My Fitness Pal Shoot handheld long exposures
Capture motion in active scenes even when working without the support of a tripod or monopod.
Sometimes it just isn’t practical to take a tripod with you everywhere you travel. Even compact models can take up considerable space in a camera bag, which can be costly when utilising budget airlines, for example. Safety and security can also be an issue. This image was taken on the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona – one of the busiest streets in the city – and it was impossible to set up a tripod on the pavement without disrupting the significant flow of people.
However, for creative reasons, longer exposures can sometimes be the only way to accurately capture the energy of a location. In some circumstances, we need an approach that will allow us to set a slower shutter speed while maintaining critical sharpness. Here, I knew I wanted to capture the traffic in motion, in order to add extra interest to this study of the famous Casa Batlló.
The following technique involves using modern image stabilisation systems to minimise camera shake and enable us to push exposure to the extremes of the possible hand-holdable shutter speed range. While some lenses have dedicated IS modes for varying situations, here we have used an example with a basic On/Off functionality, meaning the procedure is relevant regardless of the system present in your current equipment.
1
TEST EXPOSURE Set ISO to the maximum you are comfortable with for your camera under the current lighting conditions. Test the minimum shutter speed this produces at the current aperture setting as a reference.
2
SET MAX APERTURE If the shutter speed is above 1/60sec then stop down, but in most cases the max aperture is needed when shooting after sunset. Choose this setting to keep the shutter speed above 1 sec.
3
ACTIVATE STABILISERS Turn on image stabilisation, whether this is built into the camera or the lens. If a ‘Hybrid IS’ mode is available, use this, as it’s better for handheld shooting, covering rotational movements.
4
SUPPORT THE CAMERA Lean against a stable surface, or lightly press the camera against a surface to reduce micro-movements. Choose a focal length that will give you achievable sharpness at the expected exposure.
5
SET EXPOSURE Find out the stabilisation ability of your kit, and set the shutter speed at the EV value below the minimum unstabilised handholdable speed. For a 60mm lens (1/60sec) 5 stops slower would be 1/2sec.
6
USE BURST MODE Set the camera to the maximum continuous shooting mode and fire a sequence of images at this exposure. Subtly increase and decrease shutter speed to find a balance of motion and sharpness.