Starting long exposure photography.

nictu

Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2022
Messages
3
Location
Henley on Thames
Format
35mm
Hi,

I would like to try some long exposure photography. I have done this successfully with my digital cameras, but I thought I could get a nice effect using my Dads' old Praktica BCA 35mm SLR. I have a choice of 35mm f1.8, a 50mm f2.4 and 135mm f3.5 lenses. The SLR has a Bulb mode, but I will need a cable release, although I am not sure which one to buy or if they are all the same. I have a tripod and a roll of Kodak ColourPlus 200 ISO which can be my sacrificial practice film.

If anyone has any tips ( I have been searching the web too ) I would very much like to hear them, given the equipment I own.

Many Thanks,
Nick.
 

koraks

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
22,827
Location
Europe
Format
Multi Format
nictu said:
I will need a cable release, although I am not sure which one to buy or if they are all the same
Click to expand...

This camera should work OK with any generic screw-type cable release. This is more or less a standard item. There are also brand-specific electronic releases, but yours uses the regular, old-fashioned mechanical type of cable release.

nictu said:
If anyone has any tips
Click to expand...

Just do it! Test a variety of scenes and then see what you get; adjust your approach in subsequent photos based on the results you obtain.
The key thing I personally try to keep in mind in instances like these is that absence of light = black. That sounds bleeding obvious, but the practical implication is that long exposures at night when it's really dark tend to be lackluster because there's no color/tone to the sky and large parts of the scene tend to fall away into featureless black. Things turn out more pleasing if there's a little light left.

You'll find that color balancing your CN shots may be challenging; try to include a single photograph of a grey card under normal lighting or another normally lit scene that can act as an aid when trying to color balance your scans. Try to make scans that are consistent, since automated scans (including many lab scans) will try to adjust color and contrast to an average norm and that virtually always ends up in a total disaster. See here: https://tinker.koraks.nl/photography/all-over-the-place-the-problem-with-color-negative-film-scans/
 

Don_ih

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2021
Messages
7,740
Location
Ontario
Format
35mm RF
The cable should look like:



The screw part goes into the shutter button. The knurled collar is necessary. You press the plunger to open the shutter, turn that collar to lock the plunger down, then you can go have a coffee or something. If you get a cable without a locking collar, you'll need to hold the plunger through the entire exposure.
 

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,791
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
Some cable releases have locks, but plenty of them don't. If they don't, you have to hold the plunger in place for the amount of time you want. And if it does have a lock, it might be hard to figure out how to use it. Some have a screw that you turn. Others have a plate that your twist or push.

Once you figure that out, your camera's exposure meter will be useless in low light. Find an "available light" exposure guide on line -- or use your digital camera as a meter. And then bracket the exposure -- several f-stops.
 

BrianShaw

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
16,526
Location
La-la-land
Format
Multi Format
… and learn how to read the film’s data sheet section on long exposure to address reciprocity failure.
 

Alan Edward Klein

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
9,453
Location
New Jersey formerly NYC
Format
Multi Format

Some similar releases lock automatically when you press the plunger down if you preset the knurled knob beforehand. After the exposure period, you turn the knob when you want to release the plunger and re-close the shutter.
 

RalphLambrecht

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
14,649
Location
K,Germany
Format
Medium Format

cable releases are not all the same. First, you need one that fits the thread in your shutter release button (in your case, probably a conical thread). Also, the longer the better and practical is a screw to fix it in place, so you don't have to dold it don in bulb mode. Also, should you read up on the reciprocity behavior of your film? The exposure must be extended beyond what the lightmeter tells you.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,364
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
The most important part is exposure. This will improve you success rate. I have been using the Jiffy Night Exposure slide rule since it was first published in 1963.

 
OP
OP

nictu

Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2022
Messages
3
Location
Henley on Thames
Format
35mm
Thank you everyone. A lot of useful info here. And thank you Sirius Glass for the Jiffy Calculator, i'm sure this will be very usefule too.

All the best,
Nick.
 

loccdor

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2024
Messages
1,503
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Something that hasn't been mentioned yet is that if you want to do this during the day you'll need a strong neutral density filter. I have a Hoya HMC NDX400 that I've been pleased with. It increases exposure by 9 stops and you can expect daytime exposures in the range of a minute or two with 100 speed film (I recommend Acros for this application when you're ready to try black and white as it has the lowest reciprocity failure).
 

Vaughn

Subscriber
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
10,079
Location
Humboldt Co.
Format
Large Format
Here is some data Michael Kenna gave out a few decades ago...
 

Attachments

  • Night_Exp.jpg
    146.7 KB · Views: 61

Ales'

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2022
Messages
33
Location
Napoli
Format
8x10 Format
My non requested advice for long exposure is to close down the f stop, maybe put even nd filter. So what I do,1) I look for the scene to photograph; 2) setup camera on tripod;3) start the exposure when there is still some sunlight. This way you give atleast a bit of density to entire frame and continue to raise in density in artificial light.
I discovered this way of work around a film that is so so for long exposures. Ill try to stavo some examples. Hope I helped.
P.s. Its ONE shot per photo outing,very cheap
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…