Slow Shutter Speed and White Balance

[CreationCaptured]

I am struggling. I am trying to capture 2 seconds (or so) worth of the wheat fields in front of my house... We live in a farming area and on windy days, the wheat moves and sways and almost looks like water. However, when I reduce my shutter speed, it blows out white..
I am very new to photogaphy, can you give me any tips so I can capture these moments before the swather comes and mows the grass?

Canon Rebel xSi
Lens: Canon EFS 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS or
Tamron AF 17-50 f/2.8

[RecurrentNerve]

You need to close your aperture, which means setting your f number as high as it will go. This will limit the amount of light entering the camera, and also has the benefit of ensuring that distant objects are as sharp as possible, which will provide a good contrast to the blurred grass.

Set your camera to Manual mode, which allows you to control both the f number (aperture) and the shutter speed independently. You will probably need to experiment with the speed to get the desired effect. Also, set your ISO as low as it will go which reduces the sensitivity of the camera's sensor.

It is pretty much essential that the camera is mounted on a tripod or at least balanced on a wall/post. To reduce camera shake, use a remote or cable release, or if you don't have one, use your camera's timer so pressing the button doesn't move the camera. Another helpful accessory is a ND (neutral density) filter, or a polariser. Both of these help limit the amount of light entering the camera which helps prevent over-exposure with slow shutter speeds. If you don't have either, try to set up with the sun behind you (generally a good idea anyway).

So:

1. Close the aperture - set a high f number (f32).
2. Set a slow shutter speed - experiment with this, obviously the slower the speed the more blurred the grass will appear.
3. Set ISO to 100.
4. Use a steady base for the camera, ideally a tripod.
5. Use a remote or the camera timer.
6. Use a ND or Polarising filter.

Good luck!

[CreationCaptured]

Originally Posted by RecurrentNerve

You need to close your aperture, which means setting your f number as high as it will go. This will limit the amount of light entering the camera, and also has the benefit of ensuring that distant objects are as sharp as possible, which will provide a good contrast to the blurred grass.

Set your camera to Manual mode, which allows you to control both the f number (aperture) and the shutter speed independently. You will probably need to experiment with the speed to get the desired effect. Also, set your ISO as low as it will go which reduces the sensitivity of the camera's sensor.

It is pretty much essential that the camera is mounted on a tripod or at least balanced on a wall/post. To reduce camera shake, use a remote or cable release, or if you don't have one, use your camera's timer so pressing the button doesn't move the camera. Another helpful accessory is a ND (neutral density) filter, or a polariser. Both of these help limit the amount of light entering the camera which helps prevent over-exposure with slow shutter speeds. If you don't have either, try to set up with the sun behind you (generally a good idea anyway).

So:

1. Close the aperture - set a high f number (f32).
2. Set a slow shutter speed - experiment with this, obviously the slower the speed the more blurred the grass will appear.
3. Set ISO to 100.
4. Use a steady base for the camera, ideally a tripod.
5. Use a remote or the camera timer.
6. Use a ND or Polarising filter.

Good luck!

Thank you! This is exactly what I needed!
I understand Manual Mode, so that's easy enough.
I have a great tripod.
I have a remote and a ND filter...
So I'm good to go...
Now, let's just hope the wind comes again, before the swather.

Thanks again,
Will post results!

[RecurrentNerve]

You're welcome.

One other tip I should mention is, if your lens has a Vibration Reduction feature, turn it off, as it can introduce movement. Also, set your focus manually so it doesn't 'hunt' when you click your remote.

Incidentally, you would use exactly the same process to take those smooth water shots you often see.

[Michael_2010]

Also shoot in RAW and bracket the exposures. That will give you much more to work with once you get back to your computer.

Let us see how this turns out for you. I'm having a hard time picturing the wheat blurred in that manner. What is the backdrop for the wheat?

[navcom]

I hate to be the contrarian here, but I would recommend avoiding apertures such as f/32 for landscapes if you can help it. You can if you want to or if you have no choice, but using f/32 can work against your sharpness, and with landscapes, sharpness is everything.

The extreme ends of a lens's aperture range both have drawbacks. The largest end (smallest number) can wash out an image and reduce color saturation. On the other end, the smaller the aperture gets, a little thing called diffraction starts to rear it's head. The smaller you get, the worse it can be. It actually softens your images depending on the scene and the light. Most lenses have the best image quality in the range between f/8 and f/13. For landscapes, this is a good starting point. It gives a good depth of field and produces very sharp results. You can obviously go smaller if you need to but start in this range. Most would recommend that instead of stopping down your lens to it's extreme end, use that ND filter you have.

An ND filter was made specifically to allow slower shutter speeds. You can use a polarizer if you want...but there are many situations where a polarizer will make matters worse. A polarizer is designed to alter the light a specific way and when used different than intended, it can have unpleasant results. Use the filter for what it was intended. An ND is specifically designed NOT to alter the light, only limit the amount passing through. It's designed to slow down your shutter speed. Get a set of different powered ND filters. Or better yet, get a variable ND filter (though they can be expensive).

Here's a shot I took some time back. It was taken in the middle of the day (cloudy) with an aperture of f/16 and a vari-ND filter which yielded a shutter speed of about 2 seconds.



Just an example that you can do slow motion in the middle of the day with an ND filter without going to the extreme end of the aperture. If you have no choice (i.e. no ND filters), use the smaller aperture. But if you have an ND filter, definitely go with that. Using your equipment for what it was intended and knowing what it's limitations are is a good habit to get into.

Hope that helps! BTW...post your results!

[BigVinnie]

I agree. While I'm not much of a landscape shooter I do know a little about how my lenses perform.

My walkaround lens is a 17-85 Canon. I've found with it that between f/9 and f/11 is the sweet spot. When I want things sharp I try to stay in that range.

A polarizer is a good thing to carry to cut a bit of light. You might do some research into ND filters. They are not all created equal.

[Jarret]

Did you ever get the shots taken? Curious to see how they turned out!

[lynweber]

ND Filter what's that. Polarizer is something you want on a bright sunny day? Just making sure I understand.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by lynweber

ND Filter what's that. Polarizer is something you want on a bright sunny day? Just making sure I understand.

An ND filter is a Neutral Density filter. It just blocks light from hitting the sensor. A circular polarizer alters the light (but also stops some light). If you just need sunglasses for your lenses, than an ND filter is what you want. If you want the special effect of a circular polarizer, then get a polarizer.