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Usually, we are viewing photos that capture a short moment in time, but these stunning pictures are completely different. The intent of long exposure photography is to create an image that highlights the effect of passing time. There is no fixed definition of what constitutes "long" because a 30-minute picture of a static object might not be distinguishable from a short exposure. Therefore, the inclusion of motion (mostly through light art) is the main factor that adds intrigue to these interesting photos.
Bored Panda has compiled a list of interesting and innovative examples of long-exposure photography. It will not only please your eye but give you some ideas about what to look for when trying to achieve a similar creative photography effect as well. From traffic lights on an empty street to fireflies in a jar, the photographers behind these amazing photos certainly found an interesting way to picture their objects. Scroll down to enjoy the list and vote for your favorite entries!
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#1
Departing Tram Long Exposure
Scot Binnet 8 years ago
Photoshop. If it we're a timed exposure EVERYTHING that moved around would be blurry. Notice those people and clouds just as clear as can be? Hmmmm.
Hoparduc Snowpanther 8 years ago
this is a "Light Tram" from Hungary. it's covered in thousands of leds. I am lucky to say, I have traveled with these
Rebekah Thomer Pinkava 8 years ago
I didn't know this existed! I just moved to Budapest. Adding this to my list of things to see!
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Kenny Kulbiski 8 years ago
Cool, but how did the number on the train and the people stay so crisply focused?
RELATED:
#2
Milky Way Long-Exposure Looks Like Fractal Geometry
Daniel Darko 8 years ago
This isn't long exposure though. It's multiple exposure. And amazing. :)
Anne Li Lindskog 8 years ago
Same shapes in a lot.. geometry, mandala, seashell... Very pretty!
PARANOIDANDROID 8 years ago
I imagine this is how one could conceive the theoretical 4th dimension if one could see it from a 5th dimension perspective, having every possible spacial point laid out in a section of possible points in time
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#3
Long Exposure Photo Of A Plane Taking Off
Eirik Guttulsrud 8 years ago
I was thinking "where have I seen this before?" Then read your comment and "thaaat's where..." :)
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dave moss 8 years ago
haha. that is funny. an audio engineer comments on photography. :)
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Vlad Horobet 8 years ago
looks like a virtual landing pad for guiding the plane. Or like the highest steep roller coaster ever.
#4
Traffic Light Long Exposure
Yaman Yamaner 8 years ago
I wish, Lucas Zimmermann, the photographer, was credited. But of course, compiling images from internet is very easy to prepare a post but, crediting the image owners is a huge burden. Isn't it?:(
Ryan Rogers 8 years ago
Because during a long exposure they would all run through
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Sydni William 8 years ago
tbh how did the photographer make the lights all light up at the same time, thats a little odd. this is a staged image truly.
#5
Long Exposure Of Fireflies In A Forest, Japan
Maureen Zappellini 8 years ago
Thanks! New term I was not aware of previously.
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Annie Miller 8 years ago
We were just talking about how fireflies and nighttime pollinators are disappearing because of unnatural lights in cities. Seeing this is wonderful!
#6
The Motions Of Canoers And Kayakers Revealed With Leds In Long Exposure Photography
Peter Doré 7 years ago
Genuine lo g exposure would smooth out tbe water and be ause of movement the 'lights' could not be so uniform. Not a genuine picture.
#7
Long Exposure Of Ferris Wheel Looks Like It Has Stained Glass
#8
Zoomed Out While Taking A Picture Of My Christmas Tree
Mimis Nachbarin 8 years ago
That's the spirit of Christmas coming out of your tree to fill your hearts... ;-)
piggy panda 8 years ago
the christmas spirit coming from the tree fills you with determination file saved
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Jeffery Schein 5 years ago
That's something else. If it was zoomed out the tree wouldn't still be the same size
#9
Long Exposure Of Fireworks
Celestial Lynx 8 years ago
Looks like a flower with missing petals where someone might've doing a "love me, love me not" wish. Very inspiring image.
#10
Long Exposure Of Bugs Under A Streetlamp
Kizzy Kizzy 8 years ago
In Minnesota there are tornadoes of mosquitoes under lights and gas station roofs disappear and there is only mosquitoes we call them squi-nadoes
Peter Doré 7 years ago
Bugs do not give off light and light reflections from bugs are nothing like this. More bs.
#11
I Used Some Led Lights To Spin A Forest Of Mushrooms Under The Milky Way
#12
I Took This Long Exposure Shot Of A Pumpkin As My Lense Unknowingly Fogged Up
#13
Long Exposure Of Helicopter Landing
Vlad Horobet 8 years ago
So the chopper goes down, then backwards, then down again. I'd frame this on my wall.
M O'Connell 8 years ago
If I had to guess, as it was a night-landing, the pilot first hovered near his LZ to make sure it was clear of debris before landing.
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Peter Doré 7 years ago
Having worked in the aircraft industry and seen thousands of landings... this is not a landing.
Amanda Wilkinson-Bonnett 8 years ago
An angel in flight, visualized, so the rest of the world can see how a patient of LifeFlight feels.
#14
A Long Exposure Photo Of A Train Roaring Through The Canadian Rockies
Laurie Hayes 8 years ago
Who should be credited for this photo? Name at lower left (Don Tago) or Brian Donovan (name in copywright)?
#15
Long Exposure Of A Tilt-A-Whirl
Stephanie Christine 8 years ago
Not quite sure what that is, but the Tilt-a-Whirl is behind it stationary on the ground...
Stephanie Christine 8 years ago
I assume it's actually some cousin of the Gravatron, that creepy open air one maybe.
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Randomcthulu 8 years ago
We call that a Gravitron where I grew up, Tilt a Whirls have spinning cars, still very cool
#16
Long Exposure Of “Merry Go Round”
Daria B 8 years ago
Wait until you try the rotating room at Everland nearby Seoul. It's literally what its name implies. But it rotates vertically. And since I get motion sick even on busses, I needed to keep my eyes closed, otherwise my vomit would have been rotating along.
Load More Replies... Markus McCloud 8 years ago
You spin me right round, baby / Right round like a record, baby / Right round round round
Peter Doré 7 years ago
And the merry go round is built so perfectly there is no wobble in that centre bearing? Right! I believe you... not!
Chris Wilkinson 8 years ago
Actually makes me feel a little nauseous and I don't normally get motion sickness.
#17
I Attached A Blinking Light To The Robot And Did A 10 Minutes Exposure Of It Cleaning The Living Room
#18
Long Exposure Of A Departing Tram In Budapest Covered With 30,000 Leds
Peter Doré 7 years ago
If the tram number is clear because it was still for a moment, why can't we see the rest of the back end? Because it's bs!
Zsolt Andrási 7 years ago
Thanks for worrying for me, but it was the dead end of the tracks and all safe.
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#19
I Put Some Fireflies In A Jar And Did A Long Exposure For 3 Minutes. (Don't Worry I Let Them Go)
Ash 8 years ago
"Don't worry I let them go" :) Haters and trolls have made us overtly cautious. You never know when a simple, innocuous statement can lead to a full blown war of words!
Luck Yeah 8 years ago
I thought it was just a friendly statement....this means war, Ash!!! :)
Load More Replies... Michel M. Prins 8 years ago
Looks beautiful! This makes me even more curious to finally see fireflies, one day :D
Intensive Panda 8 years ago
they look like fancy roaches firefly-59...682140.jpg 
HauntedForests 8 years ago
You would not believe your eyes If ten million fireflies Lit up the world as I fell asleep
Peter Doré 7 years ago
It is not a long exposure.. no light trails. Fireflies don't sit still for 3 minutes!.
#20
Here Is A Long Exposure Zoom Keyboard
Vlad Horobet 8 years ago
This looks like the intro from some movie, flying inwards through the credits scene. Amazing.
M O'Connell 8 years ago
This is the movie you were thinking of. I thought exactly the same thing: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113481/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_55
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Peter Doré 7 years ago
Numbers and letters just don't jump out like that!
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#21
Long Exposure Photography Of A Snowboarder With Leds On His Board
Ida Råtass 8 years ago
Ok, so obviously a stupid question for those who know... but how do you get a clear shot of the moving snowboarder when everything else moving gets blurry?
Sebastian Pariasson 8 years ago
I'm a pohtographer, and i'm 99.9% sure this is a composite of 2 images, one of the trail of the snowboard and one to freeze the snowboarder in the middle, probably some adjustment to place the snowboarder where it should be
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Michel M. Prins 8 years ago
Hands down, one of the best shots in this gallery. Reminds me of those photos they use for mint products. I always loved those ones.
Vlad Horobet 8 years ago
he looks like he's trying to break out of some sort of condom-looking bubble.
Peter Doré 7 years ago
But, but, the snowboarder is in the middle, did you jump ahead in time to get the full shot? And what's with the line of light through the middle? Calling bs again!
Craig Carson 8 years ago
My guess is this is a single image, shot on a tripod and not tracking (as evidenced by the clearly defined trees and mountain in the background). I believe the reason you can see the snowboarder clearly is because he is at the apex of his jump, effectively motionless for a brief moment, allowing his Image to be captured. During the rest of his jump, he is moving too fast to produce an image, given the low lighting.
Craig Carson 8 years ago
My guess is that's a single image. It's not tracking the boarder, as evidenced by the clear trees and mountain in the background. I believe the snowboarder is clearly defined because he's at the apex of his jump, so he was basically motionless for a moment, allowing his image to be captured. During the rest of his jump, he was moving too fast to produce an image.
#22
Long Exposure + Subway Tunnel =
#23
Long Exposure Of A Lighthouse
Joey Taraborrelli 8 years ago
Does anyone know how was done? I thought the light would have been captured as a ring rather than individual beams
Larry Piggins 7 years ago
It's an antique Fresnel Lens, on Pigeon Point Lighthouse. They used to light the old lens once per year, but I think they might have stopped due to budget cuts.
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Long Exposure Photograph Of A Firework
Diane DesAutels 8 years ago
I got a few shots like that (not as close) because I pushed the shutter too early, and the exposure was finished before the burst. :-(
#25
Long-exposure Capture Of Moths Swarming A Light At Night
#26
Took This Photo Last Night By Zooming My Lens In And Out During A 10 Second Exposure. Had To Look Up And Make Sure The Building Hadn't Exploded After Reviewing The Picture. (no Photoshop)
Rainbow screen 8 years ago
If there's something weird in the naborhood who we call?
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#27
Long Exposure Photography Of Lava Lamp Looks Like Some Galaxy Captured In A Jar
Markus McCloud 8 years ago
I wonder if "Nebula Lamps" would ever catch on? I'd sure as hell buy one! :)
#28
Long Exposure Photo Of Candle Procession At Salisbury Cathedral
Joshua Wierzbicki 8 years ago
Looks like more people are right handed as the line is thicker on the right then left as they went around the objects in the middle. Neat!
#29
Long Exposure Of Road
Corina Preda 8 years ago
I'm p sure it's the Trollstigen in Norway, truly spectacular :)
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Lorine Gorin 8 years ago
Christoph Schaarschmidt is working with Pixopolitan, you can find this photograph on our website here: http://www.pixopolitan.com/fr/photo-bodo/trollstigen-p30333.html :) And yes, it is Trollstigen ;)
#30
Escalator Long Exposure
Vlad Horobet 8 years ago
In my city there is a shopping center that uses ramps likes this to carry the shopping carts between flors.
Daria B 8 years ago
In Korea too, but they're not so slippery looking, of course.
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Diane DesAutels 8 years ago
And this is why the water looked smooth in the kayaker photos, whoever it was that asked.
#31
Long Exposure Of Air Traffic Above San Francisco
Peter Doré 7 years ago
Aircraft lights are green to starboard, red to port and white in middle top and bottom. Where's the other colours.
Vincent Jay 8 years ago
I'm very surprised at the steep angle at which they land or take off. Is this some sort of optical illusion?
#32
I Tied Glowsticks To My Hands And Feet And Took A Long Exposure Shot Of Me Rock Climbing
#33
Long Exposure Of A Roomba Vacuum With Color-changing Light On Top
Jade O' Potato 8 years ago
THAT'S PRETTY. MAKE A RUG OR SOMETHING WITH THIS PATTERN(?) AND SELL IT
M O'Connell 8 years ago
There's junk under the bed that it keeps bumping into.
Load More Replies... M O'Connell 8 years ago
Roomba doesn't beat the carpet hard enough for that, the residents feet will wear it out first.
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A Long Exposure Of Our Planet As Seen Through The Windows Of The Iss's Cupola Module By Don Pettit, Nasa Astronaut
Jordan Wood 8 years ago
Lots and lots of folded paper.. 'the stories of earth' maybe. :)
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#35
A Truck Passed In Front Of The Camera During A Long Exposure Shot
#36
Long Exposure Of A Plane Taking Off
#37
Long Exposure Shot Of A Carousel At Night
#38
My Long Exposure Photograph Of Tonight's Delta Iv Rocket Launch
Alexandru Bucur 8 years ago
Technically, it is exactly that. Just a "bit" faster...
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#39
Long Exposure Photo Of Fireworks
#40
I Took A Long Exposure Of A Moving Train, And I Am Very Happy With The Result
Antoine Gagnon 8 years ago
Agreed.. only the train should be blurry... The picture is nice but some editing has been done for sure.
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Peter Doré 7 years ago
How is it the station looks blurred? Motion blur from photoshop.. that's how.
Tristan Becroft 8 years ago
From the photographer from the link above.... –]then0mads0ul[S] -113 points 7 months ago I used photoshop to motion blur the central part of the frame. I explained how in my previous comment :)
Tristan Becroft 8 years ago
Another post by the photographer, they have a good point that photoshop is a tool we use to express an idea or image we see that the camera cannot take. then0mads0ul[S] -4 points 7 months ago I copy and paste a comment I wrote above: I don't understand the overall negative perception that people have towards photoshop. Every professional photo you see on the internet has been post-processed in some way, photoshop is an instrument that is available to any photographer to improve a photo and to obtain a specific look or concept that it would have not been possible to obtain without. I also immediately stated that the photo was photoshopped in my comment here, I also explained the idea behind the photo and the technique used to achieve that result, thinking it would have been interesting for some people to understand how to obtain that effect. For the people doubting that the train was moving, you can find the original photo from the camera at this link. I didn't like there were
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#41
Long Exposure Shot Of Glow Sticks Dropped Into A Waterfall
Kristine Jorskogen 8 years ago
If you look properly at the picture you'll see it's not a river, but a small stream... Not a fast-flowing river of any kind, as you and others are implying. So I don't think he/she would have any trouble at all picking them up after the photo.
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Alice Woods 8 years ago
If you string a net across the river further downstream you catch them all at once. Its the same way you catch rubber ducks in a duck race. If you love somewhere enough to photograph it you're not going to mess it up for someone else
Garry Tyler 8 years ago
As a photographer who regularly uses glow sticks I would guess he had something ready to catch the glow sticks as not to litter or damage the environment. Cool idea provided the photographer took precautions!
Tracy Moorhead 8 years ago
This is such a pretty picture! I hope you cleaned up your glow sticks!!
#42
Long Exposure Of Hundreds Of Skiers Holding Flashlights
#43
Long Exposure Of An Illuminated Golf Ball Shot
#44
While Playing Some Christmas Light Jump Rope, I Decided To Take A Long Exposure Photo
#45
Roomba Led Long Exposure
didi 8 years ago
Where is all the neat organisation in a square grid of the other roomba on this feed?
Mikko 8 years ago
The one going in logical lines instead of just bouncing around was a Neato, not a Roomba. I recognized the way to find movement and the charging station. It's way better than Roomba and alike, mapping the room with a laser and going through every nook, even around furniture.
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Terri Rowland 8 years ago
All these people with Roombas must spend all their time out as they have next to no furniture in the room 😇 ❤ 💝
Abby Rexroth 8 years ago
I want an area rug that's black with this pattern in bright colors on it!
#46
Took A 4 Sec Exposure Of My Front Bike Tire With Some Post It Notes Attached To The Rungs
#47
Long Exposure Of Teacups
Tracy Moorhead 8 years ago
That's exactly how my head felt when my brothers spun those cups really fast!!
Mama Panda 8 years ago
this isn't a long exposure picture. It's just a regular shot. The people in the background aren't blurry at all!
#48
Long Exposure Of Soyuz Launch To The Iss
Vlad Horobet 8 years ago
Looks like some sort of ray is hitting the earth. "Beam me up, Scotty!"
Cat Meow 8 years ago
I was thinking more of the Starkiller Base. It looks like it's stealing the energy of a sun.
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Peter Doré 7 years ago
Nah! Rocket launch is accompaniex by loads of smoke and exhaust.... nothing rocket is this neat
Christian Brevik 8 years ago
Looks like the scene from "Independence Day" when blowing up the White House.
#49
Marathon Of Colour Long Exposure
#50
Long Exposure Of A Peacekeeper Missile Testing
Tony Moon 8 years ago
Peacekeeper missiles are used to shoot down incoming missiles. Its not a contradiction as the missile has no offensive capability.
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Stephanie Christine 8 years ago
The mother ship is scanning a small blue planet for life... Prepare to be invaded.
#51
Long Exposure Of Speed Zones
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Sherida Lammers 8 years ago
I can't stop looking, I want more of these photographs. Just amazing!
Amr Mohamed 8 years ago
Exposure is how long the camera takes to take the picture. Some of these pictures were taken with the camera set to 30 minutes, some 30s
therealpixie 8 years ago
The thing that most amazes me is how many look nothing like what you'd expect. Absolutely fascinating.
Sherida Lammers 8 years ago
I can't stop looking, I want more of these photographs. Just amazing!
Amr Mohamed 8 years ago
Exposure is how long the camera takes to take the picture. Some of these pictures were taken with the camera set to 30 minutes, some 30s
therealpixie 8 years ago
The thing that most amazes me is how many look nothing like what you'd expect. Absolutely fascinating.
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