Use your compact digital camera to manipulate time and get some extraordinary photos
By Guinevere Sofer
After the 1 millionth selfie, you might want to up your game and shoot some pictures that are simply stunning.
One of the ways to do so is to manipulate time with your camera.
CONTROLLING TIME
With a compact digital camera, you can adjust the camera’s shutter speed. The shutter speed is, simply, the time the camera stays open to receive the light from your scene.
With fast shutterspeeds, moving objects begin to “freeze”, or stop in their motion. Conversely, slower shutterspeeds allow moving objects to blur in your image. Both extremes can produce “wow” results.
Unfortunately, phone cams don’t have features which let you adjust the shutter speed. So you do need to, at the very least, use a Compact Digital Camera in order to control the speed and, therefore, to get the cool effects.
Here are some wonderful examples.
FREEZING THE ACTION
Bright sunny days are made for this effect. In this photo, the hair and water trail is “frozen” by the camera’s fast shutter speed.
Setting your camera’s shutter speed high, (i.e. 1/2000 of a second) can help to freeze the action in mid-stride. Always make sure you take multiple shots in order to capture the best options!
3 STEPS TO WRITING A MESSAGE IN LIGHT
This is an example of when a phone was used not for taking pictures but for its flashlight function.
Here are three simple steps on how to write a message in light: 1) Mount a compact digital camera on a tripod or table; 2) Turn on the self-timer and set it to a slow shutter speed (i.e. 15 sec) to capture all the light it needs for this night shot; 3) Run into the photo, and point the phone’s flashlight towards the camera and use it to “paint” a heart shape.
As long as you keep moving, you will appear as a faint “ghost” in the picture. Try writing your name in your photo!
DAZZLING LIGHT STREAKS
Similar to the technique above, point the camera to fast moving light, set the camera for long exposure, and capture any light motion.
Play with various shutter speeds from 5 sec to 15 sec, and make sure to set your camera on a tripod so it’s stable and stationary.
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