Capturing movement of light using

forced flash with a long exposure

Capturing movement against still

backgrounds with a tripod

Introduction

At night, you have much greater control over the length of

time that you can leave the shutter speed open, which is

good if you are photographing still objects, however, it will

lead to blur with moving objects. However, by exploiting the

movement of a light source, you can literally draw with light. If

you use a forced flash and long exposure, you will also

capture the foreground in focus and sharp, whilst also

capturing the streaks of light.

Settings

Equipment: Tripod and light source e.g. torch

ISO: 50-200

Speed: 1-5 sec

Aperture: Refer to light meter reading/experiment

Flash: On/Off

Notes

Keep the camera still by using a tripod or place on a fixed

surface and only use a flash if you want to capture the subject

as well as the streaks of light. Remember that the light source

needs to move. For more interesting effects, try doing it

against a background of neon light or against a fast-moving

flow of traffic at night. Use different light sources such as

Christmas lights.

Introduction

When dealing with a scene that has continuous movement, it

can be effective to capture the movement over a long period

of time by opening up the shutter.

Settings

Equipment: Tripod & camera release cable

ISO: 50-100

Speed: 1-5 sec (see notes)

Aperture: f.22

Flash: Off

Notes

It is essential to use a tripod and camera release cable or

camera timer as any slight movement will result in the entire

picture being blurred. If it is done at twilight, it is easier to

control as there is too much light during the day and this

leads to over-exposure as the shutter is left open for too

long. As you are opening the shutter for a long period of

time, you need to close down your aperture to allow in as

little light as possible e.g. f.22 and use a slow film (50-100

ISO). This involves trial and error - practice with a digital

camera to understand the principles.