If you’ve read my last couple of blog posts, you will know I recently visited Northumberland. While there, I used a technique that I don’t usually bother with: long exposure.
By long exposure, I don’t mean the fine art type of long exposure that might take a couple of minutes. My definition is that the camera shutter speed is deliberately slowed to produce an exposure over 1-second during the day.
I don’t bother with this technique much when photographing landscapes in the Peak District and Lake District. Having a few bunches of swaying heather or trees isn’t quite as interesting as capturing the movement of the sea.
Allow me to share some examples I captured on my trip.
In this first shot, we see an extended exposure of a rock on Cocklawburn Beach. It’s my first time visiting the area, which is a little remote but packed with opportunities. I certainly want to return.
This is a 1.6-second exposure, which was achieved using a 6-stop ND filter on the front of my lens. In addition, I used a 4-stop soft ND Grad filter on the sky to darken it. The hardest part of the shot was trying to time an incoming wave so that it would line up with the end of the rock. I was also trying to achieve an exposure that would capture the curve in the wave rather than make it vanish. Ultimately, I realised it was best to “fine-tune” the shutter speed using the ISO setting on the camera.
The image was captured using a Nikon Z7ii and Z 24-120 lens at 24mm. I also set the aperture to f/11 and the ISO to 160.
Now for the next shot, which was taken in the evening at Dunstanburgh Castle, approaching from the Craster side.
This is a 2.5-second exposure where I was trying to capture a curving incoming wave while a wave was pulling back from the foreground rocks. Although the exposure was a little long to capture a nice curl in the wave, it was a compromise I needed to make to capture the effect of the wave on the foreground.
With more planning and hindsight, I should probably have captured two images at different speeds. I could then blend the two in post-processing. The irony is I did just that the morning after to make this video.
I hope you like the two images and have a great weekend.
The Lightweight Photographer 
Perhaps I’m jaded, but the long exposure rivers/waves are becoming passe?
Top one is better IMHO
Each to their own. I don’t usually do this type of thing, so it was a nice change.
Great pix! I’m surprised at 160 and f/11, a 1.6 sec pic wasn’t washed out. Love the wave, the wind blowing the spray off and the long curl. The one of the castle is also exemplary. Well done! 😎👏
Don’t forget, I was using a 6-stop ND filter to produce the longer exposure.