How can I use a 2-second shutter speed in bright sun without overexposing?
Asked 9/11/2017
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2 answers
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I’m trying to shoot a river with a long exposure on a sunny day using a Nikon D5600. I set the camera to f/29 and ISO 100, but at a 2-second shutter speed parts of the image were still blown out. In manual mode, exposure compensation doesn’t seem to do anything. Is there any way to avoid overexposure while keeping a 2-second exposure, or is that simply not possible in bright light? Would combining a long-exposure shot with a faster-exposed shot be a good approach?
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 basically have 3 ways to control exposure - aperture, shutter speed and ISO. (Actually, there is another option, which is not really exposure control, but you can modify the light levels in the scene, by adding artificial light for example.)
If you use the smallest possible aperture and the lowest ISO setting, and your selected shutter speed still overexposes the shot, then you have no option, but to use a faster shutter speed. Exposure compensation is not a magical solution in this case.
Well, actually, as I said earlier, you do have another option, if you are determined to use a slow shutter speed - you can use a Neutral Density filter, which will reduce the intensity of the light entering your lens and allow you to use the slow shutter speed. (The ND filter is effectively changing the light levels in the scene.)
Originally by user38159. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38159
8y ago
0
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If you’re already at your smallest aperture and lowest ISO, and 2 seconds is still overexposed, then ambient light is simply too bright for that exposure. In manual mode, exposure compensation won’t help because you’re already choosing the settings directly.
To keep a 2-second shutter speed in bright sun, the usual solution is a neutral density (ND) filter. An ND filter reduces the amount of light entering the lens, letting you use a much longer shutter speed without blowing highlights.
A few notes:
- Very small apertures like f/29 can reduce image sharpness because of diffraction.
- Lowering shutter speed alone won’t fix clipped highlights if the scene is too bright.
- If you can’t use an ND filter, your only real option is to use a faster shutter speed, shoot in dimmer light, or wait for cloud cover.
Blending a long exposure with a normally exposed frame can sometimes work for creative results, but it’s not the main fix for this problem. The proper tool for long exposures in daylight is an ND filter.
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