Difficulty level: Intermediate
Timetaken:2.5hoursUrban landscapes can be a very
interesting genre of photography
and present different challenges to
a natural environment. Although it can be
satisfying to shoot architecture at any time
of the day, introducing the technique of long
exposure can provide a sense of movement
that gives an extra layer to the image.
This creative technique can only be
achieved in-camera and requires knowledge
of the settings you need to use, as well as
using the right accessories to make sure
you create the perfect effect. Employing a
decent set of filters will open up various
opportunities for lengths of exposure, and
using a wide-angle lens will enable you to
compose for both the foreground and the sky.
In this tutorial, I’ll be capturing a winter
sunrise at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham
and demonstrating how to edit the image
in Lightroom. The added challenge with this
scene is the addition of water and canal boats
that move during a long exposure, so I’ll also
be explaining how to combine two images- one where the boats are still – to get the
most of the foreground as well as the sky.
Whatyou’llneed
Interchangeablelenscamera
Wide-anglezoom,suchasa 16-35mm
Sturdytripodandballhead
A setoffilters,includinga 6-stopND
Remoterelease/internalcameratimer
Lightroom/Photoshop