Long exposure of the sea

[Alastair Cummins]

I took this shot earlier and cant quite make my mind if the shot works, and if the sea looks too messy?


Sunset on the beach by Allyc85, on Flickr

 

[Glen Roberts]

Not sure how long your exposure was (my Exif Viewer is no longer working) but I think a bit longer may have looked better. Like you say the water does look a bit messy, a longer exposure would probably have smoothed it out more.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Any one know what the 'ideal' long exposure shutter speeds are for that etherial ocean look?

I'm interested in trying this sort of thing myself, I even have some ND filters to help the process

 

[Laurie Parker]

anything over a minute gives fantastic smooth water, very silky even better coupled with an ND, use bulb mode

 

[Hamish Gill]

I'd like to do a smooth sea shot with a pin hole camera ... In fact I might do one of the wier near me ... I love this forum for giving me ideas

I wonder if these are any good

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CAP-PINHO...474109550QQcategoryZ30066QQvarZQQcmdZViewItem

I made one my self one with a body cap, drill, tin foil, a pin and some insulation tape ... It worked but I had trouble working out exposure without knowing what aperture I'd created ...

 

[Pete Askew]

Here's a couple of links you might find useful Hamish.

http://www.pinholephotography.com.au/Theory/theory.html

http://www.monochrom.com/Pinhole-Lochblenden-Set.htm?websale7=mono-c&pi=4765&ci=000112

 

[Vic Shaw]

I think it's just a case of trial and error really with this, after all it's a free medium.

What I would consider next time though is to use the little spit of land and the sign post(?) as a major focal point to your shot.

Also just after sunset and with a few clouds in the sky would make for a great shot.

Vic

 

[Hamish Gill]

Ah, cheers Pete I'll have a mooch through

I got this app on my phone

It's a basic light meter ... Passable for everyday photography in non complicated lighting situations (just like the iPhone is funnily enough) as you can see, it's range goes to very small apertures and long shutter speeds so it's perfect for this sort of application I reckon!?

 

[Alastair Cummins]

Not sure how long your exposure was (my Exif Viewer is no longer working) but I think a bit longer may have looked better. Like you say the water does look a bit messy, a longer exposure would probably have smoothed it out more.

The Basic EXIf data is...

Exposure 3
Aperture f/22.0
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 200

I would have liked to have been able to wait a bit longer for it to get darker but A) the sunset was fading fast and B) it was blooming freeeeezing, and I dont really feel the cold that much!

I hadnt really planned to do the shot really but found a perfect perch for the camera on a concrete wall and decided to give it a go, even I was getting funny looks, kneeling on said wall lol. but its something I want to keep on practising at it and it did go a little way to curing my shyness with the camera in public when theres loads of people about!

 

[Vic Shaw]

Alastair,

You would be surprised as to the colours you get, or rather the camera sees after the sunset. I would go back again fore shore (hehe). I have a contact on flickr who does alot of this type of work. I'll dig him out and post a link.

 

[Alastair Cummins]

Cheers, would love to see his work

I will deffo be going to try again and next time I will have my tripod so I can try a few different angles

 

[Vic Shaw]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterzeglis/

theres his link, he does some nice long exposure work