Why is slow door photography so popular?
Long exposure, as the name implies, is to extend the shutter to obtain long exposure. The camera is no longer capturing a short moment, but recording the changes of the picture in a period of time. This is not a new method of photography, but it has been very popular since its birth. If you try a long exposure, you will be unable to stop its special effect. Why? Next, I will answer for you!
Long exposure can only be achieved by slow shutter photography. Slow shutter corresponds to high-speed shutter, which usually refers to shutter speed of more than 1/30s. A slower shutter means longer exposure time, which can be understood as the same concept.
1、 Long exposure can make the flowing water static
Long exposure is particularly useful when shooting the sea and lakes. It makes the water flow present a “very” state, similar to the effect of being still or frozen. Through long exposure, the water surface becomes calm, which not only retains the water as the element of the picture, but also does not distract the attention of the picture due to the fluctuation of water. With appropriate foreground or background, the picture is filled with a sense of quiet surrealism.
The above image uses nearly 5 minutes of exposure time to make the water as calm as glass. Another method is to photograph the flowing water (such as a falling stream), which can make the water flow as continuous as silk. This situation does not require a long exposure time, which depends on the water flow, and is about 2 to 5 seconds.
2、 Long exposure can make the sky silky
Since long exposure can paste the water, it can also paste the sky. This is often used in urban scenery and architectural photography. The blurred sky can make the main building more eye-catching. If it is converted into black, it will have another flavor, as if everything is lost in time and space.
Tips：In addition to tripod and shutter line, ND filter (neutral density filter) is also used in long-exposure photography to reduce the entrance of light and thus achieve longer exposure time. As for the selection of ND filters, try to avoid products that are too cheap. They not only tend to fade color but also reduce the image quality. You will never regret buying an excellent filter,
3、 Long exposure can make the crowd disappear
If you often shoot in the city, you may often encounter problems such as crowd density and want to shoot a scene, but what if there are people around? Use long exposure! Because people are constantly moving, in fact, the flow of people is equivalent to the flow of water. As long as the exposure time is long enough, the interference of people can be eliminated and a clean picture can be obtained.
Short and long exposure can make moving objects become “ghosts”, and longer exposure time will make moving objects disappear completely, leaving the originally crowded downtown empty!
4、 Long exposure conquers night scene
Slow-door photography is also a powerful tool for night scene shooting. You can expose as long as you want. Don’t worry about the image quality loss caused by high ISO. It can not only ensure sufficient light input, but also use slow-door to create light tracks, and create dreams from reality!
5、 Long exposure gives you more surprises
Slow-door photography is definitely a photography method that can bring you surprises! Each time you take a picture, you should carefully set up the tripod, set the camera, adjust the filter, press the shutter, complete a series of ritual actions, and then quietly wait for the completion of the picture. Until the end, I don’t know whether you are waiting for surprise or disappointment, which is also one of the great charms of slow door photography!
The picture above is taken with a 1/50s shutter, close to what we can see with the naked eye; The following picture shows the result of exposure for 13 minutes. Isn’t it a surprise!
Postscript
There are no restrictions on trying to take long exposure photography. A camera that supports B-gate, a tripod, a ND filter and a shutter line can play with these basic tools!
The reason why slow door photography is so popular must have its reasons. You can try to find its new highlights more, which is also a good way to improve the level of photography!
