How do I take silky long-exposure water photos with a Sony DSC-HX100V?
Asked 7/3/2012
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I want to photograph moving water so it looks smooth and silky, like in beach or waterfall long-exposure photos. I'm using a Sony DSC-HX100V and would like to know the basic setup and steps to get started. What camera settings and accessories do I need, and what shutter speeds should I try?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Those are easy actually but with the right tools.
The key is that you need a long exposure which requires:
- Stable support like a sturdy tripod.
- Long shutter-speed which you dial-in in Shutter-Priority or Manual mode.
- A low ISO, to maximize shutter-speed.
- A small aperture, to maximize shutter-speed.
- A ND density filter should the previous two steps not result in a slow enough shutter-speed.
The shutter-speed you need depends on the speed of water and how blurry you want the results. 2s should be a minimum, but you may easily need 15s or more. Your camera can do 30s but not close the aperture below F/8, so if you do this when its bright you will most likely need the ND filter. You will also have to hold it by hand during the entire exposure since I do not thing your cameras has a filter-thread.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
To get that silky-water look, the main goal is a long shutter speed while keeping the camera completely still.
Start with:
- a sturdy tripod or other stable support
- shutter priority or manual mode
- the lowest ISO available
- the smallest aperture your camera allows
Then choose a slow shutter speed. The exact time depends on how fast the water is moving and how blurred you want it to look. As a starting point, try around 2 seconds, and for stronger smoothing you may need 15 seconds or more.
Your HX100V can go up to 30 seconds, but its aperture only stops down to about f/8. In bright daylight, even low ISO and f/8 may still not be enough to reach a long exposure, so you will likely need a neutral density (ND) filter to reduce the light.
In short: stabilize the camera, use low ISO, use the smallest aperture, and lengthen the shutter speed until the water blurs the way you want. If it’s still too bright, add an ND filter. Then experiment with different exposure times to get the effect you like.
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