Use bulb (bulb) to take amazing shots

Bulb pose , also called Bulb , is a particular shooting mode present on almost all digital cameras, especially SLR and mirrorless . It takes this name in reference to the pneumatic shutter bulb used at the dawn of photography.

You will have happened a few times to shoot completely in manual or in shutter priority and you will probably have noticed that the exposure time that can be set ranges from a minimum of 1/4000sec. (sometimes even 1/8000th) up to a maximum of 30 seconds in almost all cameras.

With this shutter speed rest assured that you will be able to take 99% of all your photographs, from bright sunlight to evening twilight. However, there are some particular situations, useful for obtaining surprising shots, which require times longer than 30 seconds and in this case the "B" comes into play.

In this article we will see how to set Bulb on the camera and how to use it to obtain particular shots, thanks also to the particular ND (neutral density) filters which will "limit" the entry of light into the lens and will give you the possibility to take long exhibitions even during the day.

How to set up the camera for bulb

Depending on the camera you are using, the bulb shooting mode can be selected in different ways, except on compact cameras where this mode is not present in almost any model.

On most DSLRs and even many mirrorless, bulb exposure can be set from the shooting mode dial on the top of the camera. Just select the "B" symbol as in the figure below.

In some cameras the dial does not have the letter B but only the letter "M" which stands for manual. Once this mode is set, you will have to increase the shutter speed in addition to the 30 seconds where you will find the Pose B (see image below)

In the most modern cameras, especially on mirrorless cameras, the external dials have disappeared and have been replaced by the digital menu visible on the screen.

Each manufacturer has its own menu and Pose B is not always in the same spot. In this case, we advise you to read the manual of your camera (which, in any case, is always good) to easily find this setting.

Once you have set the Pose B you will need a FUNDAMENTAL accessory for the success of this shooting mode: a tripod .

Using slow shutter speeds, it will be impossible to get a sharp photograph without having a tripod to hold your camera still. Already at 1/10 of a second it is difficult to avoid blur in photography, let alone if we are talking about times of over 30 seconds.

In the absence of a good tripod you will have to find a support such as a low wall, a chair or anything else that allows you to shoot without holding the camera in your hand.

Ok, bulb set, camera on tripod, now we're ready to shoot. This particular shooting mode does NOT allow you to pre-set a shutter speed as you would with manual or shutter-priority modes. In pose B you will press the shutter button (holding it down) by opening the shutter and starting the stopwatch (usually shown on the display). The exposure will last until you release the pressed button, at which point the shutter will close and the photograph will be saved to memory.

By doing so, however, you will surely encounter the problem of camera shake. Even though the camera is still and well positioned on the tripod, the fact of having to press the button and still keep one hand on the camera will mean that very small movements of it will be almost inevitable, which will lead to a blurry photograph.

Fortunately, there is a remedy to this problem which is remote controls . These remote controls (which cost very little) can be connected to the camera with a cable or through wireless. In both cases, your hand will not be resting on the camera and the final photograph will be sharp and blur-free.

What to photograph with bulb B

Thanks to Bulb you will be able to obtain very particular shots with effects that are obtained only thanks to long exposure times. The limit will be only your imagination.

This particular shooting mode is used a lot in astrophotography , but it can also be used to create light paintings , to create trails of light in the night, to create the "silk effect" of water or to capture the movement of clouds . Let's see some shots to realize what can be achieved thanks to pose B.

Cloud movement

Despite being a "simple" static photograph, thanks to this technique you will be able to immortalize the movement of the clouds making the final shot dynamic. 4 things are needed for this type of photography: 1 ND (neutral density) filter, clouds in the sky, wind and possibly a stationary subject.

The ND filter is used to darken your lens. Since you will almost certainly be photographing during the day, to get to shooting with more than 30 seconds of exposure you necessarily need a similar filter, otherwise too much light enters the lens and the final result will never be what you see below.

There must also be wind that moves the clouds quickly otherwise you will not get this result. To further emphasize the movement of the clouds, a stationary subject such as a building or a church is needed. The effect obtained will look like this below.

Astrophotography

When I talk about astrophotography we don't want to enter the world of telescopes but limit ourselves to photographing the movement of the stars at night (Startrail) with our camera in pose B.

Once you have found the right location, this could be the final effect of your shot (we will come back with a dedicated article in the next few days. Promise!)

Light trails

Another interesting and particular photograph that can be obtained with pose B is that of the nocturnal light trails caused by cars in the city or by any other light source that moves.

If you position yourself on the edge of a road, possibly illuminated, or even better on a bridge, with an exposure of more than 30 seconds you can obtain a similar effect.

Light painting

Another interesting but extremely difficult technique to do only in pose B is the light painting technique (drawing with light)

Find an interesting location, possibly completely dark, start the shot in pose B and move your subject to whom you will have given a light source in hand.

In this photographic genre, fantasy is really the only fundamental ingredient... you can get everything, this is an example.

Water with silky effect

Another interesting effect to obtain with a long exposure is that of the "silk effect" of the water. In this case even a few seconds could be enough but in pose B and with more than 30 seconds, the effect is certainly more accentuated. Again, if you're shooting during the day, you'll need an ND filter .

Photographing lightning

I defy anyone to photograph lightning without a B pose! If you have an incoming thunderstorm in front of you with menacing lightning, you could get a spectacular shot like the one you see below.

Put the camera on the tripod connected to the remote control, set bulb and start shooting. As soon as you see the lightning, stop to avoid the risk of leaving the shutter open too much and capturing too much light with successive lightning bolts. I guarantee you that a good bolt of lightning is more than enough to properly illuminate the final photo.