The lightweight Pentax *ist DS is a single-lens reflex camera designed for beginning or intermediate photographers. The camera's portability makes it practical for travel. But you will need to carry additional equipment to take long exposures with the camera. Take long exposures in low-light or nighttime conditions, or to blur motion and light. Depending on the available light and the effects you want to achieve, you might need to keep your shutter open for over a minute. Focus on shutter speed when taking long exposures and adjust other variables accordingly.
Instructions
1. Purchase a tripod. You'll need a sturdy tripod for any shutter speed slower than 1/30th of a second. The camera must remain absolutely still during a long exposure to minimize unwanted blurriness.
2. Open the Pentax *ist DS aperture to its widest setting if you want to minimize the shutter speed. A wide aperture will allow more light to pass through the lens in low light or at night. Depending on the lens you use with your Pentax camera body, the widest aperture setting will vary.
3. Close the Pentax *ist DS aperture to its smallest setting if you want to maximize the shutter speed. You might want to take a long exposure in bright light to blur a waterfall, river or other motion. A smaller aperture will allow less light to pass through the lens, enabling you to use a slower shutter speed without causing overexposure. Depending on the lens you use with your Pentax camera body, the smallest aperture setting will vary.
4. Adjust the camera's sensor to a higher or lower sensitivity setting depending on your needs. Digital camera sensors have numbers similar to film ISO numbers; these numbers indicate the sensor's sensitivity to light. Use a higher sensitivity setting to minimize shutter speed in low-light conditions, or a lower sensitivity setting to maximize shutter speed in bright conditions.
5. Purchase the optional wireless remote controller and wired cable release with the Pentax *ist DS if you want to put yourself in your pictures. These devices allow you to press the shutter button without having to stand right at your camera. Take advantage of this flexibility to experiment with creative long exposures. Create light paintings by moving a candle or flashlight in an abstract pattern. Leave the shutter open long enough for the camera to record the light as a single line moving through space.
6. Experiment with long exposures by shooting multiple pictures of the same subject. Adjust aperture and sensor settings only if needed to maintain correct exposure, and focus on testing different shutter speeds. Compare the results when you shoot a moving subject with a fast shutter speed, slow shutter speed or extremely slow shutter speed. Depending on your interests, you can achieve successful results with a variety of exposure times.
Tags: shutter speed, long exposures, sensitivity setting, aperture setting, aperture setting will, aperture will