Almost all DSLRs have a special mode that allows the photographer to go beyond the longest auto exposure setting of 30 seconds.
In fact, this special mode allows you to get an exposure of almost infinite duration.
This bulb modeor long exposure mode.
The shutter speed range on DSLR cameras ends at 30 seconds. The next click on the program dial is Bulb mode, which allows the photographer to manually hold the camera shutter open for as long as the shutter button is pressed. The Bulb exposure setting is only available in manual mode.
Bulb mode is basically a creative function. It allows you to take pictures with, the duration of which is calculated in tens of minutes. A typical use case for this feature is shooting star trails when the night sky is clear of clouds. Simply point your camera at the north or south celestial pole, depending on your hemisphere.
Another common type of photography that can be taken in this mode is photographs of car navigation light trails at night. These moving lights will create patterns of stripes of white and red light emitted by the main and side lights of the moving traffic. If you are on the track near a road junction, you will be able to capture the orange patterns from the turning lights of the cars.
And if you're lucky, you might even be able to capture the blue stripe from the emergency vehicle's flasher.
Here are the three main conditions that you must meet in order to be able to shoot in Bulb mode, or in other words, in the camera's bulb mode.
- Use .
Mount the camera on a tripod to prevent any camera movement that could spoil the picture. A tripod is only unnecessary if the camera is placed on a stable and solid base, such as a low brick fence. Turn off any anti-vibration devices you may have on your camera or lens.
- Use the remote shutter
The remote shutter release will prevent vibration that could ruin a photo when you press the shutter button. No matter how careful your movements are, you will always make a slight movement of the camera when you press the shutter button. It doesn't matter at fast shutter speeds, but in Bulb mode, camera movement (however small) will be reflected in the final image. If you don't have a remote remote control, use the camera's built-in self-timer delay, which is just as effective. A delay of two seconds will be quite adequate.
- Switch to manual mode
Since automatic metering is completely irrelevant when working in Bulb mode, switch the camera to manual mode.
- Next, select the appropriate
The slowest shutter speed that can be set in auto shooting mode to digital cameras, is equal to 30 seconds. This is sufficient for most plots. However, in some situations you may need to, for example, after dark. This is where the Bulb mode comes in handy. You can expose the frame for as long as you need: minutes or hours.
The "Bulb" shooting mode has worked well for photographing the "rotating" night sky dotted with stars, moonlit night landscapes, night traffic, light shows and in shooting scenes where long shutter speeds are used in combination with fast shutter speeds.
The picture looks very impressive if you photograph several volleys of fireworks in one frame. Use some kind of light-tight barrier (such as a palm or a sheet of cardboard) to cover the front lens of the objective during the lull between salvos. The baffle will act as a shutter, preventing light from reaching the photosensitive sensor.
The “Bulb” mode is activated on the camera or when the appropriate shooting mode is set: the letter “B” on the shooting mode selection wheel. Or, in manual mode (“M”), turn the control wheel until the shutter speeds become longer: 1 ’’, …, 10 ’’, …, 30 ’’. "Most long exposure” is the Bulb mode. The word “BULB” will appear on the screen instead of the shutter speed number.
In Bulb mode, the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button. This allows you to expose the frame for an arbitrarily long time. You can hold the button with your finger, but this is not practical. Use the shutter remote control.
Shooting in Bulb mode
Step 1: Eliminate camera shake
Take a tripod with you or find a sturdy stand to make sure your camera is stable during long exposures. Make sure the tripod is secured with extra weight or other means so that the wind cannot shake it. For stability, if necessary, place the camera lower to the ground. Disable any stabilization features built into the camera or lens.
Step 2. Connect the remote control
The remote control, equipped with a shutter button lock, will allow you to open the shutter for any period of time. Release the lock when you need to close the shutter to complete the exposure. Some remotes have a built-in timer that helps you set the exposure time accurately.
Step 3: Adjust your exposure settings
Bulb mode requires you to manually adjust the exposure settings. Before shooting, determine the aperture value and other parameters that affect exposure. Set your aperture to f/8 and experiment with your shutter speed. If the picture is too dark - lengthen the shutter speed, if it is too light - shorten it. Shoot at a low sensitivity to minimize the appearance of digital noise in your photos.
- Note. translator- And also, in order to maintain smooth tone transitions due to the maximum width of the dynamic (tone) range of the photosensitive sensor. If necessary, you can make the image flat, graphic at the processing stage, but to give it naturalness, plasticity - alas ...
The slowest shutter speed that can be set in automatic shooting mode on digital cameras is 30 seconds. This is sufficient for most plots. However, in some situations you may need to, for example, after dark. This is where the Bulb mode comes in handy. You can expose the frame for as long as you need: minutes or hours.
The "Bulb" shooting mode has worked well for photographing the "rotating" night sky dotted with stars, moonlit night landscapes, night traffic, light shows and in shooting scenes where long shutter speeds are used in combination with fast shutter speeds.
The picture looks very impressive if you photograph several volleys of fireworks in one frame. Use some kind of light-tight barrier (such as a palm or a sheet of cardboard) to cover the front lens of the objective during the lull between salvos. The baffle will act as a shutter, preventing light from reaching the photosensitive sensor.
The “Bulb” mode is activated on the camera or when the appropriate shooting mode is set: the letter “B” on the shooting mode selection wheel. Or, in manual mode (“M”), turn the control wheel until the shutter speeds become longer: 1 ’’, …, 10 ’’, …, 30 ’’. The "longest shutter speed" is the "Bulb" mode. The word “BULB” will appear on the screen instead of the shutter speed number.
In Bulb mode, the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button. This allows you to expose the frame for an arbitrarily long time. You can hold the button with your finger, but this is not practical. Use the shutter remote control.
Shooting in Bulb mode
Step 1: Eliminate camera shake
Take a tripod with you or find a sturdy stand to make sure your camera is stable during long exposures. Make sure the tripod is secured with extra weight or other means so that the wind cannot shake it. For stability, if necessary, place the camera lower to the ground. Disable any stabilization features built into the camera or lens.
Step 2. Connect the remote control
The remote control, equipped with a shutter button lock, will allow you to open the shutter for any period of time. Release the lock when you need to close the shutter to complete the exposure. Some remotes have a built-in timer that helps you set the exposure time accurately.
Step 3: Adjust your exposure settings
Bulb mode requires you to manually adjust the exposure settings. Before shooting, determine the aperture value and other parameters that affect exposure. Set your aperture to f/8 and experiment with your shutter speed. If the picture is too dark - lengthen the shutter speed, if it is too light - shorten it. Shoot at a low sensitivity to minimize the appearance of digital noise in your photos.
- Note. translator- And also, in order to maintain smooth tone transitions due to the maximum width of the dynamic (tone) range of the photosensitive sensor. If necessary, you can make the image flat, graphic at the processing stage, but to give it naturalness, plasticity - alas ...
Time Lapse filming has gained immense popularity in Lately, but not all the beauties of the starry sky can be captured using the automatic mode (green box) and without necessary knowledge. In this article, I will tell you in detail how to make a time lapse.
At the very beginning of production, you need to master the basics of working with the Bulb shooting mode, with which all Time Laps photographs are created. The essence of the "Bulb" mode is the ability to hold the camera shutter as long as you need, from one minute to several hours. It is somewhat reminiscent of the correct video shooting, only the Time Lapse effect is done using photographs, and not video recording.
How to do a timelapse
It will take about 10-15 minutes of your time to depict clearly defined stars in the night sky in your photo.
It will take you about 30 minutes to have circles from the movement of stars in your picture.
Surrounding areas that are even under low light is the main problem of this genre of photography. That is why you should not waste your time on the first landscape that comes across, approach this issue in more detail. The place for shooting should be free from light noise. It is best if the moon is below the horizon when the shutter is released - this will destroy any chance of the photo being overexposed.
Also, as additional material, I strongly advise you to read the article -, or how to photograph at night.
Shooting time-lapse becomes possible only if your camera has a special “Bulb” mode, it is shown as “B” on the carcass itself. Aperture should be set in the region of f2.8 - f4.0 maximum so that the arcs of the movement of your stars are clearly visible in the final image.
Shooting Time Laps Using Bulb Mode
- Set your camera to Bulb mode
Rotate the shutter speed wheel upwards - 1/20, 1/8 ... 0 ″ 3, 0 ″ 5, 8 ″ ... and so on until the “Bulb” value. To shoot in this mode, use the remote control - this will allow you to keep the shutter open for as long as you need. Simply put, the shutter opens and closes at your command.
- Training
Before the process of taking pictures, pay special attention to the place where you are going to take the picture. Arrive there in about an hour, find possible defects in your future landscape, and if there are any, look for another composition. Try to include some interesting object in the frame, be it a bridge over a stream, or a tree. Be sure to check the battery for charge.
- Shooting
Open the aperture wide, set the ISO sensitivity in the range of values \u200b\u200bfrom 400 to 800. I do not advise you to set large values, since the higher the ISO, the more grains are visible in the picture. Press the shutter button and take your photo from 20 to 60 minutes.
I hope this tutorial helped you a lot, and now you can tell your friend how to take a time-lapse photo. Goodbye everyone and see you soon!
Amateurs, seeing this shot, shout with one voice - "PHOTOSHOP!", "They rolled up the car wash with asphalt!" and other heresy. In total, this was filmed at a shutter speed of 10 minutes. As evidenced by the matte surface of the water and the absence of people on the street. Programmatically, there are no such shutter speeds in the camera, but there are bulb mode(pictogram on wheel "B") - manual control of the shutter. In simple words, the button is pressed - the mirror is raised, shooting starts, the button is released - the shooting is completed. A cable release is required to use this mode, 
Holding down the shutter button for 10 minutes and not moving at the same time is simply unrealistic. Cables are different, original Canon or Nikon, for example, or their Chinese counterparts. Prices are four times different. I have been using the Chinese counterpart for over a year now and have no complaints. The only negative is that there is no “Off” button, the display is constantly on, so the batteries can run out at the most unexpected moment. To be treated by removing the battery after use, and a spare unit in the backpack. With this accessory, you can also shoot time-lapse, set manual exposure time and burst shooting. As another undoubted plus, you will touch the camera less during shooting, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of a blurry frame.
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