Shooting with slow shutter speeds and filters

For those who want to photograph with long shutter speeds, different types of filters will quickly come into consideration. In this item we give you some useful tips for shooting with a slow shutter speed and using filters. This way you can get started yourself!

Capturing water and air

When do you use a slow shutter speed? For example, when capturing a certain movement, such as water and air. Think of a smoothly ironed lake or sea, or even a waterfall. The sky also makes for beautiful pictures, the movement of the clouds is captured by the long shutter speed. This effect makes the clouds appear long and stretched out, sometimes even more dramatic.

Useful photography tips

• As with any kind of photography, planning and preparation is very important. Make sure you are in the right location with the right lighting conditions. By starting on time you can prepare everything calmly and practice if necessary.
• Use a tripod to avoid motion blur as much as possible. Make sure you have a stable surface.
• If you don't use filters, you will have to go out sooner or later, depending on the time of year. Before sunrise or after sunset gives the best light, during the day there is too much (bright) light.
• If you do use filters you could shoot all day long. For example with gray (gradient) filters, ND filters and polarization filters.
• Gray filters come in different types of transitions and densities. For example, a 0.9 blocks more light than a 0.3. Gray filters and ND filters can also be combined together. The higher the number, the more light it blocks. A filter with 6 stops could be used around sunrise and sunset, for the daytime one with 10 stops. More information about the types of filters can be read in the item photographing with filters.
• Does your composition have a straight horizon? Then it is best to use a hard filter. For example, if you have a mountainous landscape, a soft filter is recommended. A soft filter has a soft gradient and thus gradually changes in density, while a hard filter has a tighter transition.
• When buying filters, it is best to choose a filter kit with a holder instead of filtering for a specific size of the lens. With such a system, you can easily change filters. When purchasing, also pay attention to the quality of the filters. The lower the price, the more chance of color casts in the filter, something you don't want in your photos. The filter should show true-to-life colors.
• Composition is an important part of taking a good photo. Placing elements in the foreground prevents a flat image. A good starting point for the photo would be a piece of rock or land coming into the frame from the side.

Want to learn to photograph or gain experience?

Shooting with slow shutter speeds and using filters is discussed in various workshops of Travelmarks-Photography. Would you like to participate in it? Then take a look at the many workshops. For the travel lovers there are also some cool photo trips where you can improve your photography skills. If you are interested, sign up quickly and till clicks!