Creative Exposure Tips to Elevate Your Photography

As photographers, one of the most creative tools we have is exposure.

It’s not just about making a photo brighter or darker—it’s about adding magic to your images. Whether you’re capturing motion, creating silky-smooth water effects, or turning people into ghostly figures, exposure is key to transforming everyday scenes into something extraordinary.

 Ready to try out my favorite creative exposure tips? Grab your camera, and let’s dive in!

Light Trails: Capturing the Beauty of Motion

Have you ever seen those mesmerizing photos where car headlights or taillights streak across the frame, painting the road with light? That’s the magic of long exposure. It’s a way to use creative exposure to bring movement into your shots and add a dynamic element to otherwise static scenes.

Here’s how to capture light trails: 

1. Find a great spot and time – Look for places with plenty of moving lights, like a busy street at night.
2. Set up your gear – You’ll need a tripod to keep your camera steady and avoid blur. Switch your camera to manual mode.
3. Dial in your settings – Start with a low ISO (100-200) and a small aperture (higher aperture number) like f/8-f/16 for a deep depth of field and to allow a slower shutter speed. Then, set a long shutter speed (4 seconds or longer) so the light has time to move through the frame.
4. Experiment – Play with different exposure times to see how the light trails evolve. Every shot will have its own unique pattern!

For this photo of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, I set my camera to Manual mode, with an aperture of f/14, a shutter speed of 4 seconds and an ISO of 100.

Creative Exposure Tip for Creating Dreamy, Smooth Water

Want to make rushing water look soft and magical? Long exposure is your best friend here. Whether it’s a waterfall or the ocean waves, you can turn the movement of water into a smooth, serene surface.

Smooth water magic:

1. Pick your scene – Look for flowing water like a river, waterfall, or fountain.
2. Set up – As always, use a tripod to keep things steady. You’ll also want to attach a neutral density (ND) filter, which cuts down the light so you can keep your shutter open longer.
3. Settings – Keep the ISO low (100-200) and set the aperture to a high number (f/8-f/16). The key is a slow shutter speed, anywhere from 1 to 30 seconds, depending on how fast the water is moving.
4. The magic happens – The longer your exposure, the silkier and smoother the water will appear.

I was at a disadvantage for the photo of Multnomah Falls in Oregon. The light was bright, and we didn’t want to wait for it to get darker. Plus, the ND filter I had with me wasn’t strong enough to allow for a really long shutter speed. So, I did my best. I set my camera to Shutter mode, my ISO to 100 and aperture to f/22 using the ND filter I had. That allowed a shutter speed of 2.5 seconds. With a stronger ND filter, the water would have been smoother. Photographers can be their own worst critics! I still love the photo! 😉

Freeze Motion: Capturing Action in an Instant

While a long exposure creates dreamy effects, sometimes you want to freeze a moment—whether it’s your child scoring a goal or a bird in flight. Here’s my creative exposure tip for using a fast shutter speed to capture these moments with crystal-clear sharpness.

When a group of photographers get together, some crazy shots happen. This photo is of my friend, Henk, in Cape Town, South Africa. He was jumping off the sea wall at sunset so we could take action shots. I shot in Aperture mode, with ISO 100, f/2.8, and 1/800 sec settings. (Bonus tip: I often shoot action in Aperture mode.)

Use creative exposure to freeze motion:

1. Find a fast-moving subject – Sports events, wildlife, or even kids playing in the yard work great.
2. Adjust your camera – You’ll need a low aperture number (wide aperture) like f/2.8-f/5.6 to let in enough light for fast shooting. Set your ISO to 100-400. Then, set a faster shutter speed. Start at 1/800th second and adjust as needed. For leaping photos of our Boston Terrier, I need a shutter speed of 1/2500 second!
3. Shoot in bursts – With these settings, you’ll freeze the action in place, creating sharp, detailed shots. And shooting a burst of shots will help you capture the best moments.

Paint with Light: Adding a Touch of Magic

Light painting is all about letting your creativity shine—literally. You use a light source like a flashlight to “paint” light on your subject during a long exposure.

We were on the road at 2:30 a.m. to capture a sunrise shot of the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Maine. When we arrived, we were greeted by a cloudy sky. But all was not lost. Creative exposure came to the rescue. We decided to paint the house, fence and lighthouse with light for a long-exposure shot. (Important tip! The residents of the house knew we would be coming! No police were called… 😉)

Painting your subject with a creative exposure:

1. Set the stage – Find an interesting subject in a dark place and set up your tripod. You want your light source to stand out against a dark background. (And remember the important tip above!)
2. Settings – Use a low ISO (100-200) and a long exposure time (10-30 seconds). You’ll balance your exposure using your aperture.
3. Add an ND filter – Depending on the light, you may need to add an ND filter to allow a shutter speed that is long enough. It takes time to paint your subject.
4. Create your masterpiece – Using your flashlight, slowly paint light over your subject while you take the image. Remember to keep the light moving the whole time the shutter is open. 

Ghosts and Disappearing Acts: Adding Eerie Effects

Want to make people look like ghosts or disappear altogether? Long exposure can help you do that! This technique adds a surreal, eerie feel to your shots and can even make tourists and photo bombers disappear.

For this photo of the statue of King Sejong in Seoul, South Korea, I set my camera to ISO 100, f/16 and 25 seconds. Since they were standing still, I ended up with ghostly images of people, but they add a human element that I like.

How to Create Ghostly Effects:

1. Choose a busy place – Pick a spot where people are moving around, like a park or street.
2. Set your camera – As always, use a tripod for stability. Stick with a low ISO (100-200), a higher aperture number(f/8-f/16), and a long shutter speed (10-30 seconds).
3. Capture the scene – To create ghostly figures, ask someone to slowly move through the frame. To make people disappear, use a longer exposure time, allowing moving people to blur away while stationary objects stay sharp.

When I took these shots of a waterfall along the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea, I wanted the water to become smooth and silky. The problem was the people strolling along. I shot the first photo in Shutter mode, with an ISO of 100, an aperture of f/4 and a shutter speed of 1/6 sec. The water was looking better, but the blurry couple was a distraction. So, I raised the shutter speed to 5 seconds, changing the aperture to f/22. During that 5 seconds, six people walked through the scene. Due to the slow shutter speed, they disappeared! Now that is magic!

Now It’s Your Turn

Exposure is your secret weapon for adding that “wow” factor to your photos. Whether you’re capturing light trails, freezing motion, or making people disappear, these techniques will help you push your creativity further.

To learn more about shooting ghosts just in time for Halloween, check out this blog post: Creating a Ghost with Your Camera

Not sure about your tripod setup? Click here to get a free Tripod Setup Checklist.

 And don’t forget to check out Camera Mechanics, my online class that will take you from Auto Mode all the way to Manual and have you shooting creative exposure images in no time!