The snap of a camera’s shutter can capture something faster than the blink of an eye, preserving a tiny moment for all time. But cameras work the other way, too, and can capture the world in a way that we never see. Long exposure photography allows the light to pass into the camera for a longer period of time, creating swirling, glowing effects as though the light is a tangible object in space.
With this technique, planes become threads of light, fireworks take on the appearance of strange flowers, and fireflies leave trails of light into the forest that are just asking to be followed. The collection here shows what happens if we sow down a bit and let the world move around us.
A red headlamp goes for a walk at night
Helicoptor blades.
Glowsticks over a waterfall
Matches
Star trails
Kayakers
Wave
Fireflies
Fireworks
More fireworks!
A flashlight and a person
Planes taking off
(via My Modern Met)
If you have a camera or exposure options on your phone, you can try experimenting with long exposure shots yourself. Simple pictures of passing cars, twinkling fireflies, or the passage of the stars will take on a whole new appearance, and your world might just get a little bit more magical.