Step 1: Gather Your Equipment
- Camera with manual settings
- Tripod
- Remote Shutter Release
- Wide-angle lens (optional)
Step 2: Set Up Your Camera
- Set your camera to manual settings.
- Adjust the ISO to a low setting (100-200).
- Set the aperture to a high setting (f/8 or higher).
- Set the shutter speed to a long exposure (30 seconds or longer).
- Attach the camera to the tripod.
- Attach the remote shutter release to the camera.
Step 3: Choose Your Location
- Look for an area with a lot of light sources like city streets, highways, or amusement parks.
- Choose an area with minimal light pollution (no street lights, etc).
- Look for an area with interesting shapes, patterns, or objects to capture in your photograph.
- Choose a location where you can get close to the light source (to capture the light trails).
Step 4: Compose Your Shot
- Frame the shot using the camera’s viewfinder.
- Consider how the light trails will look in the shot.
- Choose a focal point to focus on.
- If using a wide-angle lens, consider including foreground elements to add depth to the shot.
Step 5: Take the Shot
- Use the remote shutter release to take the shot.
- Keep the shutter open for at least 30 seconds (or longer).
- Be patient and wait for the light trails to appear in the shot.
- Once the light trails have appeared, close the shutter.
Step 6: Review and Adjust
- Review the shot on the camera’s LCD screen.
- Adjust the settings if necessary.
- Try different shutter speeds to get the desired effect.
- Take multiple shots and experiment with different compositions.
Learn more about Long Exposure photography.
More photography videos.
Start learning photography today!