7/27/2019 LE3 - Night Lights
1/24 PhotoPlus November 20124 PhotoPlus Se tember 2013
Get set up for capturing light trails
L ghtsat night
Location and timeA long-exposure night shot can give an iconic
and much-photographed
location a fresh feel, as in David Clapps Manhattan night shot.
Trying to
capture traffic trails with creative effect is not easy.
Although there are certain locations
where this works well, they are actually few and far between.
Big hitters like the
Brooklyn Bridge in New York are all about timing. No filters
were needed for this image,
its all about working with the available light and timing the
shots so that road is filled
with oncoming cars in each lane; a car crossing lanes ruins the
effect entirely. Multiple
images were taken, with just one chosen for its ambient light
and smooth trails.
Exposure 8 secs at f/11; ISO200
Lens Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II
1
Lowcarlights
ighbuslights
Traffic trailsIn cities at night-time long exposures willblur
passing cars, buses and trucks so much
that the vehicles themselves are practically invisible. Theonly
thing you see is the streaks created by their lights.The best
traffic trail shots have streaks of light that crossthe whole
frame. Make sure you time your exposurecarefully, ideally just
after the traffic lights have turnedgreen, otherwise cars stopped
at traffic lights will start tobecome visible. Your shutter speed
will depend on thespeed of the traffic, and the length of the road
in theframe. The volume of traffic is also crucial; fewer
carsrequire longer shutter speeds. In city centres, the bestresults
are often achieved with large vehicles, such asbuses and lorries,
as these provide an additional higherstreak of light, above those
created by the cars. Try toframe your shot so that you capture
vehicles passing in
both directions then youll see both red and white lines.
2
7/27/2019 LE3 - Night Lights
2/2
Tripod stabilityThe first bit of kit youre goingto need is a
tripod. This isessential for slow shutter
speeds as your camera needs to be fullysupported to keep it as
still as possible to
avoid capturing signs of camera shake.When setting your tripod
in place its vitalthat it is stable. You can weigh the centrecolumn
down with a bag for extra support.It is also advisable to use a
shutter releasefor minimal contact with the camera duringthe
exposure. Pro Guy Edwardes says I useda remote release to fire the
shutter at theprecise time that the water began to flowback into
the ocean, creating attractive linesand a smoother more predictable
effect inthe foreground.
Exposure - 1 sec at f/22; ISO 100
Lens - Canon EF 24-105mm f4L
You need a shutter speed that is long
enough to turn moving lights into long
streaks; this will depend on how tightly the shot
is cropped and how fast the lights are moving.
For our shot of the Ferris wheel, 8 secs gives the
most pleasing effect. Experimentation is key!
3
8secs 2.5secs 1sec
Choose the right shutter speed3
