Light Trails - let me see yours..

Hi everyone, I just rode around last night taking tons of light trails shots with my Sony f717. It was the most freeing experience! Just held it up with one hand while driving. shook it, twirled it, held it up, down ,sideways, everything. I felt like I ruled my camera. These are right out of the camera, untouched. I'll never go back to film. I remember taking light trails with my film camera and It was not fun. I was so chinchy with the shots and I remember trying to make sure each one came out good. Not with digital. No need to be careful, just throw them all away if I want.
In all of these, I was moving and some of the lights are from moving stuff. Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I have to learn how to make a Real light trail shot that actually shows the scene and only the lights show movement. That will be a little harder. Where I actually stand still and capture tail lights or what ever. Although I like the light in this stuff, they really aren't good for anything. lol Please join me in posting your light trails. Also if you have any that are "Real ones" (not just abstract) please post them. I'd love to see your shots and hear your ideas! Include your settings if you have them.
Thanks, Kit.
It's fun to see what things look like in these. One looks like a snake in the road, another like notes. heh

Heres some more :)

I like this last one. Looks like an ocean current going neon. I've taken a few light trails pictures that I thought looked cool at the time but ending up discarding them because I never thought they would work for anything. However, if you're into graphic design as I am you never know if one might come in handy. And I agree with you about digital...I'll never go back to my Kodak 110, hehe.
Ray

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Originally Posted by shesells

Heres some more :)

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That's excitement. I like the yellow ones best.
Even though everyone's probably sick of my fireworks I'll put a couple of my first ones up. These were handheld and the camera was panned or rotated during a time exposure.

Those things just look like creatures from outer space! They are so appealing it isnt even funny. Chunk.. show me more!

I'm changing my mind, maybe there is a market for these. They're kind of thrilling. Here's a couple more that were shot at the airport. Oh and also a ufo landing. Funny how we always thought they were saucer shape.
All my photos are shot at 1.3 second.
I'll prob get kicked off the forum for too many pics.

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Originally Posted by schrackman

I like this last one. Looks like an ocean current going neon. I've taken a few light trails pictures that I thought looked cool at the time but ending up discarding them because I never thought they would work for anything. However, if you're into graphic design as I am you never know if one might come in handy. And I agree with you about digital...I'll never go back to my Kodak 110, hehe.
Ray

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That is exactly what I thought Schrackman! I swear! Sure it wasn't a Brownie Hawkeye?
Come on, dig one up or go make some. You have nothing else to do! And yes, you need them for your graphics.
Kit

Don't have any to offer, but ya know what Chunk? I never tire of your photos. I remember these two shots of yours. They caught my eye right away the first time I saw them and I still love the effect! They have an elegant quality to them.

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Originally Posted by Lara

Don't have any to offer, but ya know what Chunk? I never tire of your photos. I remember these two shots of yours. They caught my eye right away the first time I saw them and I still love the effect! They have an elegant quality to them.

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Thanks Lara. It should be getting dark there soon (hint,hint) :D

Shesells, Thanks for your comments, there are a few more posted in the second last page of the Events Gallery. They were taken on a tripod so are a little less shaky. I like the last bunch you posted. Maybe you could make postcards for Roswell? :D

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Originally Posted by shesells

That is exactly what I thought Schrackman! I swear! Sure it wasn't a Brownie Hawkeye?
Come on, dig one up or go make some. You have nothing else to do! And yes, you need them for your graphics.
Kit

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I'll tell you what...I'll try experimenting tonight or tomorrow night with my 550EX's second curtain synchronization feature. That should produce some interesting light trails.

Ray

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Originally Posted by Chunk

Thanks Lara. It should be getting dark there soon (hint,hint) :D

Shesells, Thanks for your comments, there are a few more posted in the second last page of the Events Gallery. They were taken on a tripod so are a little less shaky. I like the last bunch you posted. Maybe you could make postcards for Roswell? :D

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Sorry Chunk, but these ufo shots are serious business, not for postcards. :p
I looked at your shots in the gallery and I like the green swirly one but I love that pinwheel! I'm going to try some of those using the tripod. I just have to think of a good spot to set up. Do you remember the shutter speed you used? ISO setting? anything? Do you Zoom in or Wide angle? Could you make those shots for me? heh.
~ Kit

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Originally Posted by schrackman

I'll tell you what...I'll try experimenting tonight or tomorrow night with my 550EX's second curtain synchronization feature. That should produce some interesting light trails.

Ray

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Oh if only I knew what that meant! It sounds like something I want though. lol BTW.. the flash on your site just kicks A _ _!
I just finished a flash class and can only do like stick figures moving lol. Did you do it yourself or hire a web designer? Whichever, it makes your site cutting edge. Hurry up and get your light trail shots, can't wait to see them.
~ Kit

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Originally Posted by shesells

Sorry Chunk, but these ufo shots are serious business, not for postcards. :p
I looked at your shots in the gallery and I like the green swirly one but I love that pinwheel! I'm going to try some of those using the tripod. I just have to think of a good spot to set up. Do you remember the shutter speed you used? ISO setting? anything? Do you Zoom in or Wide angle? Could you make those shots for me? heh.
~ Kit

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Thanks Kit. I think that pinwheel is my favorite as well but a lot of folks around here seem to like the green and gold one - might have something to do with Packer colors.

Shutter was probably 4 sec and aperture f8 (max on my Canon S30). They give off quite a bit of light so I think you want to stop down so your colors don't get washed out. I don't think you need a high iso setting for the same reason and to limit noise.

Zoom so that the frame is pretty well filled by the bursts but not too tight because there is quite a difference in where they go off.

If you look back in the viewfinder archives there are some fireworks discussions just prior to and after the fourth of July.

Have fun.

OK, I never thought I'd ever show these. But they're fun!

Most of mine are fairly short exposures... I wanted light trails but didn't try too hard to get them. :rolleyes:

The first one is a shutter speed of 2.5 seconds.

The third one isn't too "traily" but I love the colors in it.

The fourth one is light trails from an airplane, shutter speed 4 seconds.

And finally, here's a light trail I tried to get:

My favorite of yours is the red horizontal trails that resemble hairpins. Second fave is the last one, "neon ocean wave".

I like the first fireworks, too. Looks like a giant jellyfish.

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Originally Posted by shesells

Oh if only I knew what that meant! It sounds like something I want though. lol BTW.. the flash on your site just kicks A _ _!
I just finished a flash class and can only do like stick figures moving lol. Did you do it yourself or hire a web designer? Whichever, it makes your site cutting edge. Hurry up and get your light trail shots, can't wait to see them.
~ Kit

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Second curtain synchronization is when the 550EX flash fires immediately before the second shutter curtain closes. It's supposed to produce some interesting effects at night. I've never tried this function so this will be completely experimental.

As for my website...umm, are you sure you're speaking of MY website? Because I don't have flash anything on my site. I wouldn't even know what to do it with. I am a website dummy, and my site is anything but cutting edge. It's all basic HTML. That's all I know, and what I know of it ain't all that much either, lol.

Oooh, it's almost dusk here...time to read the manual and figure out how to set up my flash for a few test shots.

Ray

Well, I didn't get to get away from the house to try this, so I sat in my front yard and experimented a bit with 2nd curtain sync. I'm sure there is lots more to it, and lots more effects you can create with it, but here are two interesting examples. The first was at 1/5th shutter speed and produced a nice light trail. I panned the camera on this one. The next was a 15 second exposure, and created a neat ghostlike effect. Another one I took at 4 seconds produced a quadruple exposure of someone walking, but I didn't use the tripod here and it was too blurry to really do anything with. Will definitely have to experiment more with this.

Ray

I did mix your site up with one of the links on your site. Yours is attractive though! (text a little dark to read, but not bad) The link was to that Master Graphic Printing. lol sorry bout that, hey shouldn't have said anything I never would have known!
Thanks for explaining the shutter thing to me, now I understand (sure I do).
Now...ewww this are great. The first one is something I want to do next, not just scattered light. The second one is so so weird. Was your subject walking or stading still. What do you think made the ghost like effect. That lens you have must be something. It's almost like it sees through people!
Kit

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Originally Posted by kellybean

OK, I never thought I'd ever show these. But they're fun!

Most of mine are fairly short exposures... I wanted light trails but didn't try too hard to get them. :rolleyes:

The first one is a shutter speed of 2.5 seconds.

The third one isn't too "traily" but I love the colors in it.

The fourth one is light trails from an airplane, shutter speed 4 seconds.

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Sorry it took me so long to reply, I was running around a bunch. Thanks for those shots. they look like some I did too. I really find that last one attractive, makes me think of Alfred Hitchcocks old movie "The Birds". The one you posted after these four is a much more controlled shot. It gives some interesting effects to your building. I like that one too.
Kit

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Originally Posted by kellybean

I like the first fireworks, too. Looks like a giant jellyfish.

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How about a Man-O-War then?

I love it!

neat thread...ooooh ooohh...I'll play

wiggles,flowers and well---think laboratory...that's what it makes me think of...

all are fireworks from 4th of July

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Originally Posted by natatbeach

neat thread...ooooh ooohh...I'll play

wiggles,flowers and well---think laboratory...that's what it makes me think of...

all are fireworks from 4th of July

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heh, those are fun. My fav is the flowers. I see what you mean by the last one.. think conception right? :)
Kit