30 second exposure

EXIF data

en-route back from a friends gig last night i took a number of photographs on a bridge overlooking the motorway. I've not taken alot of these exposure shots in a long time so i just felt like doing it again last night.

Click image for a larger version.

Can't view large size, It contains error or something.

But I've been thinking how we can do the red lights looks like lines.


Hmm, mind to share?


it's beautiful.

Sorry, it works now the enlarge page.

It's really beautiful. Hmm, maybe if without the red lines? or make it look like normal( maybe just a few or more cars driving by )?...will be more natural.

With the current one, it looks unreal, nice.

Shouldn't be any issues with the larger image. Seems to load up here fine.

Thanks for the comment.

In regards to the "red lights looks like lines" it is the effect from traffic driving away from me during the 30 second exposure.

I took a few shots. To get the right ISO settings i tested when there was no traffic going by. As a result here are a couple of similar photographs (one without trails)..

TO B honest, I like the one without the red lines more than the one with lines.

Can we also grab the same photo (like your situation) with the cars moving and still without the lines? Like when we see the cars moving just maybe 2 red dots of the car's lights...normal effect BUT with all your composition skills, you make it a very very nice one. especially the yellow light and a house light at the top left

Not when it's dark like that George. When you take night shots with little to no lighting you have to increase your exposure or you're basically going to be looking at a black photograph with no detail at all.

You might also want to take into consideration that if i had just taken it so there was the two red lights and no trail from the passing cars i would have had to take the shot on a very fast exposure. If i had it taken on a fast exposure then the light from behind the hill and the lights from the house wouldn't have burned in long enough for it to have the effect it has now.

If i'm completely honest, i don't really like it without the trails and the only reason i've favoured the first of the 3 i've linked is because of the light shining on the road and you can see the road markings clearer than that of the second trail photo.

I've read opinions on exposure shots before and i do agree that they tend to be unoriginal and overdone at times however, i'm slightly pleased with how the initial photo turned out considering i was on that bridge for barely half an hour taking some photos.

I've always wondered how you guys do those shots with the lights trailing like that.

I wonder how it would turn out if you could get someone to tap their breaks rapidly as they're going past the shot.

helps to have a tripod and a cable release or a timer so the camera stays stationary. Almost impossible to get a good shot holding it by hand.

Here's some interesting night photography images, many of them similar to what craig did. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&r ... 1&ie=UTF-8

Here's a pretty good tute
http://www.schoolofphotography.com/night/night.html

Wow, Mark, there are really amazing photos.

Those photos look great, SB! And I love the red trails!

It is actually as you say impossible. It's not "almost", i say that because to hold a camera for 30 seconds completely still may be achievable (you might think) but you have camera shake. Just the most minor of movements can ruin a shot like that.

I used my recently purchased (more sturdy) tripod for these photographs.

Thank you all for the comments.

Bridge = railing to rest on
Not impossible, but if you're looking for detail it's pretty stupid.