Creative photography

[akay]

hi all,

im new to photography, just brought a fuji s7000.

im trying to take pictures using a slow shutter speed during the day (a suuny day) of a lake. (basically trying to achieve the affect of silky water).

my shutter speed ranges from 10000-15 sec, and aperture ranges from f2.8 - f8.

when i select a slow shutter speed the image is totally white. even when select 1sec shutter speed and set the apature to f-8 the image is still totally white.

am i doing something wrong?

and also vice versa if i try to capture a water splash at a high speed the image is too dark even when i set the aperture to £2.8.

like i said before im new to photography and its prob something obvious. i would really appreciate any help/advice.

thanks guys

[Deb]

Hi Akay, you've got the right idea. The problem, though, is that the exposure settings are resulting in over- and under-exposures for the conditions you mentioned. I believe your camera has a exposure warning indicator in the viewfinder. Do you recall if you saw either RED f-stop or shutterspeed? Or, a series of dashes in the f-stop or shutterspeed indicator box? If so, next time just adjust the f-stop or shutterspeed up or down depending on the lighting conditions until these warning indicators disappear. Don't be discouraged.   Go out there and try again.

[akay]

hi deb,

thanks for the tip, it helped, no more blank white screens........... but

im using the s-mode the lowest shutter speed i can select is 1/30 sec. that isnt slow enough to get the effect i want?

if i go any lower i get the red warning  indicator!

what do i do in this situation?

[Deb]

That's a common problem when trying to take a long exposure of a brightly lit scene. One option is to photograph that scene when it is NOT so brightly lit. This will help, too, in reducing the amount of blowout (totally white, featureless areas where there should be detail) you might experience in the highlight areas of your image.

A second option is to use a neutral density filter. It's a filter that attaches to the front of your lens. They typically screw onto the threads of your lens. It cuts down on the amount of light reaching your sensor. Does your camera accept filters?

[akay]

i ordered a lens adapter with some lenses last night off ebay (uv lens, polorizer lens). any thing else i could also try?

[Deb]

The polarizer will be helpful in cutting down the amount of light as well but not to the degree that a neutral density filter would. Of course, it all depends on the scene. To have both in your kit will be very handy. Just select the one that gives you the shutterspeed you are looking for.

A side note: The speed of the water flow/movement will determine the degree to which you must slow down your shutterspeed to get the desired smoothing effect you are looking for. The slower the flow, the slower the shutterspeed required.

[akay]

thanks deb,

ive seen a few neutral density filter on ebay going for a few £. i think im going to go ahead and order one tonight.

once again thanks for your advice (prompt advice).

regards akay

p.s you will see alot more post on here by meself, ive got alot to learn lol

[Deb]

You're most welcome! Holler back anytime. We're happy to help.