The Definitive Guide to Long Exposure Photography in 2025

The Global Photography Community
34 minutes ago
4 min read

Long exposure photo of a street in Chicago

Long exposure photography records movement as blur while keeping static elements sharp. Water turns to silk, clouds streak across the sky, traffic becomes rivers of light, and stars draw perfect circles. In 2025, cameras with excellent dynamic range, reliable live-view histograms, and in-body stabilization make the technique more predictable than ever. You don’t need exotic locations—just a tripod and the willingness to wait.

This guide covers every aspect of long exposure work: equipment choices, planning tools, daytime and nighttime techniques, filters, settings, composition, post-processing, and real-world examples. Follow it step by step and you’ll produce clean, professional results on your next outing.

Why Long Exposure Still Matters in 2025

The effect has been possible since film days, but modern sensors, precise ND filters, and apps that calculate exposure times have removed most of the guesswork. Social platforms reward dramatic, painterly images, and the technique works equally well with landscapes, cityscapes, and minimal seascapes. You can start in your local park or on a downtown bridge.

Early long exposures often teach the value of stability and light control. A 30-second exposure of a fountain can transform ordinary water into something ethereal with basic gear.

Essential Gear: Build a Reliable Kit

Stability and light control are non-negotiable.

Cameras Suitable for Long Exposure in 2025

Any recent mirrorless or DSLR works, but these stand out:

Sony A7R V: 61 MP, no low-pass filter, excellent bulb-mode metering.
Nikon Z8: Stacked sensor, almost no readout delay in live view.
Canon R5 Mark II: In-camera intervalometer and bulb timer up to 100 hours.
Fujifilm X-T5: Film simulations look great straight out of camera.
Budget option: Canon R10 or Nikon Z30 with adapted lenses.

Enable Long Exposure Noise Reduction only when necessary; it doubles shooting time.

Lenses

Wide to normal focal lengths reduce distortion over minutes-long exposures.

16-35mm f/4: Versatile for landscapes.
24-70mm f/4: Good middle ground.
Primes (20mm, 35mm) for minimal coma in night shots.

Image stabilization: Turn it off on tripod to prevent drift.

Tripods and Heads

Weight and rigidity matter more than features.

Carbon fiber legs: Gitzo Systematic, Really Right Stuff TVC-34L.
Aluminum budget: Manfrotto 055 or Sirui.
Head: Geared head (Manfrotto 405/410) or solid ball head with separate panning.

Add a hook for hanging extra weight in wind.

Filters and Holders

Neutral density (ND) filters are the core tool.

6-stop (ND64): Everyday use, 1–2 minutes in daylight.
10-stop (ND1000): Classic silky water, 2–8 minutes.
15-stop (ND32000): Extreme daytime, 10–30 minutes.
Brands: Lee, NiSi, Kase, Haida (all excellent in 2025).

Use 100mm square systems with gasketed holders to prevent light leaks. Carry a soft cloth—fingerprints show up badly in long exposures.

Remote Release and Intervalometers

Wired: Simple and reliable.
Wireless: Phottix, MIOPS, or built-in on high-end bodies.
Phone apps: Canon Camera Connect, Nikon SnapBridge, qDSLRDashboard.

Planning Tools and Timing

Success starts before you leave home.

Apps and Websites

PhotoPills: ND timer, sun/moon position, augmented reality view.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris: Shadow direction at any time.
Clear Outside or Windy: Cloud movement speed.
Tide apps for coastal work.

Best Conditions

Overcast days: Even light, no harsh shadows.
Dawn/dusk: Low light reduces filter strength needed.
Wind: Calm for water, moderate for cloud streaks.

Daytime Long Exposure Techniques

Standard Workflow

Compose and level the shot.
Switch to manual mode, ISO 100, f/8–f/11.
Meter without filter (e.g., 1/60 s).
Attach ND filter.
Use app or chart to calculate new shutter speed.
Switch to Bulb, use remote, time exposure.
Check histogram—push right without clipping highlights.

Exposure Length Guide (10-stop ND, overcast sky)

Moving water: 30 s – 2 min
Fast clouds: 2–6 min
Very slow clouds: 8–20 min

Avoiding Common Daytime Problems

Light leaks: Tape holder edges.
Vibration: Mirror lock-up (DSLR) or electronic shutter.
Color casts: Enable Lens Profile corrections; some 15-stops cast magenta—fix in RAW.

Nighttime Long Exposure Techniques

Light Trails

8–30 seconds per frame.
ISO 100–400, f/8–f/11.
Stack later if needed for density.

Star Trails

30 minutes to several hours.
25–30 s exposures stacked in StarStaX (gapless method).
Or single 30–90 minute exposure with very dark site.

Astro-Landscape

10–20 minutes with 6-stop ND for foreground detail under moonlight.

Composition for Long Exposure

Static elements anchor the image; motion provides energy.

Key Principles

Strong foreground (rocks, pier, road) for scale.
Leading lines into the blur.
Symmetrical reflections in still water.
Minimal sky if clouds are static.
Place horizon off-center unless perfect symmetry.

Popular Subjects

Seascapes: Rocks + smoothed water.
Waterfalls: Misty flow.
Urban: Traffic light rivers.
Abandoned buildings: Cloud movement.
Lakes at twilight: Mirror reflections.

Camera Settings Summary

Situation	ISO	Aperture	Base Shutter (no filter)	Typical Filter	Final Shutter
Cloudy seascape	100	f/11	1/30 s	10-stop	30 s – 4 min
Sunny midday	100	f/11	1/500 s	15-stop	4–20 min
Traffic trails (night)	200	f/9	n/a	None	10–30 s
Star trails (single)	100	f/4	n/a	None	30–90 min

Post-Processing Workflow

Lightroom / Camera Raw

Lens corrections (remove vignetting and chromatic aberration).
White balance: Often cooler for water.
Exposure +0.3 to +1.0 — long exposures can look dark on location.
Highlights –50 to –100.
Dehaze +10–25 for mood.
Clarity +15–30 for midtone punch.
Sharpen Amount 40, Radius 1, Masking 70.
Noise reduction: Luminance 20–30 (long exposures are clean anyway).
Graduated filter on sky if needed.

Photoshop for Finishing

Remove dust spots or airplane trails.
Orthogonal correction for converging verticals.
Selective color boosts (teals/oranges classic combo).
Light bleed fix from filter holder.

Export 16-bit TIFF if printing large.

Common Problems and Fixes

Blurry foreground → Check tripod legs, hang weight, use electronic shutter.
Purple/magenta cast → Custom white balance or profile correction.
Light leaks → Black tape on holder gaps.
Overexposed highlights → Bracket and blend.
Flat image → Increase local contrast with Clarity or curves.
Sensor heat noise (very long exposures) → Take dark frame or enable LENR.
Color banding in sky → Shoot 14-bit or 16-bit RAW.

Advanced Techniques

In-camera multiple exposure for cleaner stacks.
Time-lapse to video conversion.
Neutral density grad filters for balanced skies.
Extreme exposures (30–60 minutes) with 20-stop welding glass (cheap but green cast).
Holy Grail method: Day-to-night timelapses with ramping ND.