The Allure of Long Exposure Cityscapes

Long Exposure Cityscapes

For many photographers, long exposure photography is the key to creating eye-catching landscape and nighttime cityscape photographs. By slowing down their shutter speed to allow more light into the camera, this technique creates photos with captivating movement and mysticism that truly mesmerize viewers.

This technique is often employed for capturing water or clouds in motion, creating dynamic star trails with moving vehicles or people, or blurring cityscapes by softening the bustle into dreamlike, otherworldly images that capture its essence.

To create a long exposure photo, a tripod is recommended in order to minimize camera shake. A wide-angle lens may also prove helpful for cityscape shots as this helps maintain large buildings while giving an overview of the entire landscape; or you could switch up lenses altogether and frame up scenes more precisely using longer focal length lenses.

For most cityscape shots, a shutter speed of around 1/15th of a second or slower is optimal. Depending on the effect you wish to create, filters such as an ND (neutral density) filter may also help. Furthermore, your camera must be set into manual mode with cable release for increased stability.