Nature Photography How To

If you’re looking for a way to capture eye-catching landscape photos that look a bit different from the others, check out the video below with a British pro who explains how to use long exposures to shoot dynamic images with a unique look.

Nature and wildlife shooter Adam Karnacz is popular with Shutterbug readers for his outdoor photography tutorials that often open up a new realm of creative possibilities. In this latest episode, Karnacz demonstrates how to use slow shutter speeds to create effects you can't see with the human eye..

If you’ve never tried this technique, you’re in for a treat. And as Karnacz explains, these long exposure tips work equally well when shooting during the day or at night. Best yet, there’s no special equipment required, apart from a tripod and a filter or two.

The basic reason experienced landscape photographers use slow shutter speeds when shooting outdoors, is that this technique enables them to capture striking images with soft, flowing water and cotton-like clouds. And as great as these kinds of photos look, they are very easy to accomplish.

Karnacz explains how to make the necessary modifications to ISO and aperture settings, to compensate for slow shutter speeds and arrive at a proper exposure. He also demonstrates why, when shooting under extremely bright conditions with exposures as slow as 30 seconds, it helps to employ a neutral density (ND) filter to reduce the amount of light entering the camera.

Karnacz also offers a few other tricks for long exposure photography, like covering the camera’s viewfinder with a piece of tape, and using a shutter release cable or the camera’s self timer to trip the shutter.

There are more great tips on Karnacz’ YouTube channel, and in our recent post explaining how to improve your sunset photography.