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Long Exposure (ND Filter)

Calculate long exposure times when using ND filters for motion blur photography in bright conditions.

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Applications

Landscape and long exposure photographers use ND filters to achieve motion blur effects in bright conditions — silky water, cloud trails, and light painting.

The Formula

new_time = base_time × 2^stops. Each ND stop doubles the exposure time: ND2=1 stop (×2), ND4=2 stops (×4), ND8=3 stops (×8), ND16=4 stops (×16), and so on.

Fun Fact: The famous 'silky water' effect in landscape photography is achieved with long exposures of 1 second or more using ND filters. Without an ND filter, achieving motion blur in daylight would require using very small apertures or dark filters.

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