THE SETUP HOW TO CAPTURE MOTION IN LANDSCAPES

The essential kit and setup to help you show the passage of time with slower shutter speeds

STEP 1 USE Tv MODE

To start taking control of your exposure, go into Shutter Priority mode, also called Tv (Time value) on the mode dial. Here you can dial in the shutter speed you want to use. If you want to extend the shutter speed you’ll need to choose your lowest ISO value and then input your desired shutter speed. It’s a semi-auto mode, which means that the camera will work out the aperture value needed to achieve a correctly exposed image. If the aperture value blinks it means that the aperture can’t close down any more, so you will get an overexposed image. You’ll be unlikely to achieve an exposure slower that 1/5 sec even on a dark and gloomy overcast day, but that’s where ND filters come in…

STEP 2 USE AN ND FILTER

Neutral density filters act as sunglasses for your camera, blocking out light and making it possible to shoot at much slower shutter speeds. For example a 10-stop ND filter would turn a standard 1/60 sec exposure into 15 secs. They’re called ‘neutral density’ because they’re supposed to be completely neutral and not affect the colours and tones within the shot, though generally when you go up to stronger filters you see a slight colour cast, which is easily fixed in postprocessing. ND filters come in different strengths and different shapes too, with round ones that screw into the front filter thread of your lens, and square or rectangular ones that slot into a dedicated filter holder, but we’ll go more in depth on lens filters next month.

STEP 3 TAKE THE PICTURE

It’s a good idea to switch on your 2-sec Self Timer when shooting a long exposure, ensuring you don’t nudge the camera when you press the shutter button. Alternatively, use a remote cable release to fire the camera. This is also a crucial accessory for when you want to take exposures longer than 30 secs – the maximum length of time you can expose in Tv, Av, and Manual mode. With a cable release you can shoot in Bulb mode and lock the shutter in place as long as you like: this allows you to shoot for several minutes, rather than the maximum 30 secs. Note that you’ll want to compose and focus before attaching any ND filters as they will significantly darken your LCD and viewfinder when in place.

STEP 4 CHECK YOUR SHOT

Once you’ve taken your long exposure be sure to check it on the rear LCD of your Canon camera to make sure it’s correctly exposed. Lighting can change dramatically while you’re taking your picture, which can result in an under- or overexposed image. So inspect your shot and decide if it needs more or less motion, then dial in the shutter speed you want to use. Apps like Lee Stopper Exposure Guide (below) are great for converting your normal exposure into the long shutter speed required with one of Lee’s Little, Big or Super stoppers attached (which block out at 6, 10 and 15-stops respectively).

Part 4 next issue: We cover everything you need to know about filters for landscapes.