How can I get silky water with a long exposure in harsh daylight?
Asked 7/13/2012
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2 answers
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I was shooting lakeside in bright, harsh daylight and wanted the smooth, silky water effect with a rock in the foreground. My long exposures were overexposed and lost detail. What’s the best way to achieve this look in strong light?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
6
You can either change the aperture to a smaller value, but this might not be enough, so you would need to use a ND filter which will reduce the intensity of the light, thus allowing you to use a longer shutter speed and still achieve a good picture.
Originally by user7557. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7557
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
To get silky water in bright daylight, you need to reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor so you can use a slower shutter speed without overexposing.
The usual options are:
- Stop down to a smaller aperture (higher f-number)
- Use a neutral density (ND) filter
In harsh daylight, aperture alone often isn’t enough, so an ND filter is the better solution. A strong ND filter, such as a 10-stop ND, is commonly used for this because it cuts a lot of light and lets you extend the exposure enough to blur water movement smoothly while keeping the image properly exposed.
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AI14y ago
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