Long Exposure Shots from Ixtapa, Mexico

This one was 8 minutes at F/8 (ISO 100)

Amazing shots Billy! I just bought a remote shutter for my 5d II
Can you give any tips on shooting like you?
What settings should I have it on?

Nice shots

It takes a little planning to take 8 minute shots in the middle of the afternoon, but here's a quick checklist:

1) Clean everything. Lens, sensor (you'll be shooting stopped down so sensor dust will tend to show up), and all filters.

2) Compose/frame your shot (on a tripod obviously) and lock your camera in place. If I'm shooting in sunlight conditions, I use Sunny-16 and basic math to determine my exposure parameters, but, as was the case in my third shot above, when I don't have perfect sunlight, I take a few test shots at this point to find a baseline exposure. Focus your lens at this point then switch your lens/body into Manual focus mode so the focus doesn't move for the remainder of what's going on.

3) If you plan on using a polarizer (I do), attach it to your lens, rotate it to the optimal position, and look for the alignment mark on the rim of the polarizer so you can note its position.

4) Now mount your neutral density and other filters being careful not to rotate/focus your lens). I had 18 stops worth of light loss for the two top shots - a 10-stop ND, a pair of 3-stop NDs, and a polarizer (all polarizers eat 2 stops of light). Note that when you look through the viewfinder, it looks pitch black. This is why we focused and found the proper polarizer alignment BEFORE we mounted the filters

5) Rotate your polarizer around to the position determined in step #3

6) Put your camera into Manual/M mode, set the exposure you calculated based on the number of stops of light loss you have in conjunction with your baseline exposure.

7) Put your camera into Bulb mode, whip our your stop watch or smart phone, and take your picture.

8) Sit down while the shutter is open and enjoy a beer (in my case) or other favorite alcoholic refreshment. Two if you drink quickly enough.


If you aren't sure how to calculate the exposure, I'll explain how it was done for my shots above (the first two). I had direct sunlight on my scene - so I used the Sunny-16 exposure rule (If at f/16, Shutter-Speed = ISO). I wanted to shoot at ISO 100. So at f/16 my shutter speed should have been 1/125th (1/100th isn't a valid "major" shutter speed stop). I wanted to shoot at f/8 (my crop-body suffers from diffraction at f/11 and above and f/8 is the sweet zone on my 20mm anyway), so that's two stops worth of additional light, so I have to reduce my shutter speed to match - that puts my new exposure at ISO 100, f/8, 1/500th.

Now I added 18 stops worth of light loss, so I have to add back 18 stops of light using the shutter:
1/250th, 1/125th, 1/60th, 1/30th, 1/15th, 1/8th, 1/4th, 1/2, 1 second, 2 seconds , 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480 seconds (8 minutes)

And that was it. ISO 100, f/8, 8 minutes (as timed by my smart-phone).

Let me know if you have any questions.

By the way, in that first shot, the rainbow-colored blotch on the left side is a para-sail flinging in the wind waiting for a customer.