“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” ~ Joshua J. Marine
I’ve been really enjoying my relatively recent experimentation with Long Exposure (LE) photography. The technique of extending the normal exposure time to multiple seconds or even minutes through the use of Neutral Density Filters has allowed me to explore the concept of the “passage of time” within a single frame. One of the area’s I’ve not been able to tap in to effectively is that of Colour LE. The reason quite simply is that the filter I was using had too strong a colour cast to allow proper correction and therefore forced me to work in Black and White. That however is now corrected as I have purchased a different set of filters which do not have the same colour cast problem and have opened the door to colour LE work for me.
And here is my very first piece. This was taken during my recent trip to Dorset and at a place called Kimmeridge Bay. A wonderful protected cove with some amazing rock formations full of cracks, potholes and character. We visited here twice on the trip, once with just the leaders and then subsequently with the entire 30+ group. This was taken on the 1st of those trips. As it was a 5 minute exposure I needed the quietness I would not have had on the return visit.
Once I was happy with the composition I set the camera up on the tripod and took some initial exposures to further assess the composition and also better understand the dynamic range of the scene. From there I selected a 2 stop ND Graduated Filter to balance the bright sky with the foreground. I then used a 10 stop and a 3 stop ND Filters to help extend the exposure to 5 mins. It was then simply about waiting patiently… and dissuading a number of walkers from stepping into the frame 🙂
