Unit Four : The Exposure Triangle
Julian Steenbergen via Unsplash.Light Trails
Light trails refer to the streaks of light captured when a moving light source is recorded over an extended exposure time. This popular technique involves using a slow shutter speed to capture the continuous movement of lights, such as those produced by vehicles on a road, city traffic, or even stars in the night sky. The long exposure allows the lights to leave a trail on the image sensor as they traverse the frame.
Light trails add a sense of motion and energy to the photograph, transforming the static elements of a scene into vibrant and captivating displays. You can experiment with different exposure times and settings to achieve the desired effect. This technique is commonly employed in urban photography, capturing the hustle and bustle of city life, or in long-exposure astrophotography to create star trails.
Chelsea London © 2018. Fujfilm X-T10 | 35.0 mm | ƒ/2.8 | 1/30s | ISO 6400 | Off-Camera Flash, rear-curtain syncRear-Curtain Sync
Rear-curtain sync, also known as second-curtain sync, is a flash photography technique that involves firing the flash at the end of the exposure rather than at the beginning. In traditional or front-curtain sync, the flash fires as soon as the shutter opens, freezing the subject at the start of the exposure.
Rear-curtain sync, on the other hand, synchronizes the flash burst with the closing of the shutter curtain. This technique is particularly effective in situations where there is movement or motion trails, as it allows ambient light to expose the background first, followed by a burst of flash to illuminate and freeze the subject at the end of the exposure.
To use rear-curtain sync, set your camera to this mode in the flash settings and choose a slow shutter speed. The result is a photograph that captures the flow of motion with the ambient light while concluding with a crisply illuminated subject. To add another layer of creativity to it, you can move your camera as the flash fires, creating light streaks.
Man Walking' by Thomas EakinsStroboscopic Flash
Stroboscopic flash is a photographic technique that involves using multiple, rapid flashes of a strobe light during a single long exposure. This technique captures successive phases of motion within a single frame, creating a stroboscopic effect. The repeated bursts of light freeze different moments of movement, producing a sequence of still images in one photograph.
Stroboscopic flash is commonly employed in situations where continuous motion needs to be represented in a dynamic and visually striking manner. This technique is often seen in dance photography, sports imagery, or any scenario where capturing the fluidity of movement is crucial.
You can control the frequency and intensity of the flash bursts, adjusting settings to achieve the desired effect. Stroboscopic flash not only freezes fast-paced action but also allows for creative experimentation, enabling you to craft unique and compelling compositions by manipulating the timing and duration of the strobe bursts.
Robert Zunikoff via UnsplashZoom Burst
Zoom burst is a creative photography technique that involves changing the focal length of the lens during a long exposure. To achieve a zoom burst, use a slow shutter speed and zoom the lens in or out while the shutter is open. This causes the focal length to change continuously, creating a burst or radial streaks emanating from the center of the frame. The effect is particularly effective in emphasizing a central subject or adding a sense of energy and motion to the image.
You can experiment with different zooming speeds, focal lengths, and exposure times to achieve various outcomes. Zoom burst is often employed in situations where a static composition may benefit from an added element of creativity, such as capturing city lights, fireworks, or even natural scenes, resulting in visually dynamic and/or abstract photographs.
Naveen Kumar Manne, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia CommonsPanning
Panning is a technique in photography where the camera moves horizontally along with a moving subject to capture the subject in motion while maintaining a relatively sharp focus on it, creating a sense of speed and dynamism in the final image.
To execute a successful panning shot, photographers typically set a slower shutter speed to intentionally introduce motion blur into the background, emphasizing the subject's movement. The key is to synchronize the camera's movement with that of the subject, keeping it in the frame and maintaining a consistent speed. To achieve this, photographers often use continuous autofocus and tracking modes to keep the subject in focus while panning smoothly.
Additionally, it is advisable to stabilize the camera, either by using a tripod or by adopting a stable stance, while following the subject's movement. Panning is frequently employed in sports photography, capturing moving vehicles, or photographing wildlife in motion, allowing photographers to convey a sense of speed and energy in their images through the intentional blurring of the background.