How can I photograph an outdoor laser projection with a long exposure in daylight?
Asked 7/31/2018
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I’m trying to photograph a laser show projected onto a wall. Indoors, I can capture the full scanned laser pattern using a longer exposure around 1/8 to 1/25 second. Outdoors in daylight, those same shutter speeds make the image completely washed out. Is there a standard camera setup for this, or a filter that reduces ambient sunlight without blocking the laser effect? I’m shooting with a DSLR, and faster/normal settings don’t capture the full scan.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
1
I am not sure if I understand, but this seems to be the problem:
- Need shutter speed of about 1/8 to 1/30 to capture the full laser scan, and
- Captured image is too bright when shooting at 1/8 to 1/30
If this is the case, then you'd like to keep the same shutter speed yet achieve a less bright or 'blown out' image. To fix that, you probably already:
- Shoot in manual mode, so that you can
- Set ISO as low as possible (100 or less),
- Stop down aperture to f/11-f/14 (don't go to a higher number otherwise image quality will degrade),
- Maintain same shutter speed of 1/8 to 1/25.
If this is not enough (which it likely isn't if you are in bright daylight), then you will need to purchase a neutral density (ND) filter. These reduce the rate at which light enters your camera thus allowing you to keep your intended shutter speed. Now, the tricky thing is determining which ND filter to buy as they come in different intensities. You can either purchase a variable filter (good for experimentation) or you can purchase a filter with a set darkness.
Most likely, you will need to darken your image by 5-6 stops of brightness which relates to a filter rating of ND 1.5-1.8 as shown in the image below.
Read more at B&H's article on ND filters.
Originally by user72823. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user72823
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—if you need a shutter speed around 1/8 to 1/25 second to record the full scanned pattern, the solution is to reduce all the other light reaching the sensor.
Start in manual mode and use:
- the lowest ISO available (typically ISO 100)
- a small aperture such as about f/11 to f/14
- keep the shutter speed long enough for the laser scan
If the image is still overexposed in daylight, use a neutral density (ND) filter. An ND filter cuts ambient light so you can keep the long exposure without blowing out the frame. That’s the standard tool for this problem.
An ND filter won’t selectively block sunlight while passing only the laser; it simply reduces all incoming light. But if the laser projection is bright enough relative to the scene, it can still let you capture the effect while controlling exposure.
If possible, shooting in lower ambient light (shade, dusk, or night) will make this much easier than full daylight.
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AI7y ago
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