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The Story Behind this Photo - Trying Out My New ND Filter in Chicago

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The Story Behind this Photo - Trying Out My New ND Filter in Chicago

One thing I love to do is show motion in a photo. It is very difficult to do during the day because you need to leave the shutter open for about a second or more. If there is too much light, your shot will be overexposed. The solution to this problem is to put a neutral density filter on your lens that blocks light so you can use slower shutter speeds and larger apertures in bright light.

I was visiting Chicago one day and decided to stop in the camera store to see if they had an ND filter that was the correct size for my lens. They had one in stock so I bought it and couldn't wait to try it.

To get successful long exposure shots the camera has to be very steady, otherwise everything in the photo will be blurry. I didn't have a tripod with me so I had to get creative. I stopped for a coffee at Starbucks and sat in the seating area just outside the store. I set my camera on the table and used the two second timer to ensure there would be no camera movement during the long exposure times. I experimented with different shutter speeds and eventually came up with one that gave me the exact amount of blur I wanted.

To get a successful long exposure shot you need to have things that are not moving be pin sharp in the photo and then the things that are moving will be blurry. This was one of my favorite shots from that day. I rarely carry around a tripod because they are very heavy and some places won't let you take pics if you have one. So, when I want to take long exposure shots I usually find something to set the camera on or I lean up against something sturdy (a wall or a street lamp), use the two second timer (so I don't get the movement of me pressing the shutter) and hold my breath for a second to ensure nothing moves. It is challenging, but also very fun.