Bulb Mode is a special mode on camera. Bulb mode allows you to take long exposure photos or to be more precise, it takes unmetered photos. 

Usually, when you take a photo, the camera will help you by selecting certain settings (ISO file speed, aperture, exposure). There are modes on the camera to force the camera into selecting its setting around your preference. Eg. switching your camera to A mode will force the camera to select its settings around the aperture you choose. 

There is also a manual mode, manual mode is in some ways very similar to bulb mode in that you have to set all the settings yourself, the camera does not help you choose the right settings. This is a very useful mode in tricky lighting (backlighting, bright lighting or mixed lighting). However, most cameras have limitations on the longest exposure time allowed on a manual mode. For my camera, it is 30 seconds. For most circumstances, 30 seconds is more than enough. However, when it is dark, 30 seconds isnt always enough. This is where bulb mode comes in. Bulb mode will expose the photo for as long as you have the shutter held down. It could be 1 second or less, or if you hold it down long enough, an hour or more is possible. 

Bulb mode requires experimenting . These is no definite right or wrong way to use it, it just depends what you are doing with it. 

For best results, I highly recommend using a Cable Release. A cable release is a little device like a cabled remote that allows you to take the photo without actually touching the camera itself. Even better , one that has a lock on it. The lock will lock the shutter down so that while the photo is being taken , you can go and get yourself a cup of tea.

You will also need a tripod, You cannot take long exposure photos without one. 

In the photo above, I pointed the skyward, centered the camera on "the Southern Cross" and exposed the photo for 15 minutes in bulb mode. If you are using a digital camera, bulb mode usually requires a processing time equal to the time of the exposure. So if you expose a photo for 15 minutes , it will take another 15 minutes before you can look at the photo you have taken. 

 Equipment: 

Camera

Tripod

Cable Release

Stop Watch

Tech details:

Exposure: 15 minutes @ f6.3

I am going to experiment a bit more with bulb mode, so expect more bulb photos soon!

Continuing this weeks theme of experiments, here is a new one. This one is more of an experiment of lighting than it is the object itself.

Using side lighting lets the photo show the objects texture. Standard front lighting is usually quite unflattering light, which is why using an on camera flash usually gives disappointing results, but more about that another day.

So here we have a silly old egg. Nothing completely special about the egg, its a brown egg. mainly because that is about all you can buy around here, dont ask me why, it just is.

Set Up

For this photo you will need it to be night time (or a dark room if you happen to have one just laying around somewhere )

An Egg

A T-shirt or something else that is black, if you have black paper or cardboard, this is better, as it would give less "noise" from the fibres.

Piece of Glass (I used one that I nabbed from a picture frame that was on the wall. )

Torch (Flashlight)

How To

Put the Tshirt down on a table.

Place the glass over the Tshirt.

Place the Egg in the middle of the glass.

Place the torch so that the light shines on the egg from the side, you may want to bring it slightly forward from the exact side to ensure light hits enough of the egg to make it a good photo. Experiment by moving it to different positions around the egg until you find a spot that works for you. I find that using batteries in the torch that are quite used works better as it gives off a softer light.

Turn off the house lights and Take the photo!

You can do this without the glass, but using the glass gives it a nice reflection that gives your photo a special something.

Tech Details

70-210mm Lens

Exp: 30 seconds @ f5.6

This photo was taken this morning. Please note that this is a photo and does not contain any enhancements or effects by photoshop.

What you need

You will need a glass pan (some sort of cooking pan is great for this).

two glasses

A loud shirt

water

olive oil

What to do

Place the loud shirt on the ground (outside works best)

place the two glasses on the shirt, and balance glass pan on top of the glasses.

pour in water so the pan is filled.

drop in drops of olive oil, use as much or as little as you want, experiment with the amount you use.

get your camera ready with a zoom lens is best. zoom into the pan so that the sides are not showing. and shoot away.

as you are shooting you will see the oil moving around the pan, creating new and interesting shapes, the loud shirt under it makes the colours of the bubbles alter as they move.

To give the photo a canvas look, focus your camera so that the bubbles are slightly out of focus. If you focus too crisply they will just look like bubbles without the canvasy look.

Technical details

Camera: Sony Alpha

Lens: 70 -210

Exposure: 1/1000 @f6.3