Author Topic: How To: Light Trails  (Read 20903 times)

Offline MazzaB1.4

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #20 on: 07 June 2010, 09:33 »
me and my mate just messing around in a carpark, this was probably my favourite shot :)
(straight off the camera)

Offline Ridg

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #21 on: 09 June 2010, 13:56 »
An old one

25 seconds @ f/18


Offline Horney

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #22 on: 09 June 2010, 13:57 »
These are really cool guys. I need to get out and do some more myself.

Nick

Offline Shady Pioneer

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #23 on: 09 June 2010, 15:40 »
Ridg that is pure epicness.

Offline shepgti

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #24 on: 09 June 2010, 16:01 »
anyone fancy doing a tutorial on incar light trail shots? i tried the other night but wasnt happy with the results :undecided:

Offline Ridg

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #25 on: 10 June 2010, 11:23 »
anyone fancy doing a tutorial on incar light trail shots? i tried the other night but wasnt happy with the results :undecided:

basically; luck and perseverance  :wink:

In car trails and any light trail shots involve a massive amount of luck or trial and error, as you've got no control over the light, e.g. your in car ones, how are you or the camera's EV metering going to be able to predict how much traffic you'll have coming toward you and how fast it's going?  the same goes for light trails, you can have everything set up correctly and boom a police car moves through the scene on a blue light call and it can either ruin or makes the photo .

The only advice I'd give for trails shots, is make sure the camera is on a solid base either a quality tripod (using a remote shutter or selftimer) or on a suction clamp / rig for in car for smaller cameras you could use a gorilapod.  But try and hold the camera and you'll get shake and 'head bob'.  Obviously once the camera is mounted to the car, it's going to track with the suspension.

Use the lowest ISO you've got, this will help cut down the noise.

You're going to need a small aperture say 16 and up, in order to increase the shutter speed, this will give you a nice wide DoF too, using ND filters with a large aperture could give you some nice bokeh trails though.

but it's basically trial and error, hope that helps.

Offline Gareth F

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #26 on: 08 June 2011, 14:06 »
Read this last night so thought id give it a go, heres my first light trail photo.
No SmOkE nO pOkE....

Offline Jack3559

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Re: How To: Light Trials
« Reply #27 on: 09 June 2011, 09:46 »
If you strap a light to your wheel, you can get some really nice sine waves.

Gotta make sure you use a light that you can see from all angles though, otherwise you get lines.

Offline Mr_F

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Re: How To: Light Trails
« Reply #28 on: 03 May 2012, 10:31 »
Cheers for the leg-up on the settings Horney,  first chance for a trip out with the DSLR and it's dark, so proved most useful.  Really needs work, composition, more cars etc.  Was about 11am before I could get out the door.

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Offline DubFan

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Re: How To: Light Trails
« Reply #29 on: 20 August 2012, 01:03 »
Here's a few of my light trail shots:


fence trails by AlistairBeavis, on Flickr


All Souls Langham Place at Night by AlistairBeavis, on Flickr


Oxford Circus at Night by AlistairBeavis, on Flickr


Docklands at Night by AlistairBeavis, on Flickr

And my first attempt at in-car light trails, with the camera on the tripod which was strapped between the front seats with a bungee cord. Used the self timer and set it off several times. This one was the best.


Night Driving by AlistairBeavis, on Flickr