​10 common mistakes in long exposure photography

1.anti-shake system set to on

There are some lovely techniques that can help us get sharper images and reduce the blurring caused by the vibration of the camera, canvas prints which can be very useful when we are shooting low light slow. Different brands use different names for this feature, but they do much the same (Nikon and Canon use lens stabilization, while SONY, Olympus and pentax use camera stabilization). But in the end, the shock-absorbing technology allows you to shoot at four shutter speeds while still maintaining the same quality.

Anti-shake technology USES sensors to detect jitter and compensates by moving the lens module or the sensor itself. The problem is that if the camera is on a relatively stable tripod (and of course if you're doing a long exposure, your camera must be on a tripod), there's very little chance that it will vibrate. Maybe you know this, but your camera doesn't, canvas prints australia so even without moving, the anti-shake system tries to compensate for the jitter by moving the lens or sensor, which actually causes the jitter (or blurring) rather than eliminating it. So, if your camera is poised on a tripod, let's turn off the anti-shake feature.

2.Forgetting to use reflector for preelevation

In a SLR, light passes through the lens and is reflected back into the viewfinder by the reflector. As soon as the shutter is pressed, the reflector retracts to allow light to hit the sensor directly. This movement creates tiny vibrations in the fuselage that blur the image. To avoid this vibration, you can activate the reflector preelevation function. When activated, extra large canvas prints the reflector lifts when you press the shutter for the first time, and only shoots when you press the shutter again. Don't underestimate the space of a few seconds, it can make the fuselage avoid vibration! Of course, if you're using a mirrorless camera, take my advice for granted.

3.Not using a gradient filter because you don't have enough money

In some cases (the light ratio is not very large), you can get the results you want with just a medium gray density mirror. However, in many cases, the lighting conditions require us to use a medium gradient lens to maintain a balanced exposure. If you're using a spiral ND filter, you might think that the only way to use a GND filter is to post photoshop, but you'd be wrong!

You can grab the filter by hand and put it in front of the lens. For a shutter speed with an exposure time of several seconds, the only problem you have is adjusting the filter properly. For a few minutes of photography, the end result is satisfying even if your hands aren't rock-solid (try it yourself if you don't believe me). Of course filter holders are needed, especially if you need to use more than one filter at a time (or if your hand is cramping).

4. Setting the aperture to f/22 to extend exposure time

The rule is simple: if you reduce the aperture, you will get a longer exposure.

Driven by this rule, you might naively think that you could increase the exposure time from 30 seconds to two minutes by simply changing the aperture from f/11 to f/22 with one finger. In theory, this is not wrong. Unfortunately, there is a physical phenomenon called optical diffraction, which means that when the aperture is less than f/16, the sharpness of the image is greatly reduced. If you're already using f/11 and want a slower shutter speed, lowering the ISO or using a dimmer filter is a better option.

5. Forgetting to adjust sensitivity

Sensitivity is a big help for long exposures, sometimes you may forget to adjust the sensitivity and only take care of the aperture and filter. Remember that every camera has a range of sensitivity in which its output quality is almost identical. In advanced cameras, this range is usually from ISO 50 to ISO 200. This means you'll have two gears to adjust and two gears on a long exposure means a few minutes of exposure time.

6. Shoot like you're in the studio

When you shoot in a comfortable room or studio, no external factors affect the quality of your photos. But if you're standing on a rocky beach in the face of a spectacular sea storm, it won't take long for your filter to get completely wet. Don't forget to pack a clean mirror wiper in your bag before you leave. Even the smallest drop of water on the filter will cause high diffraction, which will destroy the image. Never underestimate the power of nature, even if the sky is clear, the change in the sky is just a cup of tea.

7. Choosing a bad filter

Every time we put a filter in front of the lens, the overall quality of our optical system inevitably decreases. It's true that some well-known filter brands are very expensive, but do you really feel comfortable putting a filter with dozens of pieces in front of your lens? No, never! So focus on quality: quality not weight for filters! You don't need all ND and GND filters. Try to find out which filter you use most often, and remember to supplement the filter with your ISO and aperture. Finally, keep in mind that many high-quality filters are very user-friendly. Use the Internet.

8. Underestimating the power of the wind

When you do a long exposure, your camera will be affected by the external environment for several minutes of exposure, even the occasional few seconds of wind can make you lose. Buy a stable tripod and put it in place. If necessary, attach additional weights to the tripod hooks to increase the stability of the tripod. Avoid tripod axles. Raising the axles will reduce the stability of the tripod.

9. Leaving the viewfinder uncovered

After three minutes of exposure, the preview found the photo full of strange purple edges and halos. Why? Although the camera only wants light to enter through the lens, unfortunately there are other potential ways to harm your image. The most famous of them is the viewfinder. To prevent light from entering from here, cover it after focusing. If your camera doesn't provide you with a lid, you can use black tape, and if you don't have tape, chewing gum is better than nothing. The most typical result of light entering the viewfinder is a halo. Yes, if you don't have a reflex camera, ignore me again!

If you use a filter system, another possible source of light leakage is the gap between the filters (which is why many photographers prefer spiral filters). In this case, the best solution is to use black tape. The most typical form of filter leakage is the appearance of a purple edge. Finally, if you use a deflector lens or install a lens adapter ring, light leakage problems may occur in the lens. The best way to deal with this situation is to cover it with a scarf.

10. Credulous filter manufacturer

When you buy a 6 ND filter and naively think it will give you a 6 ND filter. Unfortunately, you're wrong again. In my lifetime, I have never found a filter that is absolutely consistent with the manufacturer's claims. Of course, the difference is usually small, but even a half-step difference can mean a few minutes of error in a long exposure.

To avoid these mistakes, try the following steps:

Choose a room, turn on the lights and close the Windows. (You need a place where the light is absolutely stable)

Set up your camera and take a picture of the room until you get a perfect histogram. Record all shooting data (sensitivity/aperture/shutter speed).

Install the ND filter and adjust the fuselage Settings so that the exposure is consistent with previous photos.

Take a photo with ND filter

Look at the histograms of the two photos and compare them. If they are exactly the same, the filter specification specified by the filter manufacturer is accurate. If the new histogram is left, your filter will be higher than he claims. On the contrary, if the filter is skewed to the right, the actual specification of the filter is lower than the manufacturer's label.

If the histogram does not overlap, change the shutter speed to take another histogram that will overlap with the filter-free sample. When you find the right filter, try building your own shutter speed conversion chart. Another possibility is to install the Photo Pills app on your Smartphone, frames for canvas which allows you to quickly get the right shutter speed while using filters.