Long Exposure Photography


Keeper of the lighthouse

Lighthouse is a favorite motif for me. Perhaps that is from where I had my bedroom in my childhood home, I could hear the torch from Torungen's fires during the storms of the fall and winter. And, there was something about that sound like catching security in my childhood. Perhaps there was the certainty that there was someone out there who watched, some guards and that the sound wants to help seafarers safe in the harbor of the storm. I'm fasinated of these proud and rake designs, which are the furthest in the ocean gaps and emit light signals that give position to seafarers.

This evening in September 2015, I saw that the weather forecast was good, with the possibility of starburst and not too much wind. I brought me my dog and left on this trip from Kristiansand to Lindesnes lighthouse, to the south of the Norwegian coast. And, the weather forecast was right in the case of starry skies, but I underestimated the wind force. It was such a pleasure that even the dog found a laugh in it for the old lamp. And, there he sat and followed what I was doing.

It was a long night with many nice pictures, but it is especially the picture here that I have called "Keeper of the Lighthouse" which I thought was most lively and has a little history in it. I eventually got a nice chat with this guy who got up on the plateau and stood up in front of me with a camera. As it turns out to be the keeper, who also has a great interest in photography, it became a long, interesting and informative conversation.

This night I went back home, tired, cold but very inspired.

The photo has been selected for "Photo of the day: October 29, 2015 by #loves_norway team at Featrured city #wu_norway and named" CAPTURE OF THE DAY "by #worldcaptures at Instagram



EXIF: Date 19th September 2015, Time 21:15:46, Shutter 10, Aperture f / 4.0, Focal Length 17mm, ISO 2500,
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon Canon Canon Canon Canon Canon E27mm f / 4L


Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong

"Symphony of Lights" that takes place every night in Hong Kong, at 19:00 I had heard a lot about it, and an event I was looking forward to seeing when I was allowed to visit the city.

The lens I used to take this picture, TS-E17mm F / 4L, I had bought this day, so this became an exercise in the use of a whole new lens, which Cannon by the way is alone to offer. TS stands for Tilt / Shift function, which helps the photographer to determine that angles and buildings appear curved in the image. With a normal lens, the skyscrapers in the foreground would all the way towards the center of the picture. But, with the TS lens, this is leveled out and, as you can see, the skyscraper stands right and proud in the picture.

Standing here in this world metropolis, in front of the Museum de Modern in Hong Kong, to consider the light playing from the top of and along the skyscrapers on the other side, is beautiful and fascinating modern technology. Absolutely recommending both with and without camera.
Long exposure is a very fun technique that is recommended by anyone with SLR to learn. It is a technique that can be used in many contexts, but especially night time, but also during the daytime. However, during the daytime, it is usually required to have a filter that will help you to extend the exposure.




Funny lights from the skyline of Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour

EXIF: Date 10. September 2010, Time 19:12:05, Shutter 10. Sec, Aperture F / 11, Focal Length 17 mm, ISO 100,
Camera Canon EOS 7D, Lens TS-E17mm F / 4L


Flashlight in Victoria Harbour

After a long day in Hong Kong, including visiting Disneyland and a nice dinner, it began to rain with thunderstorm. We hurried back to the hotel, where we had (as you can see) sweeping views of Victoria Harbor and the harbor area.

Even I took my camera and tripod up on the roof terrace, because here I thought I would get some amazing pictures. But, alright no, a nice but yet authoritative security guard came immediately after my arrival and guided with certain entry into the secured behind closed doors.

I have a very patient man who chose to go under the hood and turn off the light, so that the light should not be reflected in the window glass. And, here I stood by 30 seconds on the camera and snapped in my way. The picture here "Flashlight of Victoria Harbor" is currently my only successful lightning image, but I'm quite happy with that.

But then back to more secret traits. Long exposure is about playing with the light, which is the true meaning of the word photography. Often, I start using 30 seconds and ISO 100 with the shutter set to low light sensitivity.



During a rainy night we had the experience of a thunder storm, which gave me this photo of Flashlight

EXIF: Date 9 September 2010, Time 01:05:14, Shutter 30. Sec, Aperture f / 9.0, Focal Length 15mm, ISO 250,
Camera Canon EOS 7D, EF-S15-85mm f / 3.5


Nomeland Power Plant

There are many things I'm fascinated by, natural forces are one of those things. Here the natural forces are tamed in a way that gives us electric power on a large scale. This power plant supplies power to 8450 homes a year. You can read more about power plants at Agder Energi. For me who play with light and motion, it becomes fun to see how the long-exposure technique freezes the time and makes a milky beam out of the water masses passing the power plant this autumn day in 2014.

However, this image is not a one single image, it is composed of three images, so-called High Dynamic Range (HDR) with different light exposure, merged into one image. Here I have also used my NDX filter, to curb the backlight in the sunset in the hill at the forefront.


Electricity producer Nomeland Power Plant, Agder Energi, Agder

EXIF: Date 12. October 2014, Time 16:20:35, Shutter 2.5 Sec, Aperture F / 22, Focal Length 24mm, ISO 100,
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Lens EF24-70mm F / 2.8L


Ruager, a stormy morning

Walking along the seaside before sunrise gives many opportunities for playing with lights and movements. With an exposure of 30 seconds, the waves that hit the swallows cause a blurred effect. The image gives the same calm as it feels when one gets out early in the morning and only hears the waves that hit the mountain and the wind as wolves. You see it's a fresh breeze and a cold winter morning, while at the same time you find peace for the mind, recreation and rest for a busy day.


A stormy morning, playing with the light and the waves to have soft image of the waves crushing into the rocks

EXIF: Date 10. March 2013, Time 7:37:54, Shutter 30.0 sec, Aperture f / 10, Focal Length 68mm, ISO 100,
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF24-70mm F2.8L Lens Lens


Kaldvell, Lillesand

Everything in motion is fun to play with and as the children most are water extra fun for us landscape photographers. When one can play in an historical industrialized landscape that we only have a few left of in south of Norway as in this picture.

Here I have used High Dynamic Range (HDR) technique, which is to merge three images with different exposure. The picture was taken quarter to eight in the evening in May 2011, so one of the exposures was long to wait. In other words, here's the combination of HDR and long exposure that gives it great results.

With long exposure, one gets this soiled water, which gives an impression of movement and how the water is shaped by the fall in the river and pressed through cracks in the pond. The spring was in full swing and the fresh greenery we get in spring forms a natural contrast to the stones in the pond and eventually the old and old logs broke across the pond.


Playing wiht the water from the Stigevassdraget in the historical dam at Kaldvell

EXIF: May 13, 2011, Time 20:14:28. Shutter 8.0 sec, Aperture f / 2.8, Focal length 27mm, ISO 100,
Camera Canon EOS 7D, Canon EF-S15-85 F / 3.5 lens


Salmon ladder

When sun is shining and the air is claer as today, its fun to go to a place as Kaldvell.  Playing with light and water in these old constructions, the dam and as here the salmon ladder, is fun and it gives nice effect with make the milky effect using long exposure.
Long exposure photography of the salomon ladder at Kaldvell, Lillesand

EXIF: November 27. 2016, Time 11:19:25, Shutter Speed 6 sec, Aperture F/22, Focal Length 24mm, ISO 100
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L


The man in the moonshine

This is a picture taken quite early in my career as a hobby photographer. This day I had taken a walk with my camera and with the equipment on my back, and I had some goals, including training more on long exposure. I have a large collection of pictures from this day that I have called "Spring on Fevik".

I went for a long trip from Trolldalen, across Lauvåsen, to Tykkåsen and down to Hauslandsvingen, across Fevik Stadion to Storesand and Randvika, where this picture was taken. I was standing to take pictures of the pelvis that came down between Storesand and Randvika, and had taken a lot of pictures and packed the equipment as the moon rises above Kari, as we call the odd that goes out here between Randvika and Lillesanden.

And while I've been photographed in the brook, this guy has got out here and started fishing. Then, of course, I could not go home because I would try to get his profile in the moon, which for natural reasons could not be done, but fun to get his silhouette in the moonlight.



Storesand Fevik, fisherman lighten by the moon, gave a great effect in the moonshine

EXIF: March 29, 2010. Time 19:42:05. Shuts 30.0 sec. Aperture f / 22. Focal length 91mm. ISO 100,
Camera Canon EOS 7D, Sigma Sigma 70-200mm



Kringsjå Dam

It's with us photographers like it's with kids, water is fun! In this image from November 2014 I have a lot of great pictures from the dam at Kringsjå in Vennesla. So, why exactly this picture? And, maybe, because here too I see some silhouettes of tusses and trolls in the water formations. Do you see them?

When is playing with long exposure and water, is the challange to will find the right balance between looking through the water, clear running to the fullest as milky white stream. Along the way, it's a taste cake, but I'm even trying to freeze the water and make it transparent so that you see that there is water flowing here.

The colors in this image are slightly toned, to get an almost black white expression. It's late in the afternoon, and it's licking and leaning against winter. The leaves are away from the birch trees in the background and therefore I would create a picture focusing on the tents and the troll's play in the water.

The image is taken with the use of Variable NDX ND2.5 - ND1000 filter, which is in practice putting sunglasses on the lens.



its fun to play with long exposer and freeze the water and time, like a milky steam

EXIF: November 25. 2016, Time 17:02, Shutter Speed 30 sec, Aperture F/14, Focal length 24mm, ISO 100
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Lens EF24-70 f/2.8L


Trollstien

Trollstien is one of the hiking trails on Justneshalvøya, where one can descend into small coves and beaches. Here I am looking for a dark November morning and playing with long exposure.
Long exposure photography that frozen time at the Topdalsfjorden, Kristiansand

EXIF: November 30, 2014. Time 09:46:33. Shutter speed 121.0 sec. Aperture f / 22. Focal length 24mm.
ISO 100, Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, lens Canon EF24-70mm f / 2.8L.


Ready for landing

Photography means playing with light. Here I stand out on the Drømmestien and leave the camera open for 304 seconds, while a plane arrives for landing at Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik.
Long exposure image of plane landing at Kristiansand airport, Kjevik

EXIF: January 8, 2015. Time 22:07:40. Shutter speed 304 sec. Aperture f / 22. Focal length 70mm. ISO 100,
Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III, lens EF24-70mm f / 2.8L