Traffic Trails

I have always wanted to capture the awesome effects of traffic trails, so i set off on a night time adventure to do just that. I didn't want to over complicate things so i just went out with the mindset of capturing a few simple images, mostly to prove to myself that i could achieve the desired result.

The technique for capturing traffic trails is very simple, it only requires a tripod, a night time sky and some fast moving vehicles......and of course your fellow friend in crime, your camera!! It is handy to take a small torch with you so you have a little light to help see what you are doing.

For these shots i had my camera mounted on my tripod in the landscape position. I placed myself on a bridge that was looking over a motorway, this allowed me to look down through my camera lens throwing a nice perspective on my subject; in order to get a well balanced line of perspective, i framed my image so i had equal distance on the left and right side of the frame; using the dash markings on the road as a mid point mark is helpful in creating the desired position. I then set my camera mode to manual and the ISO at 100. I set the aperture to F16 and selected a slow shutter speed - i started with a 20 second exposure time. The first couple of images came out too dark with only a sliver of traffic detail - it was pretty quiet on the roads mind! To compensate i selected a slightly slower shutter speed and exposed for 30 seconds, i felt this worked well overall.

Overall these images have worked well as i achieved the simplistic effect i had set out to do. Night photography is something i am very keen to delve into and practice with various locations and learn more of what i am capable of achieving. In the near future i would like to expand on these images and aim for more striking results. Firstly i would shoot a more busy scene, so photographing during rush hour traffic in the same location, i hope, will give me more colourful, interesting and vibrant results.

To aid in my depth of learning through this technique, i would like to try and photograph a variation of 'night scenes' i.e flood lit buildings/churches, moonlit lakes, street scenes, busy city/town at night. I hope to also add a christmas themed shoot as part of my blog as it tis the season to be jolly!!

Manual Mode
ISO 100
F16 @ 20 Second

Manual Mode
ISO 100
F16 @ 30 seconds

Manual Mode
ISO 100
F16 @ 30 seconds

Manual Mode
ISO 100
F16 @ 30 seconds

Manual Mode
ISO 100
F16 @ 30 seconds

Manual Mode
ISO 100
F16 @ 30 seconds
For this shot, i had the moon within in the frame when i i pressed the shutter, held the camera steady for approx 10 seconds then i moved the camera back towards the moving traffic just for fun to see how it would come out. I think the final result is quite interesting and a bit quirky with the zig-zag lines.

Delicate Decay

I have always been fascinated by the small details around me, from the natural colours formed in the sky to the textures of the earth beneath my feet. I particularly like images that portray truth and reality; things as they are to the natural eye. These images were provoked by this underlying perception. I wanted to shoot a variety of images that were truthful; as they were in their natural state of life. This selection of images were taken just outside of a property that i used to live in. I noticed lot of small areas of decay that had been mixed in with half melting snow due to the downpour we had endured previously that day. I was in awe of all the little details surrounding me, from the way the rain hit the puddles and created small bubbles in it's aftermath, the gritty dirt that ran alongside the top of the bins, to the trail of footsteps that were firmly imprinted in the snow by the builders that had been working that day. I decided to grab my camera and head out there and see what images i could capture. I chose to use my 50mm prime lens as i wanted to get close to the decay and portray it all in it's delicacy. I shot all of these images on manual mode using a very shallow depth of field throughout, my aim was to create close up images and have the background out of focus, so to perfectly off set the most relevant parts of the subject - the 'Delicate Decay'. 

All of the following images were shot using my Canon 5D and a canon 50mm 1.8 Prime lens.