Capture a classic view

Lengthen your exposure with ND filters

1 Compose and focus Set up your tripod in a position where you’re able to stand for several minutes without getting in the way of people or blocking pavements. Fix your camera, compose the shot and focus the lens before you attach the filter, then switch to Manual Focus to lock it.

2 Attach an ND filter Attach a neutral density (ND) filter to your lens to restrict the amount of light reaching the sensor. This will enable you to shoot super-long exposures. We used a thee-stop ND filter here. Each stop doubles the amount of time needed for a correct exposure, so a 10-sec exposure becomes 80 secs. 3 Set Bulb Mode Set the camera mode to Manual. Use ISO100 for maximum quality and low sensitivity. Choose a narrow aperture like f/16 or f/22 for maximum depth of field, then set shutter speed to Bulb. This means the shutter stays open as long as the shutter button is activated.

4 Experiment with THE Exposure TIME You don’t want to touch the camera during a bulb exposure as this could blur the image, so use a remote. Experiment with exposure time – start with a minute, then try longer or shorter depending on the results (we used 92 secs).