A HUGE congrats to Mike @mikegifford with his winning photo for CSC-7: Panning! With the Tour starting today, what a perfect image!! I love it.
He selected me to host the next camera settings challenge, so I carved out some time to make it a good one for you!
What are these challenges all about?
Do some of the camera settings intimidate you? Do you want to learn how to develop your photography skills and learn how to use your camera effectively without always going back to the “auto” function? These challenges are for you!
This week's challenge is: BULB MODE
Explanation:
There is a special setting on all DSLR cameras that allows the photographer to go beyond the longest automatic shutter speed setting of 30 seconds. In fact, this special setting allows infinitely longs exposures to be made. This is the Bulb setting, or Bulb exposure mode. (Or, the B on your dial or menu)
The shutter speed range on a DSLR camera finishes at 30 seconds. One click below that selection is Bulb, which allows the photographer to manually hold the shutter open for as long as is required as the shutter button is pressed down. The camera bulb exposure setting is only available in Manual mode.
The Bulb mode is basically a creative feature. It allows shots to be taken that are minutes long, rather than seconds. A typical image to capture using this feature is one of star trails when the night sky is clear. Simply aim the camera to the north or south celestial pole, depending on which hemisphere you live.
Another common image to capture is of the trails of vehicle lights when it is dark. These moving lights will create artistic streaks of white and red patterns emitted from the head lights and tail lights of passing traffic. If you are near a traffic junction you may capture orange streaks from indicator lights. And if you’re lucky enough, you may get a streak of blue from the flashing light of an emergency vehicle.
Here then are the three things that will help you when shooting in Bulb mode, in other words, with the camera’s shutter open:
Use a Tripod: Attach the camera to a tripod in order to ensure that no camera movement will ruin the shot. You don’t have to use a tripod so long as the camera is on a solid base, like a wall. Turn off the any anti-shake mechanisms you may might have on your camera or on the lens.
Use a Remote Shutter Release: A remote shutter release will prevent vibrations ruining the shot as you press the shutter button. No matter how careful you are, you will always cause a tiny bit of vibration as you depress the shutter button. That doesn’t matter with fast shutter speeds, but in Bulb mode you will record vibrations, however small. If you don’t have a remote cable, use the camera’s built-in self-timer delay, which is just as effective. A two second delay will be adequate.
Set Your Camera Settings: Choose an appropriate aperture, like f/8 or f/11, as these apertures offer the best image quality. Also, set the ISO to 100 or 200 in order to minimize sensor noise. Finally, experiment by taking several test shots before capturing the final long exposure bulb mode image. (article by Chris Smith, PictureCorrect.com)
My absolute favorite kind of Bulb photographs are Light Paintings. This is where you use a flashlight or LED light and draw something in the air while the shutter is open. When you release the shutter, you have a painting on your image! It's so fun and so beautiful!
Experienced photographers who are knowledgeable in this particular setting are encouraged to offer kind and constructive suggestions on the posted entries. Those entering this challenge want to learn and improve.
This challenge starts today, and ends Friday, July 13th at 3:00pm CST. All photos must be taken during these dates to be considered. TAG YOUR PHOTO CSC-8 AND post your picture in this thread to receive feedback from other experienced photographers specific to this challenge.
Voting will take place Monday the 16th (and remain open 24 hours) and the winner will be announced on the 17th. The winner of the challenge will select an experienced photographer to host a new challenge. It is the winner’s option on who they want to host the next challenge; it may be someone they follow whose work they admire, or someone who is active offering suggestions on previous CSC challenges. The winner may also select an experienced photographer for the list of photographers who have agreed to host future challenges as another option.: Here is the link to that list
Expect to receive constructive suggestions on how to improve your skills.
How to post your photo on this link:
1) Go to your page that has the photo you wish to post.
2) Copy the “share” code in the bottom right section of that page.
3) Return to this thread and paste the code under comments
I am heading towards getting a pro camera and when I do, I will be going through these learning challenges. They are a fantiastic idea to help people get to know their cameras. Thanks to everyone for doing these.
Wow, Thanks Amy! I am looking forward to trying this new challenge. Something brand new that looks fun!
Also, I have a question - since it is on for infinity minutes rather than seconds what do you do when you decide the picture is "done", turn the camera off?
Should I be in "M" when doing this challenge. I know it goes to bulb but I didn't see a B . When adjusting my shutter speed I saw the "bulb" word come up.
As I will be trying to learn to use my replacement bridge camera this month I won't be using my film camera. However although it does not have a bulb setting it does go to 60 seconds so would it still be possible to do this challenge?
I have a remote... but I'm not sure if it has a lock on it.. I got it for my daughter's wedding, but never ended up using it.LOL.. better hunt it down! I've done 30 second light paintings on roses in my bathroom before. If I can't find a locking shutter release I may just have to settle for trying that again..
@amyhughes This is a wonderful challenge and I will just love learning how to do this! WOW Amy, thank you for hosting this. Each challenge that we have had has really been so helpful.
Do you think we should leave the challenge open longer than until July 6th?
If you think it is a good idea than please take the initiative to do so.
I must be missing part of the instructions
I put my camera in M
I have it set at f8
I put the shutter speed on bulb
I have it on ISO 100
I use my 10 sec timer (my camera doesn't have a 2 sec).
I went in the basement where it is dark and when the time starts I wave the flashlight around in front of the camera.
It took a quick pic and turned off.
Shouldn't it stay on when I put the shutter on bulb?
Lens itself
Should I have it on manual focus or auto?
I did put it on VR.
@myhrhelper Bulb generally needs a locking shutter release. Or else, you'll need to stand there and hold the shutter button down for as long as you need the photo to be exposed for. Currently, you're pressing the shutter button as you would when you normally take a photo - but it's registering that press as the length of the whole exposure, if that makes sense.
@pocketmouse So the 10 sec will not work for this? Pressing & holding it down will cause camera shake correct?
Is putting it on 10 sec delay and as soon as it starts snapping the pic I hold it down longer? Will that work or is this something I need additional equipment for?
@myhrhelper The 10 second delay has nothing to do with it. The Bulb mode detects how long you actually hold the shutter button down for - and exposes the photo for that long. So if you hold the button down for 0.5 seconds, it'll expose the photo for 0.5 seconds. If you wanted to do a long exposure of say 33 seconds, you'd have to stand there and manually hold it down for 33 seconds. And yes, you would get lots of camera shake and other yucky things. That's why a shutter release (read: additional equipment item!) is ideal and probably necessary in order to fully utilise Bulb mode.
@myhrhelper or you could have someone be your shutter. Put the camera on a tripod, have them hold the shutter down until you say stop. I have done this handheld before and yeah, it shakes but on a tripod it should be good, especially for you to just see what you get and practice.
Do you think we should do this an additional weeK? What about the 13th then?
@m9f9l see the above message ^^^ I've done this before without a remote, either doing the shutter and having someone else do the lights, or having someone else do the shutter as well. You guys might as well try that!
BTW-I'm so glad you guys are excited about this challenge! I used to do this with my digital students all the time and it's just AMAZING what they came up with. So many beautiful drawings and ideas. So many great light trails from cars. Some even did trails of people (the people have to walk super super slow) so it looks like ghosts going across the screen. (I have one like this in my albums too...) So many ideas to get from the bulb setting! So many ways to play with light and movement as well.
@amyhughes For star trails you can take multiple pics in bulb mode or at a set interval...like every 15 sec open the shutter for 30 sec (or more...or even less). Do this for many shots (like 40 to 80 to ???). You then stack them and the end result is a very cool star trail picture. For the bulb challenge all the pics would need to be taken in bulb mode and then stacked.
Thanks so much - I am having a private chuckle here...... I left my camera out for an hour hoping to get something.... all I got was condensation on the lens :P Now that i know better I will give it another go :)
Canada Day Fireworks - first time I've really played with the Bulb setting, and also got more familiar with my tripod!! We have 10 days of fireworks coming up during the Calgary Stampede, so hopefully I can get some more practice in (maybe with more interest in front of the lights)... critiques welcome!
@jannkc I got sparklers to try this with but found out there is a ban on sparklers due to the lack of rain and super dry conditions.
I have some other ideas so I hope I can do this.
@amyhughes Here is my idea tell me if you think it will work since I don't have a remote.
I press the shutter button in the dark & duct tape it.
Then turn the light source on. Do my drawing, turn light off. and turn off camera.
I'm open to other ideas too. I REALLY want to do this
Here is my first shot. Bulb mode 9.6 seconds, f/16, ISO 100. I used a tripod and a cable release. I held a maglite solitaire flashlight above the bud for 6 seconds and in front of the open flowers for 3 seconds.
I think I need a light source with a finer point to paint? My 28-70 is still at Nikon being repaired maybe I will get out the 12-24 for a wider angle. Need to do some more reading and practicing.
I too was hoping for some fireworks but think everything is cancelled.
Here are my first attempts. I worked the camera and my husband did the art work. I set it on a 10 sec timer and then I held the button down until he was done.
@lstasel If you're wanting to paint Laura, you can use a maglite, it will be a fat line. But you have to move it around, not leaving it still for 6 or 3 seconds. You know what I mean?
@myhrhelper the truck is COOL! What kind of light are you using? His message to you is sweet....I forgot to mention you have to write backwards if you are going to write something! Thanks for reminding me!
@adeakinyede this is VERY cool! Just a tip: if you want the writing to stand out more, make the area you are writing in, or painting in, much, much darker. I do like the effect of the streetlight on this though, it's unique! Love how it made a star!
If you want a very fine point in your drawing or painting, and also multiple colors, you can go to any electronics store (radio shack for ex.) and pick up 2 pronged LED light bulbs.
and also disk watch batteries (button cells)
You'll put the two prongs of the LED on either side of battery. You'll see once both the metal pieces touch, the light turns on. So you just hold it in your fingers and draw.
@myhrhelper I am confused about the dates of this challenge. It says it will end on the 13th but that voting will be on the 9th. Do we have until the 13th to tag pictures or is that beginning of the next CSC?
@chapjohn You are correct. The challenge will last until the 13th. The voting will be about 24 hours afterwards so I think it should be changed to 14th or 15th when the voting takes place, depending on when she gets them posted.
Several people suggested we run these challenges for a longer period of time to give everyone more time and more weekend time. So we will try 1 1/2 - 2 weeks.
@amyhughes Hi, for the wheel barrow I used a strand of battery operated coloured christmas lights. Ha, I think I might have killed them.... I attempted doing an orb and the cord ravelled to the point of 'putting their lights out'...
@amyhughes Thanks Amy. I think my maglight should be fine I just need a bigger working area. I was going to work with the 12-24mm tonight but decided to take advantage of some of my neighbors shooting fireworks instead. Thanks for the idea of the LED lightbulbs.
Was going to try some light painting tonight but some of my neighbors decided to ignore the fireworks ban.
"bulb" for 19 seconds, f/16, ISO 100 with cable release and tripod.
This is the first time I have shot multiple fireworks. I started off using the 12-24mm but was too far away so grabbed the 105mm. Really could have used the 28-70mm. Hopefully I will get it back this week.
@amyhughes@myhrhelper
I did some light painting a couple of months ago. You don't have to write backwards. If you just write your message as normal, then "flip" the photo in an editing program. I used picmonkey.
So happy this worked out. Forgot to bring my remote, so carefully held the shutter down and counted to 60. Got white lights, red lights, an orange indicator light, and all three colours on the traffic lights!!
Looks better larger, the lines of light are crisper
My attempts with bulb mode. I have been wanting to try this for quite a while. I had my husband get me a remote shutter release for Mother's Day, just so that I could do this. thanks for the challenge.
@aurorajane Love your shots!! Beautiful work - although I really like all of them my personal favorite is the first one that you posted, it reminds me of Christmas ornaments or something - very cool effect @debrac wonderful! love them both! @onie Wow that is so cool! love the stop lights showing 3 colors and the multicolor light streaks @hopess13 WOW! If I would have captured that it would have been one giant light flash but you worked it @lstasel this one is especially cool - love the composition on this one @aurorajane@kph129 love the pattern & colors! @amyhughes thank you so much for teaching this! I just love the photos on this so creative and artsy! When I first saw the challenge I thought "you got to be kidding, how am I going to do that, but I was excited to learn and try it". This is fabulous
great timing to have this competition around july 4th. took a bunch of shots with the bulb mode on from the independence day cellebrations. this is one of them.
Decided to go out and brave the heat tonight to practice a little. Didn't shoot anything worth keeping but learned a lot. My wide angle lens is really too wide for what I was doing. This is about a 50% crop.
I used three lights: a small blue rectangular led, a medium white led and a small blinking red led. The blue gives a nice smooth line but overwhelmed both of the other colors.
I was struggling to get a decent shot because London seems to be highly light polluted, so I went for a classic 'the double-decker bus goes past' shot.
@aurorajane Wow, You are just having so much fun with this setting!!!
I LOVE the last street shot! The composition was great, nice star lights, great POV and the bulb setting was great for this shot (my opinion).
@traeumerlein Wow, what a great idea! This just get's my creativity moving! Was this in the daytime?
@chapjohn yes. I wanted people to get familiar with the bulb setting itself, and see it can be used for more control over shorter 1 second and also longer 30+ exposures. Basically to just get familiar with all that this setting can do.
@amyhughes originally I thought it had to be longer than 30 seconds but then realized that if I kept it on that long for fireworks it would have too many fireworks and just like a lot of light.
I was getting frustrated with my ability to move the flashlight in a smooth line so decided to use the street lights and some house lights and move the camera. This shot is bulb setting for 4 seconds, f/16 and ISO 100.
@myhrhelper Kathy, this one is for you. 6 stacked photos. We'll just call it overkill. This is 25 seconds of exposures stacked. If you look at it at the pixel level there is very little noise because no single shot was longer than 5 seconds.
@melee09 Isn't it so fun!?! This is great, love the movement you did! Just one tip, if the person holding the light also moves, they won't end up in the pic at all! It'll just be black background.
@amyhughes Amy thank you so much for teaching this new setting. I know I will be using it in the future!
At your earliest convenience please select some finalist that you like the best based on the criteria you were looking for for a vote. Typically a 24 hour vote is enough time.
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Also, I have a question - since it is on for infinity minutes rather than seconds what do you do when you decide the picture is "done", turn the camera off?
Should I be in "M" when doing this challenge. I know it goes to bulb but I didn't see a B . When adjusting my shutter speed I saw the "bulb" word come up.
Do you think we should leave the challenge open longer than until July 6th?
If you think it is a good idea than please take the initiative to do so.
I must be missing part of the instructions
I put my camera in M
I have it set at f8
I put the shutter speed on bulb
I have it on ISO 100
I use my 10 sec timer (my camera doesn't have a 2 sec).
I went in the basement where it is dark and when the time starts I wave the flashlight around in front of the camera.
It took a quick pic and turned off.
Shouldn't it stay on when I put the shutter on bulb?
Lens itself
Should I have it on manual focus or auto?
I did put it on VR.
Is putting it on 10 sec delay and as soon as it starts snapping the pic I hold it down longer? Will that work or is this something I need additional equipment for?
Do you think we should do this an additional weeK? What about the 13th then?
I will try it without the remote so I can practice so when I get one I will understand how to do this since this will be awesome to learn!
http://blog.starcircleacademy.com/2011/02/automated-stacking-of-star-trails-in-ps-cs5/
I have some other ideas so I hope I can do this.
I press the shutter button in the dark & duct tape it.
Then turn the light source on. Do my drawing, turn light off. and turn off camera.
I'm open to other ideas too. I REALLY want to do this
I think I need a light source with a finer point to paint? My 28-70 is still at Nikon being repaired maybe I will get out the 12-24 for a wider angle. Need to do some more reading and practicing.
I too was hoping for some fireworks but think everything is cancelled.
If you want a very fine point in your drawing or painting, and also multiple colors, you can go to any electronics store (radio shack for ex.) and pick up 2 pronged LED light bulbs.
and also disk watch batteries (button cells)
You'll put the two prongs of the LED on either side of battery. You'll see once both the metal pieces touch, the light turns on. So you just hold it in your fingers and draw.
The results will be closer to this:
Several people suggested we run these challenges for a longer period of time to give everyone more time and more weekend time. So we will try 1 1/2 - 2 weeks.
"bulb" for 19 seconds, f/16, ISO 100 with cable release and tripod.
This is the first time I have shot multiple fireworks. I started off using the 12-24mm but was too far away so grabbed the 105mm. Really could have used the 28-70mm. Hopefully I will get it back this week.
I did some light painting a couple of months ago. You don't have to write backwards. If you just write your message as normal, then "flip" the photo in an editing program. I used picmonkey.
Looks better larger, the lines of light are crisper
old photoshop!
My attempts with bulb mode. I have been wanting to try this for quite a while. I had my husband get me a remote shutter release for Mother's Day, just so that I could do this. thanks for the challenge.
great timing to have this competition around july 4th. took a bunch of shots with the bulb mode on from the independence day cellebrations. this is one of them.
@amyhughes Great shot Amy. I love that you were able to get the buildings as well as the fireworks.
@hopess13 Wonderful. It looks like fireworks are exploding everywhere.
@aurorajane Your shots just keep getting better and better.
I used three lights: a small blue rectangular led, a medium white led and a small blinking red led. The blue gives a nice smooth line but overwhelmed both of the other colors.
Tommorow I may try a 50mm and maybe f/16.
Exposure: 69 sec (69/1)
Aperture: f/13.0
ISO Speed: 100
Focal Length: 28 mm
I LOVE the last street shot! The composition was great, nice star lights, great POV and the bulb setting was great for this shot (my opinion).
@traeumerlein Wow, what a great idea! This just get's my creativity moving! Was this in the daytime?
@hopess13 Thank you, Rachel!
@amyhughes I'm so happy you like it :)
At your earliest convenience please select some finalist that you like the best based on the criteria you were looking for for a vote. Typically a 24 hour vote is enough time.