GETTING THE SHOT RIGHT
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NO FILTER
With no ND filter, the
image is bland despite
the cool blue-hour
light. In this situation,
opting for an extreme
long exposure will add
interest and dynamism
to the scene.POOR EXPOSURE
Here the exposure
was incorrectly set
to 30 seconds, which
resulted in severe
underexposure. As the
light quickly dropped,
a 2.5-minute exposure
was necessary.PERFECT SHOT
Shooting ultra-long
exposures can make
it feel like you’re
waiting forever for the
exposure to end, but
it’s well worth the wait
once the incredible
motion blur is revealed.SET THE
EXPOSURE1
Compose your shot and
manually focus before
setting the camera to
aperture priority. Here, the
ISO was set to 100 and the
aperture to f/13, with 1/3
stop of negative exposure
compensation applied;
this resulted in a shutter
speed of 1/15 sec. If you’re
using a DSLR, cover the
viewfinder to avoid light
leaking into the shot.̈« Á0!RzXªÈ0R áژÁ
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CALCULATE THE
EXPOSURE2
Download an app such
as Lee Filters Stopper
Exposure (available for
iOS and Android), which
will help you to calculate
exposure for six-, 10- and
15-stop ND filters. Select
the strength of the filter,
then set the shutter
speed of the camera
from the previous step:
the exposure time you
need will be displayed.SHOOT IN
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Set the camera to
manual mode, with the
aperture and ISO at the
same settings as in step 1.
Rotate the shutter speed
dial until Bulb shows and
use the app’s timer to time
the exposure. Release
the shutter using a cable
release or shutter remote,
and push the button lock
to hold the shutter open.62 DIGITAL CAMERA^ MARCH 2021 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
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Enjoy beautifully moody blue hues in the scene when the sun is below the horizon
here’s something
so pleasing about
cool blue colours
in landscape
photography,
which is perhaps why many
photographers shift the hues
in their images towards blue
regardless of the time of day
their images were taken. This
is an aesthetic choice, but
nothing beats shooting during
‘the blue hour’, when scenes
look naturally blue.
The blue hour, like the
better-known ‘golden hour’,isn’t literally an hour in duration.
It’s simply the name for the
short period of time before
sunrise and after sunset
where predominantly blue
wavelengths of light scatter
into the sky, and bathe scenes
in cool blue light. There’s
something calming about the
quality of light at this time of
day; and by adding a three-,
six- or even 10-stop ND filter,
exposure times can be
extended to minutes, which
can result in sublime blur
effects in water and clouds.T