> 5 minute read

How to Make Amazing Light Trails

Light trails look really impressive in landscapes and urban scenes and they're easier to photograph than you might think. Let’s see how it’s done.

You may have seen light trail photos before and wondered: ‘How on Earth did they do that?’ Well actually, the technique is easier than you think. All you need is your X Series camera, a tripod, and a bit of patience.

Earlier on in this series, we saw that objects that move while the shutter is open can appear blurred in a photo, and this is the basis of creating light trail pictures. By working at night and using a very long shutter speed (usually several seconds), we can blur the movement of lights like those on cars or trains, and as those lights move through the scene they’re recorded as a streak. Anything that isn’t moving stays pin-sharp.

© John Haggerty

© John Haggerty

When using shutter speeds of this length, we must support the camera on something steady to avoid blur from camera shake, which will ruin a picture like this. The best way to do this is to use a tripod, but a sturdy wall or park bench will do in a pinch. It’s also useful to be able to make the picture without physically touching the camera, in case you wobble it slightly. You can do this in one of three ways: a wired remote control; the remote-control feature in the FUJIFILM Camera Remote app; or by using a two-second self-timer – a long enough delay for any vibrations to subside by the time the shutter opens.

Picking a Location

You’ll want a good view of a busy junction, or a landscape with a road or a train line going through it, leading off into the distance. These kinds of views are often best photographed from high up – maybe from a bridge or window – to give you a better view. Also please consider your personal safety: not every part of town will be great to visit after dark with an expensive camera around your neck. Taking a friend who can watch your back while you’re concentrating on being creative is a good idea.

Setting Up Your Camera

This is one time when photographing in manual (M) mode can be best. Automatic exposure modes can get confused by the rapidly changing light as car headlights momentarily shine into your camera’s lens, but in manual mode, you can set an aperture and shutter speed, and this won’t change. Also switch to a manual ISO setting and select a low value like ISO 200 or ISO 400.

To start with, choose a long shutter speed like 8 secs and a mid-range aperture like F8. Note that if your X Series camera has a shutter speed dial, you can set speeds longer than one second by selecting the T setting and using the rear control wheel. On X Series cameras, you will see a live preview of the exposure in the EVF/LCD, so getting proper exposure is simple.

Now, either attach your remote control, connect to your smartphone, and launch the FUJIFILM Camera Remote app, or set the self-timer delay to 2 secs, and make a test image as traffic or lights move through the scene.

Adjusting Your Settings

Have a good look at the test image – is it too dark? If so, open the aperture to F5.6 to let in more light. If the scene looks too bright, close the aperture to F11 to let in less. Or choose a different ISO setting. Are the light trails long enough? If not, select a longer shutter speed to allow more time for them to accumulate in the picture – and close the aperture or lower the ISO to compensate for the extra light coming in.

© John Haggerty

© John Haggerty

© John Haggerty

If you are making images in very dark conditions and your camera is having difficulty focusing, you might want to switch into manual focus mode to stop it trying to focus every time you press the shutter release button. Twilight landscapes are often darker than your eyes tell you.

It’s useful to inspect your pictures for sharpness after you’ve created them, to make sure you haven’t wobbled the camera somehow during the exposure. You can do this by pressing Play, then pressing in the rear control dial. This will zoom you to 100% and you can scroll around the image with the four-way controller or by scrolling with the touchscreen.

Your Next Steps

• CHALLENGE Get out just as the day is turning to dusk – when there is still that last bit of inky blue light in the sky – and find a good place to photograph some light trails. Any kind of moving light works – boats in the harbour or planes tracking across the sky are great examples. Post your favourite image to social media with the hashtag #learnwithfujifilm. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.