overpasses

greenpea

Lately it seems like the only time I've been able to get out and take pictures is in the wee hours before work, and I've been using this time along with the fact I'm in a large(-ish) city to get some long exposures from some freeway overpasses.

#1


#2


#3 This one was interesting because there was a large fire in city (smoke in the background) and the lines in the sky are the numerous news helicopters.


#4

summerz

Nice shots. Thanks.

greenpea

summerz wrote:

Nice shots. Thanks.

Thanks summerz!

schmoo

Hey Andrew, I love the second. The lines of the freeway frame the background buildings so well. You're a trooper for getting up so early for photography on a regular day

david-low

I like #1 for its defined lines and soothing streaks, the other 3 shots appears to have too much blown highlights.

greenpea

schmoo wrote:

Hey Andrew, I love the second. The lines of the freeway frame the background buildings so well. You're a trooper for getting up so early for photography on a regular day

Thanks schmoo! Turns out its a lot easier to photograph rush hour traffic on work days , however it does require a couple extra cups of coffee to survive the day.

david-low wrote:

I like #1 for its defined lines and soothing streaks, the other 3 shots appears to have too much blown highlights.

I'd have to agree with you david-low. It turns out to be a weird flip-flop of the old overexposed sunset/sunrise problem, nexttime I might try a grad ND upside down. #2 and #3 were from different locations on the same overpass and were especially difficult, I kept getting lens flare from oncoming car headlights, that was something I totally didn't expect.

david-low

Alternatively, you can use a black card which I occasionally use. Its cheap and easy to manipulate. Applicable to those half skyline and half traffic.

shniks

greenpea wrote:

Lately it seems like the only time I've been able to get out and take pictures is in the wee hours before work, and I've been using this time along with the fact I'm in a large(-ish) city to get some long exposures from some freeway overpasses.

I like the first shot a lot. Great job...

greenpea

david-low wrote:

Alternatively, you can use a black card which I occasionally use. Its cheap and easy to manipulate. Applicable to those half skyline and half traffic.

Not sure I have ever heard of a black card. What is it and how does it work?

shniks wrote:

I like the first shot a lot. Great job...

Thanks!

david-low

greenpea wrote:

Not sure I have ever heard of a black card. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/headscratch.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" > What is it and how does it work?

Cut from a black cardboard say 4”x 4” square. During exposure (set to bulb) as in your #3 where the car lights were over exposed, place the black card about 1” to 2 “ infront of the lens to your LEFT tilting 45% so as to allow less light coming into the camera. In between exposure, lift out blackcard intermittently. Most importantly, hover card slightly to left and right so as to avoid a distinct line. The end result could be quite natural with practice.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
But these days with PP, results could be achieved using HDR (stacking several layers of under and over exposed pic together). <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Check out by gallery “Cable Car Lights” http://davidlow.smugmug.com/gallery/2904855_qkztj

where black card was used in a different manner splitting the continuous streaks of lights into “blocks”. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Hope it helps.<o:p></o:p>

glennp

Like these a lot. On my commute in to the city each day I have thought about getting up just a tad earlier and taking some pics. Well you may have inspired me to do so.

Thanks,

glenn

greenpea

david-low wrote:

Cut from a black cardboard say 4”x 4” square. During exposure (set to bulb) as in your #3 where the car lights were over exposed, place the black card about 1” to 2 “ infront of the lens to your LEFT tilting 45% so as to allow less light coming into the camera. In between exposure, lift out blackcard intermittently. Most importantly, hover card slightly to left and right so as to avoid a distinct line. The end result could be quite natural with practice.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
But these days with PP, results could be achieved using HDR (stacking several layers of under and over exposed pic together). <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Check out by gallery “Cable Car Lights” http://davidlow.smugmug.com/gallery/2904855_qkztj

where black card was used in a different manner splitting the continuous streaks of lights into “blocks”. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Hope it helps.<o:p></o:p>

Very cool, thanks for the tip!

greenpea

glennp wrote:

Like these a lot. On my commute in to the city each day I have thought about getting up just a tad earlier and taking some pics. Well you may have inspired me to do so.

Thanks,

glenn

It took me 3 years of looking at this scene during my commute to work and imagining the photo before I was to actually get myself out of bed early enough to be able to pull this off.