Using long-exposure techniques for landscape photography can produce stunning effects, such as blurring moving clouds or water. I like working with longer shutter speeds because they transform ordinary scenes, adding a calm and ethereal aesthetic to images. Choosing the place and time of the day, as well as reading the expected weather forecast, is important. The best conditions for landscapes are during sunrise, golden hour and sunset.
The basic tool for long-exposure photography is a filter. ND (neutral density) and GND (graduated ND) filters give you the ability to control the incoming light. The ND filter reduces the light entering the lens across the frame, extending exposure times depending on the density of the filter. GND filters reduce the light incrementally to balance the exposure in high-contrast scenes, and as well as different densities they also have transistions of varying hardness. Filters with a hard transition are used when taking seascapes, where the horizon is clear. Soft-transition filters can be used in mountain photography, for example, where the horizon is less defined.
Select the density of the full filter depending on the effects you want to achieve and the conditions. When referring to ND filters, ‘stops’ means the level of light reduction – the more ‘stops’ an ND filter has, the longer exposure times we can achieve. The most universal ND filter values are 1.8 and 3.0. The best way to calculate the exposure time is to use a template added to the filters, or a smartphone app designed for this purpose.