Posts tagged with light trails
27 May 2008 - How to short circuitEver since I posted Short Circuit I’ve been meaning to post a small tutorial on how I did it. There were so many comments from people clamouring to know the secret of how I made traces of light dance around the picture frame.
Actually, nobody asked. Will was kind enough to suggest another title but otherwise it went unremarked. *sob* I’m going to tell you anyway.
The image is a long exposure shot, of at least 1 second and preferably 4 or 5 seconds. I simply stood in front of a construction site at night, lifted the camera, hit the shutter and rotated the camera around in my hands. Needless to say, I did not have the strap around my neck or I would have done myself damage!
At first I tried Aperture Priority mode, setting the aperture really small (big numbers, around F/22), but then I decided to do the obvious, and used Shutter Priority and simply set the speed(time) I wanted. Below are a few shots from that night, including the scene as it was on the night and some experimental shots as I practiced. The technique is really easy, but can create some really interesting and eye catching photos.
An ice cream van in December? Yes, Mr Whirly was in Kinsale. Obviously someone isn’t bothered by the cold!
27 December 2007 - So many light trails
Light trails from passing cars fill the frame with a golden glow on the corner of The Grand Parade and Washington Street, Cork.
Long exposure shot made possible by the traffic light switch on which I rested my camera!
13 December 2007 - The lights at Finn’s Corner
A long exposure at f/22 creates the beautiful star like pinpoints of light and enough time to capture the light trail from passing cars.
No tripod, so I used street furniture to balance the camera!
8 September 2007 - Light reflects on the Lough
Light trails from passing cars and street lights reflect on the calm surface of the Lough in Cork in this long exposure shot.
5 June 2007 - Light trails on Oliver Plunkett Street
Light trails from a passing car leave their mark on this long exposure shot of Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork.
Can you see pink lights on the vertical poles standing at the edge of the pavement? On my Linux box they’re clear as day but I can’t see them at all in Preview on the Macbook.
The lights were designed and made by MAAS here in Cork and the colour changes slowly from blues to purples to pinks to yellow and to any other colour. It’s quite a sight to see the colour change when standing at one end of this long straight street!
2 January 2006 - Road Narrows
Taken in Monkstown, Co. Cork last night.
Camera was handheld. I waited for a car to go past and with the camera set to AV mode and the flash on, I shot a 25 second exposure. I moved the camera from side to side to make the rear lights of the vehicle moreinteresting!
Added a cloud layer in post processing and set the layer mode to “subtract” to give the signs that nice weathered look.