured as trails or blur and static elements to remain sharp.

To achieve this, a stable setup is essential. Use a sturdy tripod and mount the camera securely. Employ a remote shutter release or the camera’s self-timer to avoid camera shake, or use an electronic shutter if available. Set ISO to a low value, typically 100–400, and use a small aperture such as f/8–f/16 to gain depth of field and control light. In bright conditions, neutral density filters can extend exposure into minutes. In very dark scenes, longer exposures can be achieved with modest ISO to reduce noise.

Common effects include light trails from moving vehicles, star trails in the night sky, smooth, glassy water, and streaked clouds or crowds. Long exposures are frequently used in night photography, landscape work, cityscapes, waterfalls, and astro photography. Star-trail images often involve either very long single exposures or stacking multiple shorter exposures to manage noise and dynamic range.

Considerations include increased sensor heat and noise, potential wind-induced camera shake, and battery drain. Some cameras offer long exposure noise reduction, which creates a dark frame to subtract hot pixels. Post-processing techniques, such as stacking multiple frames or blending exposures, can improve image quality and expand creative options.