What kind of traces left behind in a daily life? I am starting a project and hopefully this series marks the beginning of it. I am planning to explore long daytime exposures with the help of an ND filter. These four images are the first steps in what I hope will become a broader visual story.
Daylight long exposure is a bit challenging but provides more opportunities. It is challenging because I have to use additional gear like an ND filter and adjust it on top of already established three pillars of photography. As you know ISO, shutter speed and aperture are the three elements used while taking a picture. Since I am using variable ND filter, a fourth element comes in to play in combination with these. It is rewarding because daytime is more vibrant then night time, and objects are better defined, so more opportunity for various compositions.
Long exposure allows motion to stretch and smear across the image, while still preserving the stillness of the inanimate. This blend of dynamic and stationary elements creates a visual dialogue that reflects how time passes.
In the first photo, the broken pier seems to dissolve into the still water, smoothed by the long exposure. The structure is worn and decayed, yet it remains. Also there are ducks swimming around the structure but they are not really recognizable. Faded with respect to the human made hard metal. The water’s surface, blurred and calm, adds a dreamy atmosphere that contrasts the jagged metal.
The second image features same ducks but this time along the shoreline. While some birds are caught mid-step, others remain perfectly still. The same metallic pier is visible in the background. Also the soil is neat and clear. Only the birds and water are trapped and blurred between two static forms. On the other hand the ducks are in line with the shore line. Maybe they are hesitating to step into blurred unknown, even the thought of it leaves them in doubt.
In the third one, a lighthouse stands calmly against a softly colored sky, while a passerby blurs into movement. The lighthouse is a symbol of guidance and permanence, contrasted with the human figure—ephemeral, passing. We all need some kind of reference to find our way, don't you think so?
The last frame, taken during a rainy day, captures the reflection of a lone figure walking with an umbrella. The benches and the tree remain sharp and unmoved, but the person becomes almost ghost-like. I loved the contrast here, a person in motion and the benches asking him to sit down by being empty. No he says, it is time to move on...
My intention with this series is not just to experiment technically, but also to express how we move through the day, often unaware of the traces we leave behind. Using the ND filter helps extend the exposure enough to reveal these traces—like memories caught between seconds.
Thank you for joining me at the start of this project.
All the best...
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