1. Capturing movement of light using forced flash with a long exposure Capturing movement against still backgrounds with a tripod Introduction At night, you have much greater control over the length of time that you can leave the shutter speed open, which is good if you are photographing still objects, however, it will lead to blur with moving objects. However, by exploiting the movement of a light source, you can literally draw with light. If you use a forced flash and long exposure, you will also capture the foreground in focus and sharp, whilst also capturing the streaks of light. Settings Equipment: Tripod and light source e.g. torch ISO: 50-200 Speed: 1-5 sec Aperture: Refer to light meter reading /experiment Flash: On/Off Notes Keep the camera still by using a tripod or place on a fixed surface and only use a flash if you want to capture the subject as well as the streaks of light. Remember that the light source needs to move. For more interesting effects, try doing it against a background of neon light or against a fast-moving flow of traffic at night. Use different light sources such as Christmas lights. Introduction When dealing with a scene that has continuous movement, it can be effective to capture the movement over a long period of time by opening up the shutter. Settings Equipment: Tripod & camera release cable ISO: 50-100 Speed: 1-5 sec (see notes) Aperture: f.22 Flash: Off Notes It is essential to use a tripod and camera release cable or camera timer as any slight movement will result in the entire picture being blurred. If it is done at twilight, it is easier to control as there is too much light during the day and this leads to over-exposure as the shutter is left open for too long. As you are opening the shutter for a long period of time, you need to close down your aperture to allow in as little light as possible e.g. f.22 and use a slow film (50-100 ISO). This involves trial and error - practice with a digital camera to understand the principles.