Slow Shutter at Red Mill Musuem

Written by Brittany G.
Photo Credit: Brittany G.

Instructor Michael Downey hosted a class at the Red Mill Museum in Clinton, NJ to lead our attendees in how to shoot some Slow Shutter Photography, which included the Red Mill Museum waterfall, and local historic grounds.

The Red Mill Museum Village, or historically the David McKinney Mill, is 200 years of history within the town of Clinton, NJ. The dozen buildings on site served several roles in the past after it was initially built in 1810, including: Wool processing, a peach basket factory, and a textile mill.

During this class attendees began at the iconic waterfall side where Michael goes into detail about what settings to prioritize when trying to accomplish slow shutter or long exposure photography. Between your lens, camera, and additional accessories like filters and tripods - Michael covers it all!

Check out some examples of a couple of techniques in use that were taught at the excursion.

In this first image you'll see how the water is frozen in action, which is dictated by the shutter speed being higher and then exposing within the other settings like ISO and aperture to create an evenly lighted scene.

Meanwhile in this second image you will see how the water in the waterfall (and even the Mill waterwheel) starts to blur as it slows in time. This is created with ND Filters at different stops, as well as utilizing the slower shutter speeds to allow a longer period of time to occur between the shutter opening and closing.

Check out the full recap on our YouTube Channel here!

If you're interested in learning techniques like these, this specific excursion to the Red Mill Museum happens twice a year with Unique University (in Spring and Autumn).

We will also be holding this class at the Great Falls in Paterson NJ. (see item link below for dates and more information)

You can find more information about the historic Red Mill Museum Village by visiting their website here