How To Get A Very High Aperture For Long Exposure During The Day

How does long exposure photography work?

First of all, it's good to have some background knowledge of how a camera works. This is a good reference for basic photo editing (but is also useful for some camera terms): Interactive guide to become a photo editing expert with Polarr. Exposure is basically the amount of light you let in to your film. You can adjust this by adjusting the f-stops (aperture) on your lens, let's say your lens ranges from f/1.4-16. 'Large' apertures (f/1.4) open wider, thus letting in more light. 'Small' apertures (f/16) have a smaller opening so less light reaches your film.During the day, using such wide apertures will let in too much light and cause your image to be overexposed. This is corrected by adjusting your shutter speed-- the faster your shutter, the less light reaches your film even though the aperture is wide open. I wouldn't really recommend doing this unless you really want the wide aperture for a bokeh effect. Otherwise, simply adjust the f-stop to the correct position for the lighting in your situation.Long exposures use a slow shutter speed to create that trail of light. By keeping the shutter open and the aperture at the correct setting (your camera must be very still), it captures anything bright that is moving in the dark.Of course, long exposures can also be done during the day with the right aperture setting. The same concept applies. A slow shutter speed will allow movements to blur together while still objects stay in focus, such as those pictures of smooth and surreal waterfalls/rivers you often see.

What are some realistic night a pictures (no high edited or long exposed ones) in places without light pollution?

Interesting question.I started photography for night pictures. In particular, I am interested in Astro photography. There are many factors involved when comes to night photography. We all know photography lets you capture light. Since you said no light pollution then in reality we rely on stars light. Yes, stars and moon will give you enough light similar to taking your photo in day light. However, without long exposure it is quite hard. The maximum (or affordable) aperture I have found on prime lens is f/1.4 (they are not wide angle), which will let you capture better light than other lenses. But still they are not enough to shoot an object with no light pollution. You can try with maximum aperture and ISO (since no long exposure) settings to get a night picture but I think you will not get a sharp image.Check my following photo with no light pollution but from the stars and moon lights.The above shot is taken with Canon t6i with Tokina11-16mm lense at 11mm, f/2.8, 30s shutter speed and ISO 1600.

Why do we need to set a low ISO (100) to take long exposure shots?

There is no rules as such , you would want the pictures to be noise free .Why we go for higher iso is to get more detail from a low light scenario at a faster shutter speed . But since the exposure is time is more there is going to be plenty of light coming in .To control this light we need to lower the iso and apertureF11 or f12 with shutter speed 10 seconds at 100 iso would be ideal for those streams of light in highways .But in astro photography we tend to go for higher iso with wide open aperture as the light in those areas are so low .No hard and fast rule , set for what's working for youUnderstanding the trade off low iso less noise

Besides long exposure photos, does using a ND filter produce better results in still photography?

The ND filter basically reduces light to the camera and gives you one more way to balance exposure over the trio of ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Some cool usesShooting portraits in sunlight : this is the most used. when you want that creamy bokeh but are shooting in sunlight with ISO and shutter speed at their limits. The ND filter allows you to reduce light and shoot at f/1.4 f/1.8Shooting videos in bright sunlight: videos look best when shot at 1/60, so an ND filter is amazing when you want to control exposure with a low ISO, and a open aperture.Variable ND filter: if you have this you can use it like a polarizer at its lowest setting. This will help you get bluer skies, better colors and minimal reflections when shooting in bright sunlight outdoorsof course, do keep shooting the long exposureshttps://www.instagram.com/amlanm...

Is a neutral density filter really necessary for a long exposure shot during the day?

At this point in time, I would say yes, ND filters are still a necessary tool to get long exposures during the day, assuming you want to get your shot 'in-camera' instead of in post-processing.Take the typical example of shooting a scene with a stream or waterfall, where you want the water to be blurry, but the sky is so bright that keeping your shutter open for many seconds would result in a blown out sky.  In this situation you have two options:1) Use multiple exposures and combine them in the computer.  Underexpose by as much as your camera can allow (say it's up to -5 stops) and get the water blur you're looking for.  Then expose for the sky.  Blend the two photos using software.Plus: No need for an ND filter.  Taking multiple exposures means you could use HDR software to do more experimentation.Cons: Your maximum under-exposure level in your camera (-5 stops) may not be enough to get you the blur you want!  Plus, the post-processing is going to take extra time.  You will also most likely have to shoot in RAW for maximum flexibility - which for JPEG shooters can be a hassle (although I always shoot in RAW and would never recommend shooting only JPEG myself).2) Add an ND filter (or multiple filters) to get an exposure setting much lower than your camera can provide (up to -10 stops).Pros: You can get the shot in-camera and avoid having to do a lot of post-processing.  You'll have more flexibility to control shutter speed.  You'll be able to see the results on your camera screen while you're still in front of the scene - this is invaluable compared to having to make do with what you took when you get in front of your monitor.Cons: ND filters can be expensive, and they take more time to set up properly.Note that both of these solutions will of course require a steady tripod.Ultimately, I can't say what will work for you, it all depends on your shooting style, your budget, your patience level, and your willingness to sit in front of your computer.