Author Topic: How To: Light Trails  (Read 20899 times)

Offline Horney

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How To: Light Trails
« on: 22 April 2009, 17:21 »
The purpose of this is to get those wicked light trails from cars at night by using a long exposure.

Examples





What you need:

* A camera which allows you to adjust the shutter speed.
* A steady tripod (or failing that a box or wall).
* A remote shutter release (either wired or wireless) would be handy but not essential.
* Night time!

The Theory

Set up you camera on your tripod and get the scene you want composed in the frame and lock everything off so it can't move. Set your camera to shutter priority mode (Tv on Canons) and an ISO of 200 or 400. Don't worry about the aperture as the camera will do this itself in shutter priority mode. The shutter speed you select is a bit trial and error but 10 secs is a good starting point. Then simply press the shutter on your remote and see what you get. If you don't have a remote then set the camera to timer mode, that way you have 10 secs (or however long your camera counts down to) before the shutter opens and you won't risk moving the camera while releasing the shutter button.

Tips

* Roundabout you can park on are great for this as are bridges over main roads or bus stops.
* Try and find somewhere with traffic flow in both directions for red and white lights.
* Experiment with shutter speed.
* Don't leave it to late as the more cars that go past the better it'll be!

Nick
« Last Edit: 22 February 2012, 16:41 by jv »

nige_s

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #1 on: 22 April 2009, 17:35 »
Good stuff, can you explain the techniques of HDR too?!  That would be helpful

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #2 on: 22 April 2009, 17:44 »
Cheers Horney, didn't realise we had this section to the forum, but glad we do :)

Offline Horney

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #3 on: 22 April 2009, 17:50 »
Good stuff, can you explain the techniques of HDR too?!  That would be helpful

It's on my list but Stink would probably be best to do that one as he's the HDR man on here, I've never tried it although I know the theory!

Nick

Offline bobbarley

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #4 on: 22 April 2009, 17:52 »


One of my early ones.  I'm really into this, so will be experimenting a lot more :)

Offline bobbarley

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #5 on: 23 April 2009, 18:08 »
What's a light trial? ;)

Offline Guy

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #6 on: 24 April 2009, 00:59 »

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #7 on: 24 April 2009, 16:47 »
Give me your critism guys lol!




Far from perfect, I'm just not sure what I'm doing  :rolleyes:

Offline Komenda

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #8 on: 24 April 2009, 17:22 »
Did you use shutter priority?  The lights from that building could be throwing the camera off a bit. Try reducing the shutter time with background lights that bright or close the apeture a couple of stops

Got the trails working nice though.

Offline barry-gti

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #9 on: 24 April 2009, 18:15 »


One of my early ones.  I'm really into this, so will be experimenting a lot more :)

is that the petrol station next to the bass drum?