Failed Attempt with 30 Second Shutter Speed in Daylight

badger8badger8
edited April 2013 Posted in » Nikon D3100 Forum
Ok, so I've always loved pictures of the sea and I've seen pictures of the sea where the water looks milky/clear (ie waterfall pictures). So yesterday I went to the beach as I am lucky enough to live near the sea here in the UK. I set my camera up on the tripod and tried to set a long enough shutter speed for the desired effect on the the sea. Every time I tried to take a picture it came out as a white screen!!! So I thought to myself, "I'm over exposing this hence the white". I tried everything to get the effect and continued to get a white screen. What am I doing wrong? Can you not have a shutter speed of 30 seconds during the day? I even tried f/29! I'm glad this happened in a way, as it shows I've still got a lot to learn.

Comments

  • GerardHGerardH
    edited April 2013
    30 seconds is way too long of an exposure during daylight hours. Pick a time very early or late in the day while there's still sufficient but indirect light, set your ISO at 100 and shut down your aperture as far as it will go. It doesn't take much to get a nice, smooth cotton effect with water. Experiment with your shutter speeds and bracket your shots. I doubt you'd have to go more than 5 seconds for a good exposure. Good luck!
  • badger8badger8
    edited April 2013
    Thank you, I was pulling my hair out!
  • MooseMoose
    edited April 2013
    @badger8 - Actually, in order to get the look you're after (smooth sea or lake) you will need a shutter speed between 30 seconds to 3 minutes. The ONLY way to get this effect during the day is to use a very dark ND filter.

    The two most popular filters for long exposure work during the day are the B+W ND 3.0 and the Hoya ND-400.

    These ND filters will slow down the shutter speed greatly, making the water look silky smooth. All the best and happy shooting!
  • saabbhoysaabbhoy
    edited April 2013
    I tried this for the first time the other day. My first attempts were also very over exposed, although I was shooting directly in the direction of the sun (no choice).

    I kept the shutter speed fairly low (between 1-2 seconds). The only filter I had in my bag was a polarizing filter which helped a bit. You can check out the gallery here.
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