1 HOUR
Famous locations like the Colosseum in Rome are both easy and difficult to photograph. Easy because well, look at it: it's incredible. But difficult because this site attracts people by the thousands every day, so it's hard to find an angle that isn't swarming with people.
This is where a strong neutral-density filter can be a huge asset. It allows us to take minutes-long exposures, which means that people moving through the frame don't register in the image. What's more, it can create a lovely motion blur in the clouds, which serves both as an eye-catching effect and a visual metaphor for how this grand structure has stood for millennia while activity buzzes all around.
But how strong is strong enough? Ten stops is a popular strength, but sometimes this just isn't enough. A 16stop filter, like the Formatt-Hitech ND we used, opens the door to super-long exposure times, even in the brightest of sunny conditions. With this monster on our lens, we can open the shutter for minutes under the midday sun.
THE SET-UP SHOOT SUPER-LONG EXPOSURES IN THE SUN
Get set up for shutter speeds that run to several minutes
1 STURDY TRIPOD
The camera needs to be perfectly still for several minutes, so a tripod is a must. We need to remain in place for a while, so set up in a spot that won't get in the way of passers-by or other photographers. If a tripod isn't practical (or permitted) in the location you're visiting, you could use a wall or your bag.
2 ND FILTER
A 16-stop ND filter like our FormattHitech Firecrest stretches your exposure times to minutes or even hours. In bright sunshine, a 1/500 sec shutter speed becomes two minutes 11 seconds (compared to just two seconds with a 10-stop ND): a good length for blurring clouds and removing passers-by.
3 PEOPLE & VEHICLES
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Esta historia es de la edición September 01, 2022 de Photography week.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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