{"id":2403,"date":"2010-02-16T17:37:02","date_gmt":"2010-02-16T06:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/?p=2403"},"modified":"2015-05-07T22:35:05","modified_gmt":"2015-05-07T12:35:05","slug":"guide-to-daytime-long-exposures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/2010\/02\/16\/guide-to-daytime-long-exposures\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Daytime Long Exposures"},"content":{"rendered":"

A small buying guide and photography tips to assist you in making the right purchases to photograph daytime long exposures. Using strong neutral density filters will allow you to shoot 1-5 minute exposures during the day depending on the conditions. If you’re bored with photography, neutral density filters are a great way to rejuvenate your hobby and get passionate again.<\/p>\n

\"Camera<\/a>
My day time long exposure setup consisting of a Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 17-40, B+W 110 and a Cokin Z-Pro Neutral Graduated FIlters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It can be rewarding but also sometimes challenging as you’re forced to look at a scene from the perspective of how a long exposure will transform it. This guide should help guide you on what equipment you will need if you want to shoot daylight long exposure photography and a few photography tips on how to calculate the long exposure shutter speed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Using heavy neutral density filters like the ones I later recommend, allows you to manipulate a scene with various effects such as the blurring of clouds and water. Others<\/a> have experimented with busy cityscapes such as Piccalilli Circus<\/a> to blur people and traffic, giving a sense of an empty city. The nd filters aren’t limited to these effects, you may want to look at what others are doing with strong neutral density filters on Flickr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Below are images showing how a daylight long exposure through the use of nd filters can greatly change a scene<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"1-1\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"1-2\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"2-1\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"2-2\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/h2>\n

What You’ll Need<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Neutral Density Filter<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
\"Graduated<\/a>
An example of graduated neutral density filters (Filters in photo – Cokin Z-Pro graduated neutral density filter<\/a>, lens adapter and filter holder)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A neutral density filter is a dark filter which is placed over the front of a camera lens. This reduces the amount of light coming into the lens thus allowing you to obtain longer exposure times. As the filter is very dark, this requires you to compose and focus before screwing the filter onto the lens. I enjoy this as it forces me to take greater care in composing my image so I don’t have to waste time unscrewing the filter, recomposing and reapplying the filters.<\/p>\n

There are 2 and 4 stop neutral density filters available, I’d suggest something strong like the Hoya 9 stop or B+W 10 stop filter below. This is because when shooting during the day there is a lot of light available which means a 2 or 4 stop filter probably won’t cut it during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoya NDX400<\/a> 9 stop neutral density filter<\/td>\nOR<\/strong><\/td>\nB+W 110<\/a> or sometimes referred as the 110 nd,\u00a0 is a 10 stop neutral density filter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"A<\/a>
A circular neutral density filter – The B+W 110 10 stop neutral density filter.<\/a> Great for day time long exposures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You may also wish to consider the Hoya<\/span><\/a> infrared filter or go the DIY route with making your own 14 stop neutral density filter from welding glass (click)<\/a><\/span>. Although I’d suggest sticking with the B+W 110 which I personally use or Hoya NDX400.<\/p>\n

While not a necessity, graduated neutral density filters are great for controlling the exposure on the sky to avoid over exposure. I own the Cokin Z-Pro graduated neutral density filter set-up and use it 80% of the time for my photographs. More about graduated nd filters here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lee Neutral Density Graduated Kit<\/a><\/td>\nOR<\/strong><\/td>\nCokin Z-Pro Neutral Density Graduated Kit<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Shutter Release <\/strong><\/h4>\n

As your exposures will often exceed 30 seconds, this requires using the camera bulb mode and a shutter release to obtain long exposure times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canon RS-80N3<\/a><\/td>\nOR<\/strong><\/td>\nBudget Chinese alternative from eBay<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Also available are intervalometer remotes. This allows you to manually set the exposure time from 1 second to 99 hours, capture images in a set interval or set a delay before the camera begins its exposure. I personally own the Nikos remote and have used it for other purposes such as capturing timelapse clips and also interval star trail long exposures<\/a><\/span>. I particular like that you can buy separate cables for the remote to use with other camera brands, which is great if you decide to change brands down the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nikos intervalometer remote as reviewed by Martin Pot<\/a> is available\u00a0 from eBay<\/a>.<\/td>\nOR<\/strong><\/td>\nCanon intervalometer remote TC-80N3<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Tripod<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Obviously an essential item to minimise shake and ensure a sharp image.<\/p>\n

I won’t go into recommendations for individual tripod legs and heads, there’s so many different products<\/span><\/a> on the market so I will leave it to you.<\/p>\n

Benro<\/a>, Gitzo<\/a> and Manfrotto<\/a> are good reputable brands worth considering.<\/p>\n

Calculating the Exposure<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Best Kept Secret Photography<\/a> <\/span><\/span>has compiled a helpful neutral density reference chart to assist you in calculating exposure times for when shooting with nd filters. I’ve uploaded this into PDF<\/a> so you can print and add it to your camera bag, download it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I hope these long exposure photography tips have helped. If you have any questions please leave a comment or email<\/a> me and I’d be happy to help.<\/p>\n

Also just to be open with you all, product links are to my Adorama affiliate account. Buying through my link doesn’t cost you anything but does mean you support my blog. Many thanks in advance if you do decide to purchase through my affiliate link.<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A small buying guide and photography tips to assist you in making the right purchases to photograph daytime long exposures. Using strong neutral density filters will allow you to shoot 1-5 minute exposures during the day depending on the conditions. If you’re bored with photography, neutral density filters are a great way to rejuvenate your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":9132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[403,813,689,690,693,81,1106,699,691,373,697,698,211,437,73,507,692,694,190,695],"class_list":["post-2403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technique","tag-bw-110","tag-daylight","tag-daytime-long-exposure","tag-guide","tag-hoya","tag-landscape-photography","tag-long-exposure","tag-long-exposure-photography-tips","tag-nd-440x","tag-nd-filter","tag-nd-filters-explained","tag-nd110","tag-neutral-density","tag-neutral-density-filter","tag-photography","tag-photography-blog","tag-photography-filters","tag-seascape-photography","tag-tutorial","tag-waterscape-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/mortimer-after.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p93MA-CL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6804,"url":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/2014\/03\/30\/what-are-neutral-density-filters-and-how-to-use-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":2403,"position":0},"title":"What Are Neutral Density Filters and How to Use Them","author":"Alex Wise","date":"March 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Neutral density filters are a favourite tool of my photography tool set and admittedly most of my shots have been taken using at least one. I must be honest, neutral density filters were the turning point for my photography. I actually found it quite frustrating as I wasn't getting the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Jibber"","block_context":{"text":"Jibber","link":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/category\/jibber\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Camera with graduated neutral density filters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Camera-with-graduated-neutral-density-filters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Camera-with-graduated-neutral-density-filters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Camera-with-graduated-neutral-density-filters.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Camera-with-graduated-neutral-density-filters.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6140,"url":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/2013\/07\/07\/create-yourself-a-neutral-density-filter-for-under-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":2403,"position":1},"title":"Create Yourself a Neutral Density Filter for Under $10","author":"Alex Wise","date":"July 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 [box type=\"info\" size=\"large\"]Neutral density filters are a great way to completely transform a scene. Using welding glass you can achieve the same effect for under $10[\/box] Creating your own neutral density filter using welding glass Ever since getting in to daytime long exposure photography I've read about people experimenting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technique"","block_context":{"text":"Technique","link":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/category\/technique\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1755,"url":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/2009\/07\/23\/neutral-density-reference-chart\/","url_meta":{"origin":2403,"position":2},"title":"Neutral Density Reference Chart","author":"Alex Wise","date":"July 23, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A common question I receive from people is about how long they should set the shutter speed when using strong neutral density filters such as the 10 stop B+W 110 filter\u00a0or NiSi Long Exposure Kit. \u00a0It's a hard question to answer and I often point them to a chart (see\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technique"","block_context":{"text":"Technique","link":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/category\/technique\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"neutral density reference chart","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/neutral-density-reference-chart.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/neutral-density-reference-chart.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/neutral-density-reference-chart.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/neutral-density-reference-chart.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10553,"url":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/2017\/02\/25\/long-exposure-filters-buying-guide\/","url_meta":{"origin":2403,"position":3},"title":"Long Exposure Filters Buying Guide","author":"Alex Wise","date":"February 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Neutral density\u00a0filters are a great way to get creative and explore long exposure photography. 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The technique\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technique"","block_context":{"text":"Technique","link":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/category\/technique\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/magic-cloth-diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/magic-cloth-diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/magic-cloth-diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/magic-cloth-diy-neutral-density-filter1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2177,"url":"https:\/\/www.alexwisephotography.net\/blog\/2010\/01\/01\/2009\/","url_meta":{"origin":2403,"position":5},"title":"2009","author":"Alex Wise","date":"January 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"It's fair to say 2009 was the year of the long exposures for me. 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