Long-exposure, time-exposure, or slow-shutter photography involves using a long-duration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements.

How long is considered long exposure?

Any photograph taken with a shutter speed of 1 second or more can be considered a long exposure. The resulting image shows the effects of the passage of time in a single frame, which means the final image will be very different from what you see when you compose your shot.

How do you do a long exposure?

Follow the basics of night photography – place the camera on a tripod, use a wide-angle lens with the smallest aperture possible, and focus to infinity. Turn the camera's mode dial to Manual or Bulb shooting mode and use a slow shutter speed (5-30 seconds) for a longer exposure.