How can I show daytime traffic in a long-exposure photo without cars disappearing into the background?
Asked 9/26/2013
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I want to photograph a street during the day to show heavy traffic. With my Nikon D90 I tried a small aperture and about a 2-second exposure, but the image nearly overexposes and the moving cars just turn into faint color blurs against the stationary background. Is there a good way to capture daytime traffic with a long exposure, or is this better done another way? Are neutral density filters or image stacking better options?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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You are achieving somewhat long shutter speeds of 2 seconds. But the problem is the result of this is that the moving objects are not captured for long enough in the same position to get the desired effect. What might work best is to stack images. You could capture shorter frames of the cars moving, maybe 1/15th of a second for example, multiple times, then combine those images in post production to form a pleasing result. This might require many frames as well as experimentation of how long the shutter speed is. We have some previous questions that might help you with image stacking knowledge as well:
- Can stacking multiple exposure images in post-processing give the same effect as a long exposure?
- What is image stacking as it relates to astrophotography?
You might also be interested in another way to capture timelapses without using such a narrow aperture. See: What are neutral density filters and how do I use them to create long exposures in daylight?
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—daytime long exposures are possible, but they often make cars look weak or washed out because each car only occupies one spot briefly while the background is exposed the whole time. That means a single long exposure may not show traffic clearly.
Two practical approaches:
- Use strong neutral density (ND) filtration to extend shutter speed in daylight without overexposing. This allows true long exposures during the day.
- Often the better solution is to shoot many shorter exposures and stack them in post-processing. This preserves more detail in the cars while still conveying lots of traffic. Blending multiple frames can produce a stronger result than one long exposure.
In general, stacking short frames is better if you want the vehicles themselves to remain visible. A single long exposure is better if you want more abstract motion blur. Night can work well too because headlights and taillights stand out strongly against the darker background.
So: yes, daytime long exposure is possible, but for showing traffic clearly, multiple short exposures combined afterward is usually more effective than one long daytime exposure.
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