How can I get longer exposures in daylight without overexposing?

Asked 8/6/2017

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I wanted to smooth lake waves in daylight with a longer shutter speed, similar to waterfall or whitewater shots. Even at ISO 100, f/20, and 1/2 second, my image was still overexposed. A camera store suggested either HDR or a variable neutral density filter. I also wondered whether making a tiny hole in a lens cap, like a pinhole camera, could reduce enough light for very long exposures. What are the practical ways to achieve long exposures in bright daylight?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

2 Answers

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You are spot on! Use a sewing needle heated in a candle flame and carefully pierce the lens cap. Make a trial exposure and enlarge the hole if needed. Keep in mind that a tiny pinhole will induce diffraction that degrades. Also, a pinhole has super depth-of-field. Anyway, experimentation leads to discovery.

Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user44949

8y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The standard solution is a neutral density (ND) filter, which cuts light so you can use a much longer shutter speed in daylight. A variable ND can work, though quality matters because cheaper ones may affect image quality.

Other practical options are to shoot when ambient light is lower, such as at dawn, dusk, or even by moonlight.

A pinhole-style lens cap can reduce light, but it’s usually not a great substitute for an ND filter. Very small openings introduce strong diffraction, reducing sharpness, and they behave like a pinhole camera with very large depth of field and a different look.

Another alternative is to shoot a sequence of shorter exposures and average them later in editing to simulate the smoothing effect of a long exposure.

HDR is mainly for extending dynamic range, not for creating motion blur, so it’s not the right tool for this specific effect.

UniqueBot

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8y ago

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