A fresh puddle on a road (watch out for cars!) A still lake or river, or even the bay (like my photo of Swan Bay, below) add trees or clouds for an interesting element. I find more minimalist landscapes work well with reflections, but that’s just me
Make sure you include the hashtags #dPSWeeklyChallenge and #dPSReflectionsInNature in your post, here in the comments or over on social media. You can tag us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favourite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.
Make sure you include the hashtags #dPSWeeklyChallenge and #dPSReflectionsInNature in your post, here in the comments or over on social media. You can tag us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!
Share in the dPS Facebook Group
You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.
This article was updated in May 2024 using original contributions from Barry J Brady.
Invest in your lenses. Camera bodies will come and go, but a good lens can last a very long time.
That was the advice I received when I started taking my photography seriously. Initially, it seemed a bit ridiculous. I bought a cheap 70-300mm lens and used it at the first wedding I photographed. I thought the images were fantastic until I bought a better lens a year later. It was only then that I realized how much of a difference a good lens can make.
This is a review of the Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens, which I’ve used frequently. However, it is not a technical review. I don’t spend lots of time discussing specifications, nor do I include resolution charts or autofocusing tests.
Instead, I focus on how this lens performs, and on its strong and weak points. I also share plenty of photos I’ve taken with the lens. Many will be edited in Photoshop, while others will be straight out of the camera; I include labels on the edited images so you know the difference.
Ready for a hands-on review of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G? Let’s dive right in!
An overview of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED is regularly referred to as one of the best midrange zoom lenses that Nikon ever made. That sounds like a crazy statement, but when you look at the images produced by this lens, you can understand why.
In my view, this is a perfect all-around lens. In fact, once you get your hands on this lens, you may find that you keep it on your camera most of the time. Not only does it have a really good focal range for everyday photography, but it’s also a good travel lens. I’ve heard many photographers say that the 24-70mm f/2.8G was the only lens they took on vacation and it worked great.
Here’s a quick look at the technical specifications:
Focal length: 24-70mm
Mount: Nikon F-mount (can be used on Nikon Z-mount cameras with the FTX adapter)
Format: Full frame (can be used on a Nikon APS-C body, but will be cropped)
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Minimum aperture: f/22
Dimensions: 83mm (diameter) x 133mm (length)
Weight: 900 g
Zoom ratio: 2.9X
Minimum focusing distance: 38 cm
Photography genres where this lens shines
Not sure if the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G is right for you? Here are the five genres that it works great for:
1. Landscape photography
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G isn’t considered an ultra-wide-angle lens, but at 24mm on a full-frame sensor, you will get a viewing angle of 84 degrees. This is a pretty wide angle of view, and you can use it to capture beautiful landscape images.
I shot this seascape at 24mm. The clarity and color was amazing from the get-go, though this image has been edited in Photoshop.
First, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G boasts beautifully made glass elements that handle light beautifully. There is some distortion at 24mm, but it’s easily corrected in Photoshop.
Second, the lens is really sharp. In fact, I think it makes images seem almost too sharp! If you use a tripod and you properly focus your Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G, you may find that you won’t need to do much sharpening during post-processing, simply because the optics are so great.
The color rendition on this lens is great, too; as you can see in the example images, the colors are wonderfully vibrant.
Bottom line: This lens is good for landscapes. It’s not necessarily a great dedicated landscape photography lens – the 24mm wide end is a little longer than what many landscape photographers look for – but it can certainly perform well for this type of photography.
2. People photography
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G lens can work well for people photography, including portraiture, weddings, and events. The focal length flexibility makes it easy to zoom in and out as needed, and the wide maximum aperture allows you to work indoors without too much trouble.
When photographing human subjects, you want to capture minimal perspective distortion, especially when doing portraits. Therefore, if you plan to use the 24-70mm for people photography, I do recommend generally shooting at 50mm and upward.
Note: With a wide-open aperture, you’ll be able to effectively isolate your subject and generate a soft, out-of-focus background. The bokeh on this lens is good – more on that later!
A scene in a coffee shop taken at 24mm. Converted to B&W and edited in Photoshop.
3. Close-up and macro photography
While this 24-70mm model is not a macro lens, it has a 37 cm (14.5 in) minimum focusing distance. That may not sound impressive, but at 70mm, you can get pretty close to your subject.
If you are shooting on a high-resolution sensor, you will be able to crop in quite a bit, so you’ll be able to produce some really nice close-up images, like this one here:
This badge on the hood of a car was taken at 70mm while handholding the camera. The clarity and sharpness was great, and I was able to highlight the badge very effectively.
Again, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G is not a dedicated macro lens. However, if you want to get in close to a subject, it can do that. The sharpness and clarity are both amazing, which helps you highlight lots of little details, and even if you’re not a serious macro shooter, having close-up capabilities in your back pocket often comes in handy!
4. Street photography
Street photographers traditionally use prime lenses for their work. (Take a look at the setup of a serious street photographer, and you’ll often see a 35mm f/1.8, a 50mm f/1.8, or an 85mm f/1.8 lens.)
Sometimes, however, it’s good to have a little more flexibility, and the 24-70mm is perfect for this. You can shoot at 35mm, 50mm, or 70mm, and you will get great results each time. Plus, depending on your creative vision and the scene in question, you can shoot anywhere from f/2.8 on up.
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G isn’t an obvious street photography choice, but it gives you a lot of flexibility! Converted to B&W and edited in Photoshop.
Another big selling point of this lens for street photographers: it has a Silent Wave Motor (SWM), which means the autofocus is quick and quiet. There is some vignetting when the lens is used wide open at f/2.8, but I actually think this adds some depth and contrast to street photography images.
5. Travel photography
When planning a photography trip – or simply a vacation that includes some shooting time – you’ll always need to consider which lenses to pack and which lenses to leave at home. Weight is always a consideration. Space matters, too.
The magnificent Peyto Lake in the Canadian Rockies (captured with the 24-70mm lens!).
Fortunately, many photographers view the 24-70mm as a perfect travel lens. At 24mm, you can capture some great images of wide open spaces; you can also easily capture the interiors of churches and cathedrals. Zoom in to 50mm or even 70mm, and you can get pretty close to your subject. Step in even closer, and you can capture some wonderful cameo and detail shots.
The 24-70mm is almost designed for travel photography. Yes, it lacks a little on the long end – 70mm doesn’t give you a ton of magnification power – but you will come home with bright, sharp, color-filled images!
How the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G performs
I’ve already touched on many of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G’s major benefits, but I do want to give a quick rundown of the lens’s performance:
1. Autofocus
This lens focuses quickly and accurately. I use it on an older DSLR – the Nikon D800 – and it works really well. You can, of course, choose to focus manually, but I would only suggest doing that when shooting landscapes or close-up scenes. If you have a subject that is moving, autofocus is necessary, and the 24-70mm f/2.8 will do a solid job.
2. Optics
The Nikon 24-70mm has amazing optics. It is sharp throughout the zoom range, and while you can expect a bit of vignetting at f/2.8, it’s nothing that you can’t deal with in Lightroom or Photoshop. It also produces good color, which is vibrant and rich.
When the lens is zoomed out to 24mm, you will see some barrel distortion. Once you zoom in, however, the distortion goes away, so you only really need to watch for it when working at the wide end. Plus, as with the vignetting issue mentioned above, this barrel distortion is easily fixed in Photoshop or Lightroom, so don’t be overly concerned about it.
3. Bokeh
Many lenses are judged not only on how sharp they are but also on how smooth and creamy they render out-of-focus areas.
In this area, the 24-70mm does a decent job. To get high-quality background blur (i.e., bokeh), you’ll need to zoom out to 70mm or get very close to your subject; you’ll also need to use a wide aperture such as f/2.8. In my view, the bokeh on this lens is not breathtaking, but it is smooth and soft. The bokeh is not perfect, but it is acceptable, especially when you consider how much this lens offers.
4. Handling
The 24-70mm f/2.8G is quite large and heavy. This is because the wide maximum aperture requires larger glass elements, and the body of the lens is metal. It is a durable lens and can take some rough handling, but be careful – it’s an expensive lens, so you don’t want to take it for granted.
On its own, the lens is around 900 g. When mounted to my Nikon D800 without a battery back, the combined weight of the lens and camera body is around 2 kg (4.4 lb). That’s a fair amount of weight to carry around, and while you can certainly use this lens handheld for long periods, it’s something to bear in mind.
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.G ED: verdict
This 24-70mm lens has been praised as one of the best lenses Nikon ever made, and after using it, I can see why. It’s a great addition to any photography bag, and you may find that you keep it on your camera most of the time.
It’s tack-sharp, the wide maximum aperture is impressive, and the focal length flexibility is so useful. It’s a perfect all-around, everyday lens, though it’s also great for professional purposes.
Now, the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED’s specifications do come with significant costs, so it’s not cheap. It can also be harder to find now that Nikon has shifted to its Z-mount mirrorless lineups, though you shouldn’t have any trouble finding used copies.
When considering the price, just remember that you should invest in your lenses. They will generally outlast your camera bodies, and if you look after them, you’ll have them for many years. This is one of those lens types; you can count on it to produce great images for many years.
I’ll be honest: While Photoshop is full of amazing tools, there are some that I use far more than others, and some that I’ve never even touched.
But out of the array of powerful Photoshop tools, the Patch tool is one of my absolute favorites. Not only is it helpful in a wide variety of scenarios, it’s so easy to use, even for folks with limited Photoshop experience. And with each version of Photoshop, it just seems to get better.
Below, I explain everything you need to know about the Patch tool, including how it works, how to use it, and how to adjust your settings for optimal results. So if you’re seeking to understand what the Patch tool is capable of, or you want an effective way to fix problematic areas of your photos, then keep reading!
What does the Patch tool do?
The Patch tool is part of Photoshop’s set of healing tools, all of which are designed for retouching and repairing your images. It’s primarily used to repair larger areas of an image or to get rid of any distractions or blemishes.
The tool was introduced into Photoshop at the same time as the Healing Brush. It is similar to the Healing Brush tool in that it matches the texture, lighting, and shading of the sampled pixels to the source area. However, the Patch Tool uses selection-defined areas instead of a brush.
(Note: Prior to Photoshop CS6, you could not work on a separate empty layer when using the Patch tool, in contrast to the Spot Healing Brush tool and the Healing Brush tool. This meant that, to use the Patch tool, you had to duplicate the layer that you were working on. However, in Photoshop CS6, the content-aware setting was introduced to the Patch tool, and you can now work on an image using an empty layer. This has made it quite powerful indeed!)
What makes the Patch tool unique is that each time you use it, you’ll get a slightly different result – even on the same selection. As I mentioned above, it is great for retouching larger areas of your image, and it’ll do this very fast and quite seamlessly.
For instance, my image of a ruddy turnstone looks decent, but there is some debris on the concrete that I would ideally like to remove:
As you can see in this next image, the Patch tool did a great job of getting rid of the cigarette butts and even the stains on the ground:
It was super quick, too!
Additionally, if you set the Patch tool to its Destination mode, you can use it to duplicate, or clone, the selected area. I rarely use it that way myself, but it’s still an option to keep in mind, and I’ll illustrate it later on in this article.
Where can you find the Patch tool?
The location of the Patch tool depends on how your version of Photoshop is configured. You might find it hidden behind the Spot Healing Brush tool:
Click on the Spot Healing Brush in the Tools panel. A fly-out menu will appear with the Patch tool visible.
Or it might be clearly visible in the Tools panel:
Regardless, it’s signified by a “patch” of fabric.
To get started with the Patch tool, simply click on the Patch icon, then continue with the instructions I share below:
How to use the Patch tool: the basics
Working with the Patch tool is extremely easy. Here’s what you do:
Select the Patch tool, then choose Source or Destination in the Options bar at the top of the screen. Note that Source will tell Photoshop to patch the selected portion of the image, while Destination will tell Photoshop to use the selected area to patch a different portion of your image. In general, you’ll want to use the Source option, and this is selected by Photoshop by default.
Using your cursor, click and draw to select a portion of your image. The selection process is similar to the Lasso tool, where you draw the selection freehand.
Once you complete your selection, you should see the marching ants appear. Place your cursor inside the selected area, then click and drag it in any direction. You will see a preview of the adjusted image as you drag the cursor.
When you release the cursor, Photoshop will blend pixels from the source and the destination area to create a seamless merged image.
Finally, you can deselect the image by tapping Cmd/Ctrl+D.
Yes, it really is that easy, but you probably won’t get a 100% accurate result every time. You may have to make a few attempts. Just make sure you are working on a duplicate background layer or using a separate empty layer rather than your original background layer.
Pro tip: You don’t have to use the Patch tool to define a selection. You can use any selection tool and then select the Patch tool.
Before I discuss the Content-Aware setting, I want to demonstrate how the Patch tool can be used with the Destination option to clone an isolated area of your image:
Using the Patch tool to duplicate an area
For this next example, I’m going to use the Patch tool to duplicate a bird so there are two ruddy turnstones in the image. The steps are basically the same as above:
Make a selection around the bird.
Choose Destination in the Options bar.
With the Patch tool selected, position the cursor over the selection and move it into the place where you want the “new” bird to appear.
The Patch tool didn’t do a bad job, but if you look closely, the surrounding pixels of the selection haven’t blended in so well:
I used the Patch tool to clone/duplicate the bird in Destination mode. However, the duplicated bird has a noticeably pixelated edge.
If you run into a similar problem, here’s an alternative method for getting a better result once you have made the selection for duplicating an area:
Press Cmd/Ctrl+T. This brings up the free Transform tool. Now move the selection to a new area on the image. Click on the tick box to commit, or press Enter on your keyboard. The selection is still active, as the marching ants are visible around it.
With the Patch tool selected, move the cursor over the selection. Hold down the mouse, move the selection slightly, and then release. You will notice the surrounding pixels are blended better:
There is a definite improvement when you use the Free Transform tool, then hold down the mouse and move the selection slightly at the same time just before releasing it.
And voila – now I have three birds!
Another example where I used the Free Transform tool along with the Patch tool set to Destination mode.
How to use the Patch tool with content-aware mode
I like to use the Patch tool in both its normal mode and its content-aware mode. In normal mode, the Patch Tool does a great job with general clean-up. However, when you’re working with areas close to the edge of the image, the Patch tool struggles to blend or repair the selection – and that’s where the Patch tool in its content-aware mode really shines.
When an area has sharp contrast or is up against the edge of a photo, the Patch tool in its normal mode is less effective, and that’s where the content-aware option becomes hugely useful.
Notice the selection on the right-hand side of this image…
I removed the unwanted areas using a combination of the normal mode and the content-aware mode.
To use the Patch tool in content-aware mode, make sure the tool is selected. Then go to the Options bar and change the Patch: setting from Normal to Content-Aware.
Switching the Patch tool in the Options bar from Normal to Content-Aware.
If you want to work using an empty layer above the image, make sure Sample All Layers is checked.
Then use the Patch tool as described in the previous sections of this article!
To better understand how the normal mode differs from the content-aware mode, take a look at this next example, where I tried to remove a golf ball on a tee:
The golf ball I’m trying to remove.
This image was patched using the normal mode:
The Patch tool in normal mode didn’t do such a great job of removing the golf ball!
While the second image was patched using content-aware:
The Patch tool in its content-aware mode successfully removed the golf ball and tee from the image!
And the result was a whole lot better!
Fix your photos with the Patch tool!
Hopefully, you found this article useful – and you now feel like you can quickly and easily fix your images with the Patch tool.
As I explained, the Patch tool is super simple to work with, and it’s a great way to remove unwanted portions of a shot, though you can also use it to clone parts of an image!
So fire up Photoshop and have some fun. Try to remove a blemish or two using the Patch tool. Test out the different modes and see what you think!
Now over to you:
Do you use the Patch tool in Photoshop? Do you plan to? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Most beginner-friendly cameras – whether DSLRs, interchangeable-lens mirrorless models, or point-and-shoot cameras – include a variety of Scene modes, such as Sports mode, as well as Portrait mode, Landscape mode, Close-up mode, etc.
These Scene modes are designed to help you take better photos without delving into more complex settings. And while Sports mode isn’t ideal for dedicated photographers looking to produce high-level sports photos, if you’re a newbie and you’re fed up by the inconsistency of your camera’s Auto mode, Sports mode can definitely help.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the ins and outs of Sports mode. I’ll explain what it is, and I’ll also share my best advice for how to use it effectively. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be able to work with your camera’s Sports mode to boost your success rate when photographing sports (as well as action scenes more generally!).
What is Sports mode?
Look carefully, and you’ll see the icon in the shape of a runner on the mode dial – that’s Sports mode!
Sports mode is one of several camera Scene modes that preconfigures various exposure and focus settings for a specific situation. While the details vary across camera manufacturers and models, you can expect Sports mode to optimize your camera’s settings for fast-action scenes, such as a football player sprinting toward the end zone, a basketball star slam-dunking the ball, or a biker zipping down a street.
You can generally find your camera’s Sports mode option on the main mode dial (i.e., the dial on the top of your camera, which should include other Scene modes as well as a conventional Auto mode). It’s usually indicated with a running person icon, like this:
In recent years, however, camera manufacturers have become less consistent in how they display Scene modes. If you can’t see the Sports mode icon on your camera’s main dial, or if your camera lacks a main dial completely, either consult your camera’s manual or spend some time searching through your camera’s internal menu options. (One quick tip: You can sometimes find Sports mode hidden behind a more general Scene mode option, indicated as “SCN” on a mode dial.)
How does Sports mode work?
If you’re simply interested in photographing action and you don’t want to understand the settings behind Sports mode, that’s completely okay; just skip to the next section.
For those who do wish to get a closer look at what Sports mode is doing behind the scenes, here are the typical adjustments you can expect:
Set the drive mode to “continuous” and the continuous shooting speed to its highest setting
Adjust the autofocus modes to continuous and tracking options
Typically, Sports mode sets the ISO to 400 or above as this boosts the exposure so that a fast shutter speed can be used, but depending on lighting conditions and lens selection, the ISO can be lower. Reducing the f-stop will help isolate the action in the scene because a shallow depth of field will blur the background. (Most of the time the subject is a single person, a car, a horse against a backdrop, etc., and it’s best if that background is blurred so the viewer can focus on the action.)
Boosting the shutter speed is all about increasing the chances of stopping the main action. The shutter speed set by Sports mode depends on the amount of available light and lens in use, but most of the time, it’s 1/200s or greater.
The continuous shooting mode ensures that, as you hold down the shutter button, your camera will capture multiple photos in quick succession; as you can likely imagine, this gives you a higher chance of nailing the perfect shot at just the right moment. And your camera’s fastest continuous shooting speed (often 10 FPS or more) will boost your chances even further.
Finally, Sports mode will adjust your camera’s autofocus modes to action-focused, predictive settings. Autofocus is a complex topic, but with Sports mode active, you can expect your camera’s AF to adapt to new scenarios, move at high speeds, and even track your subject around the frame.
In other words, Sports mode adjusts all of these variables together in order to take the guesswork out of shooting sports and other action scenes. Thanks to Sports mode, beginner photographers can focus on capturing the movement and excitement rather than fiddling endlessly with camera settings.
How to use Sports mode
Now that you know how the settings function, let me explain how I recommend you use Sports mode for the best action photos.
First, Sports mode works best with a long lens – that is, a lens with a focal length of 50mm and above. This is because the tighter framing combined with the decreased depth of field will render a clearer contrast between your main subject and background and do a better job of emphasizing the action.
Second, use the fastest lens you own. (Here, I’m referring to the lens with the widest maximum aperture.) Why is this important? Well, the faster the lens, the more Sports mode can widen the aperture, and the faster the shutter speed it’ll be able to use (as Sports mode typically forces your camera to use the lowest possible f-stop). Plus, a wider aperture will give your photos better separation between the subject and the background.
Third, you don’t need to use a tripod with Sports mode. While a monopod can definitely help if you’re using a large, heavy lens, the increased shutter speed and ISO will make hand-holding the camera much easier.
Next, do your best to keep the action near the middle of the frame. Many cameras have the majority of their focus points in the center, so by placing your main subject in that area, you increase your chances of capturing an in-focus shot. That said, newer mirrorless cameras offer absurdly impressive AF capabilities, so this advice won’t always apply. Consider testing your camera by photographing fast-moving subjects and see how well its autofocus performs, then adjust your approach accordingly.
Last, if you do decide to place the action toward the middle of the frame, consider shooting slightly wider than necessary and then cropping during post-processing. While it’s easier to focus on the action in the middle of the frame, it’s generally a bad idea to center your compositions; you’ll end up with photos that feel static and stifled. Instead, crop so that there’s some extra space in front of the action, like this:
The extra space in front of the subject will add dynamism and give the eyes somewhere to go!
Use Sports mode to photograph the action!
Sports mode is a neat way to rapidly set up your camera for fast-action scenarios. It won’t guarantee you great Sports shots, but it’ll certainly increase your chances of getting sharp, in-focus photos.
And if you try Sports mode and you don’t like the results, you can always try a more advanced mode, such as Shutter Priority. The learning curve will be steeper, but it’ll be a big help!
Now over to you:
Have you tried Sports mode before? When do you like to use it in your photography? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
In landscape photography, there are three fundamental settings to consider: the ISO, the aperture, and the shutter speed, known together as the exposure triangle. While all of these settings are equally important to understand to create technically correct images, I think that shutter speed is extra important for creating photos with impact. By carefully choosing your camera’s shutter speed, you can often make your image stand out from the crowd.
Determining the ideal shutter speed for a landscape scene is not easy, however. There’s not a single correct shutter speed, but there are scenarios where it’s a good idea to favor particular speed settings. In this article, I’ll walk you through a few different types of shutter speeds, and I’ll explain how you can use them to great effect in your landscape photography!
Using fast shutter speeds for landscape photography
For landscape photography – or any type of photography, really – the easiest shutter speed to use is a fast one. Working with fast shutter speeds doesn’t require a tripod, and you can capture moving subjects without worrying about motion blur. A fast shutter speed is also the most common choice for most beginning photographers since it doesn’t require much effort (and most Auto modes choose a relatively fast shutter speed, anyway).
Below, you have a typical example of when you need to use a fast shutter speed. To freeze the motion of the deer, I had to increase my shutter speed to 1/320s. Had the deer been moving faster, I would need to increase the shutter speed even more; otherwise, I’d risk motion blur.
Of course, the average landscape photographer rarely shoots photos featuring moving animals. Yet photographing animals is not the only time you should use a fast shutter speed. For this next image, I used a very fast shutter speed of 1/1600s:
Why did I use such a quick shutter speed for that image? By the looks of it, the water is relatively still, and there are no moving subjects. Both of those things are true – but the shot was taken from a boat. Even though the waters were calm, I needed a very quick shutter speed in order to prevent any blur from camera movement as the boat moved along.
Had I been standing on land, I could have easily used a slower shutter speed and achieved a similar look. In fact, the overall image quality could have been even better! Since I needed a fast shutter speed and I didn’t have tons of light, I was forced to use a wider aperture and a higher ISO than were ideal.
But here’s the thing: landscape photography isn’t about always having the perfect settings. It’s about having the settingsthat allow you to get the shot within the given conditions.
Take it from me. For a long time, I was focused on always having the perfect settings for my landscape photography. But this approach often leads to missed shots as you focus too much on the technical details rather than working with the conditions you’re given.
If I had used a slower shutter speed when standing on the boat, I would have captured a photo with icebergs that were blurry due to the motion. What would you prefer? A blurry picture that is “technically” perfect, or a sharp picture that doesn’t have the perfect settings? For me, the sharp-yet-imperfect shot is definitely the better choice.
Before we move on to working with slower shutter speeds in landscape photography, let me run through the list of scenarios when I recommend dialing in a fast shutter speed:
When photographing the landscape handheld
When capturing landscapes that include quickly moving subjects (such as animals, cars, people, etc)
When aiming to freeze motion (such as rushing water or crashing waves)
When photographing from a vehicle
Using slow shutter speeds for landscape photography
In landscape photography, the difference between slow shutter speeds is much bigger than between fast shutter speeds. While you won’t see a huge difference between a landscape shot captured at 1/320s and 1/640s, you’ll likely see a big difference between a landscape photo taken at 10 seconds and 60 seconds.
Because of this, I’ll split this section into two parts. The first part discusses working with shutter speeds that are less than 30 seconds, and the second part discusses working with shutter speeds that are more than 30 seconds.
Note: The definition of a long exposureis somewhat vague, but I’d define it as the shutter speed where you can no longer capture a sharp handheld image. Typically, this is around 1/50s, depending on your camera and focal length. (A longer focal length requires a quicker shutter speed to capture a sharp handheld image than a wide focal length).
Shutter speeds up to 30 seconds
The difference between a 1-second and 30-second shutter speed is significant for landscape photography, but it’s more natural to group all of these speeds together. Still, I’ll try to break it up a little to give you an idea of which shutter speeds you should experiment with in different situations. Bear in mind that there’s no correct choice, and it often comes down to your preference and the tools at your disposal.
When photographing beaches and seascapes where waves are crashing onto the shore or forming around rocks, I often work with a shutter speed of 0.5-1 second. I find that this creates a nice blur in the water while still keeping enough texture. A slower shutter speed such as 8 seconds will also blur the water but not enough to give it the “silky” effect you often see with long exposure photography (we’ll come back to that in a bit!).
To maintain texture in crashing waves, I use shutter speeds around 0.5-1 seconds.
This also applies when photographing waterfalls and rivers. I tend to use a semi-slow shutter speed rather than an ultra-slow shutter speed when working with these scenes because I prefer to keep some textures in the water.
As you lengthen the shutter speed, you’ll see that moving elements become more and more blurry. For the image below, I used a shutter speed of 20 seconds to blur the water and give some motion to the sky. If you look at the clouds, you’ll see that they have been moving and the image is starting to have the “dragged sky” effect.
Keep in mind that the speed of the clouds determines how slow the shutter speed needs to be in order to pick up this motion. When clouds are moving quickly, you can pick up their motion even with a shutter speed of 5-10 seconds, but to get the “dragged sky” effect, you often need to use a shutter speed (or exposure time) longer than 30 seconds.
Shutter speeds longer than 30 seconds
(Note: In order to achieve a shutter speed longer than 30 seconds, you most likely need to activate Bulb Mode on your camera.)
When I first got into long-exposure landscape photography and purchased my first 10-stop ND filters, I immediately got hooked on these ultra-slow shutter speeds. I’ll admit that I don’t do as much of it anymore – it rarely fits with the vision I have for most locations – but it’s certainly a lot of fun to play with.
The main reason to use a shutter speed longer than 30 seconds for landscape photography is to achieve the “dragged sky” effect and to completely blur out moving elements such as water. It can also be a good way to remove people from your images; if they walk around during a 2-3 minute exposure, they’ll most likely disappear, allowing you to capture a photo without any human presence, even in tourist-heavy locations.
For the image above, I used a shutter speed of 180 seconds. As you can see, this has completely blurred the water and the sky is dragged across the frame.
When photographing the landscape, choose your shutter speed wisely!
Working with longer exposures can be a lot of fun, but it’s not always beneficial. For example, when photographing a scene that doesn’t have any moving elements (and no clouds), there’s no need to use an ultra-slow shutter speed, as the resulting image will look the same whether it’s captured with a 300-second shutter speed or a 1/1000s shutter speed.
Hopefully, the advice I shared on choosing the right shutter speed for capturing the landscape was helpful. As you approach each new scene, keep in mind the difference between short, long, and ultra-long shutter speeds, and do your best to select the appropriate speed for the image you want to create.
If you find yourself unsure of how to proceed, try capturing the same scene using several different shutter speeds, then compare the images when you get home and see if you can learn from the results. Just remember that knowing how to select the best speed for each scene takes practice and comes down to what you want to achieve in your image!
