Hello everyone. Has anyone seen those photos that are taken at night where all the lights of cars seem to merge into a single line, quite pretty.

Like this photo here: http://www.deviantart.com/view/21011079/

Anyone know how they are done?

Yes they are created by making a long timed exposure, the red lines are created by the car tail lights moving while the camera shutter is open.

On an old manual film camera you'd set the shutter dial to 'B' (bulb setting) which allowed the shutter to be kept open for several minutes, usually using a cable release.

For the motorway picture, you'd mount the camera on a tripod and keep the shutter open for 30 to 90 secs with an apeture of about f11. It's mainly a case of trial and error, unless you have a sensitive light meter.

With digital it's going to be dependant on the camera. Most digital SLR's have the bulb setting. Digital compacts on the otherhand don't generally allow so much manual control. It's a case of scouring that manual or manufacturers website to see if your lucky enough to have a bulb setting.

Hey

Cheers for the info James, haven't had a chance to try it out yet far too busy but i'll have to give it a try soon!

Is a tripod necessary though?

You'll need to use a tripod to make sure the camera is perfectly still while you are taking the shot. As James says the shot will take about a second or more and if you move the camera the trails will become blurred or worse - which will really ruin the shot.

If you haven't a tripod you can try resting a camera on a wall or even hold against a railing or lamp post. I managed to successfully do this from the top of the Eiffel Tower and along the Champs Elysées. But as Dave says your images will otherwise become a mass of blurred lights. Although you maybe able to exploit the effects for some interesting and creative images ;-)

Imagine the trails are like sparklers on fireworks night, because you are moving the camera while you are taking the shot they will move around with each move of the camera, could try writing your name ;-)

Anyway, most manufacturers are using anti-blur and image stabilisation as selling points these days, which should lessen the problem, but they may not help since you need to keep the shutter open so long.

I think the same technique can be used for photographing rivers and waterfalls, to give the impression that the water is flowing rather than just static.
Use a tripod though :)

A tripod is essential for this kind of night shot. However, don't feel you have to lug around a massive great weighty thing all the time. If you're using a digital compact, a mini-tripod will do the job just fine, so long as you use the self-timer feature on the camera, so you don't make it wobble when you press the button. In fact, don't touch the camera or tripod at all during the exposure and make sure it's sitting securely on something hard that won't move.

I use a mini tripod from www.7dayshop.com that cost next to nothing, includes a useful ball head (so you can point it exactly where you want to compose the picture) and goes everywhere with me in my bag, along with my Canon Powershot.

I just loaded one with a lamborghini on onto the gallery, - it was done using a tripod and a shutter speed of about 15 seconds at a small apperture.
Paul

I like that Lamborghini one, its a change to have a picture like that where the car is static - rather than moving as usual.

I'm at a loss to think of situations where this could be used for something other than cars or trains though.

I have done dj photos using the same effect

ooo they look like the blurry ones i take of the grrrls maybe im an artist after all lol lol lol

Hy all, I have just bought a fuji finepix s6500 fd D-SLR. my question is how do i take shots with the background blurred (depth of field, i believe its called) thanks in advance KB.

Kenneth, do you mean at night or just generally?

Hi Kenneth, first things first the s6500 is not a actually a DSLR, it's usually refered to as a "Bridge Camera", half way between a compact and a DSLR.

To get the background or indeed foreground of the photo blurred you will need a wide aperture. unfortunately due to the sensor size of your camera your ability to do this will be limited.

depth of field (DOF) is the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus.

What Harry says is true but not impossible. If you are close enough to the thing you are photographing and the background is far enough away then it will be blurred. Use the widest aperture you can and remember there is a rule of thumb that says that from the focal point you have about one-third of the distance in front of the focal point and two-thirds of the distance behind the focal point. So if it's 2 yds to what you are photographing and the background is more than 6 yards away you should start to see some blurring and it should isolate the object you are taking.

Another good trick if you cannot use a tripod (they aren't popular in cities anymore) is to use a clamp of some description and attach a little spigot and a mini ball & socket head to it. Fix the clamp to something immobile (a railing, for example... not an unconscious drunk) and you have a good alternative to a tripod, that doesn't attract attention.

I use a Manfrotto 035 'Super Clamp', with a 037 spigot and a 482 mini ball head. It all locks down rigid and if I shield it from view, no worries from the good guys or the bad.

Even SLR gorilla pods can be hung from all sorts of places...depends what you're doing.

I still like tripods - but it's true that it's tricky in a city with a lot of kit.

By the way - check out http://www.thinkcamera.com/news/article/mps/UAN/509/v/1/ for some long exposure info. :)

I read somewhere to get good trail images, count how many seconds it takes for the car to travel through the entire length of your camera's viewfinder and then find either the closest equivalent shutter speed on your camera or the bulb setting. It gives you a good place to start bracketing. Leaving the shutter open to long leads to light bleed.

Fair grounds are also good to try this effect, and you'll find many images of Ferris Wheels using this effect. Night shots do become quite addictive, but remember to wrap up warm and take a Thermos! (Pref a tartan coloured one!)

if you care to check out my gallery there is an image done in the same vein but with a zoom on a tripodlooking down on a dual carrage way ie 2 lanes up and 2 down try it on anything from 1 to 10 seconds zoom while shutter open you can get some really abstract images i sold a copy of this one 20inch by 16 to a designer for his office wall it looked great