Capturing the rhythm of the sea...?

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BertieTBE

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Hello all,

I've been practicing with some nice coastal landscapes this week. Looking to capture the motion of the sea as it comes in and out. Thing is I can't get my camera to use a slow enough shutter speed. It just cranks the aperture right up to F/22, and the exposure dial gets stuck way down one end of the metre (far end of the the + side). If I go the other way, the aperture comes down to an aperture that's loo large and I can't get a shutter speed slower than about 1/20.

Tried changing the ISO. No joy.

What am I doing wrong??

Thank you.

BertieTBE
 
It might help to detail what kit you are using and getting off of auto/semi auto mode. You should be able to set whatever shutter speed and aperture you want. Some more details are required.
 
You'll need a filter of some degree to allow less light, therefore a slower shutter speed...
 
BRASH said:
It might help to detail what kit you are using and getting off of auto/semi auto mode.
Click to expand...

I'm using Canon 600D and Sigma 18-250. I've tried every possible mode (including manual) but still having the same problem when trying to use slow shutter speeds.
 
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BertieTBE said:
I'm using Canon 600D and Sigma 18-250. I've tried every possible mode (including manual) but still having the same problem when trying to use slow shutter speeds.
Click to expand...

You need to lessen the amount of light coming into the lens. Try using either a ND filter, or shooting in the morning or evening.
 
BertieTBE said:
I'm using Canon 600D and Sigma 18-250. I've tried every possible mode (including manual) but still having the same problem when trying to use slow shutter speeds.
Click to expand...

I don't know about the 600 specifically but if it's like other Canons you should get up to a 30 second exposure in manual mode and any time you want on the bulb function. If you are in manual mode the camera shouldn't be selecting these for you. If you are shooting in bright daylight, as suggested you'll need filters to cut the amount of light the camera is letting in. Have a look at something like these. I have the 3, 6 and 10 stops from these guys. Excellent value.
 
CharlotteM said:
Try using either a ND filter, or shooting in the morning or evening.
Click to expand...

Oh, thank you. Will give that a try.

ND filters seem to range from the pretty cheap to reasonably expensive kits. How many do I need? What are you getting for the extra with the more expensive filters?

Thank you very much again.
 
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BertieTBE said:
Oh, thank you. Will give that a try.

ND filters seem to range from the pretty cheap to reasonably expensive kits. How many do I need? What are you getting for the extra with the more expensive filters?

Thank you very much again.
Click to expand...

You're getting better quality glass - the same principles as paying more for a lens.

You don't know what you need until you get onto locations. No one can tell you your camera/filter/gear settings beforehand. :)
 
BertieTBE said:
Hello all,

I've been practicing with some nice coastal landscapes this week. Looking to capture the motion of the sea as it comes in and out. Thing is I can't get my camera to use a slow enough shutter speed. It just cranks the aperture right up to F/22, and the exposure dial gets stuck way down one end of the metre (far end of the the + side). If I go the other way, the aperture comes down to an aperture that's loo large and I can't get a shutter speed slower than about 1/20.

Tried changing the ISO. No joy.

What am I doing wrong??

Thank you.

BertieTBE
Click to expand...

1. Shoot later in the day when the sun is close to the horizon (just above to just below).
2. Use a 3 stop ND filter to lengthen your shutter speed.
3. Use a grauated ND to hold back the sky.
4. Use between f/11 - f/14
5. Set ISO to 100.

Following all these steps will ensure a longer exposure, usually 2 secs is ideal.
 
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Remember photography is all about light. I went to southwold the other day and caught some nice motion without filters in the dying light. You will need filters but as others say you pay for what you get. Filters just block the light from reaching the sensor causing the shutter speed to lengthen. Still getting my head round all this but buy some filters and experiment and your learn while having fun. That's what I did.
 
I read about a clever trick in a recent copy of Digital SLR Photography (December 2013 edition).
You'll need a tripod but I'm assuming that you're already using one? & a remote control or other type of shutter trigger to avoid any camera shake.
Set your camera up to do a multiple exposure making sure that you won't over-expose by putting 'auto gain' on (Canon may use a different term). Set up your shot, lowest ISO possible, & then shoot 10 off fairly quickly. The camera will then combine the shots into one with blurred water.
Obviously it won't work well if the light is really bright
 
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