DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

Search

Submit A Story

long exposure

Lighting setup: Simple long exposure LED portraits

by Add Comment

Long-exposure photography has been around as long as photography itself, but it’s had a tentative relationship with its audience over the years.

20+ years ago when I was shooting analogue film, long exposure was fairly common, even though it was pretty risky to do without the instant feedback of seeing the resulting image. Then digital came along and with it, a brand new world of creative options opened up in the form of Photoshop, consequently, some of the more traditional creative skills fell by the wayside.

[Read More…]

This epic star trail photo was captured from the International Space Station

by Add Comment

Other than being superhumans, the ISS astronauts are also darn good at photography. They not only have the most amazing view, but they also have the skill required to turn that view into epic photos.

One of them is Don Pettit, a veteran of three spaceflights who spent over a year on the ISS. He recently joined Reddit and shared his photo of star trails which quickly went viral. And no wonder, as it’s not only a photo taken in space – it’s also a super-creative one.

[Read More…]

Spinning Time in Las Vegas shows Vegas as we’ve never seen it before

by Add Comment

Have you ever been to Vegas? I’ve never visited the US, so the first thought of Vegas photos are those flashy, colorful images of its many lights and neon signs.

Photographer Jason D. Page managed to capture Vegas as I’ve never seen it before and as I’ve never imagined it. In his photo series Spinning Time in Las Vegas, Jason photographed Sin City in a way that will make your head spin!

[Read More…]

Create a fine art HDR sea scape from start to finish

by Add Comment

Piers and jetties make wonderful subjects for long-exposure photography. It’s something about the lines leading you through the image and the perspective, combined with the poetic nature of an open body of water. But they aren’t always easy to shoot correctly, and sometimes you’ll need to shoot multiple exposures to get the result just right.

In this video, Gary Gough walks us through a shoot in Hartlepool, UK of the dilapidated skeleton of an old pier. He shows us how he shoots it and then edits it to create a beautiful fine art HDR seascape.

[Read More…]

How to shoot long exposure portraits combining flash and continuous light in the studio

by Add Comment

Sometimes it can be great to flex your skills and show off your lighting prowess, but we can often run into the danger of the image being more about the lighting technique rather than the look of the final image itself. This is something I always try and hammer home when I’m teaching new techniques.

Is there anybody here old enough to remember the horrendous HDR portraits of the early 2000s? The images were all about showing off the latest HDR technique rather than the subjects themselves and the results were nothing short of terrifying. Too young and have no idea what I’m talking about? Just Google HDR portraits and you’ll see what I mean.

[Read More…]

This magical photo will remind you why you need to go out and shoot without procrastinating

by 3 Comments

We’ve featured some of Tim Gamble’s magnificent photos before, and I instantly became a fan of his work. While he often does experimental long exposure photography, this time something different caught my eye. It’s one of those photos that make you stop and stare in awe, while at the same time trying to figure out what’s in it. Thankfully, Tim was kind enough to share the details of the shot with DIYP, as well as some backstory that will make you grab your camera and go out and shoot.

[Read More…]

Taking the “impossible” photos of the Milky Way above the foggy Golden Gate Bridge

by Add Comment

Sometimes, the best things happen when we don’t plan them at all. It goes for many things in life, and photos are no exception. Michael Shainblum recently had to change his shooting plans and it led him to seeing the Milky Way above the Golden Gate Bridge bathing in fog. He was certain it would be impossible to capture the scene, but he gave it a shot – and he nailed it! Michael shared his adventure in his recent video, along with some gorgeous photos he took, which he also kindly shared with DIYP.

[Read More…]

This crazy light painted silhouette was shot in just a single long exposure

by Add Comment

Sometimes you’re scrolling on social media and an image just makes you stop and go back to have another look. You scratch your head, trying to figure out how they shot it. Must be Photoshop magic you think. You read the caption “taken in one exposure” and think ‘wait, what?’ That’s exactly what happened when we saw this incredible image titled WAKE UP by a group of light painting photographers who call themselves Sketchlight.

[Read More…]

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts