How to Shoot Long Exposure Photos Without a Tripod or Filters

If you've followed my blogs for a while, you'll know that I'm a real fan of the silky effects of long exposure photography. You probably think you need lots of expensive kit like tripods and filters to get into long exposure photography, but actually the truth is that you don’t need ANY additional kit at all to start experimenting with it. With the right light, a steady camera and a few simple settings, you can still create images with silky water and a real sense of movement.

What do we mean by “long exposure”?

In this context, a long exposure simply means using a slow enough shutter speed that anything moving in your scene starts to blur, while the static parts stay reasonably sharp. Think water turning from choppy detail into smooth streaks, or clouds softening into gentle smears across the sky.

Without filters and a tripod, you’re not going to be able to do the multi‑minute exposures that I sometimes shoot. Instead, you’ll usually be working somewhere between about 1/10s and a few seconds, depending on how dark it is and how steady you can keep the camera. Even that’s enough to start getting the lovely, artistic blurring effects that I enjoy – and I hope you will too.

Step 1 – Choose the right conditions

Because you’re not using filters to cut the light, you need conditions that naturally allow slower shutter speeds. Bright midday sun will force very fast shutter speeds, which is the opposite of what you want.

So you will need to look for:

• Low light

  • After the sun has set but before it’s completely dark.

  • Before sunrise.

  • Deep woodland on a cloudy day.

  • Overcast days when the sun is low in the sky and light levels low

• Natural movement

  • Streams and waterfalls.

  • Waves washing in and out.

  • Grasses, reeds or trees moving in the breeze.

  • Clouds drifting across the sky.

    
    

Combine low light with a subject that’s already moving, and you’re halfway to a long‑exposure look.

Step 2 – Steady the camera without a tripod

Your next challenge is keeping the camera still enough that rocks, trees and buildings stay sharp while the moving parts blur.

Use whatever support the landscape gives you:

• Walls, railings or fences.

• Flat rocks, tree stumps or gate posts.

• Benches, bridge parapets or steps.

• Your backpack on the ground as a makeshift beanbag.

  
  

A simple process in the field:

1. Find your composition, then look around for something solid at roughly the right height.

2. Rest the camera or lens on that support. If it’s uneven, use a hat, glove or strap underneath to fine‑tune the angle.

3. Frame your shot using the rear screen or viewfinder, making small adjustments until you’re happy.

4. Once you’re framed, keep your hands off the camera as much as possible.

   
   

To reduce camera shake further:

• Use the 2‑second or 10‑second self‑timer so you’re not nudging the camera as you press the shutter.

• If your camera has image stabilisation, consider turning it off once the camera is properly supported, as some systems can actually introduce blur when they’re trying to correct movement that isn’t there.

  
  

You don’t need absolute perfection here – just enough stability that the static parts of the scene look acceptably sharp at slower shutter speeds.

Step 3 – Simple camera settings

Let’s keep the settings as straightforward as possible. The exact labels will vary between cameras, but the ideas are the same.

Pick a mode

• If you’re just starting out, use Shutter Priority (often labelled “S” or “Tv”).You choose the shutter speed, and the camera chooses the aperture. You can still control ISO.

• If you’re more confident, you can use Manual and control shutter speed, aperture and ISO yourself.

  
  

A sensible starting point

As a starting point in low light when the camera is supported:

• ISO: 100 (or your camera’s lowest native ISO).

• Aperture: around f/8–f/11 for good depth of field.

• Shutter speed: this is your creative control, and you’ll adjust it to get the amount of blur you want whilst not overexposing the image.

  
  

Setting up your long exposure

In Shutter Priority, you might:

1. Set ISO to 100.

2. Set your aperture to f/8 or f/11 if your camera allows that in this mode (if not, let the camera choose).

3. Choose an initial shutter speed, for example 1/4s.

4. Use the self‑timer and take a test shot.

5. Check the image on the back of the camera:

   • If it’s too bright, choose a faster shutter speed (e.g. 1/8s).

   • If it’s too dark, choose a slower shutter speed (e.g. 1/2s or 1s), or gently raise the ISO to 200 or 400.

6. Repeat this “test and tweak” loop until the brightness looks good and the moving parts of the scene have the amount of blur you like.

   
   

Alternatively, if you know how to interpret your light meter to make sure you have a good exposure, then by all means do this instead.

An example

Without filters or a tripod, the photo below still shows a slight blurring of the water in the stream (bottom right). The photo was taken handheld at ISO 100, f13 and 1/15 of a second. This relatively slow speed was possible as I was in a deep hollow in woodland on a dull day when ambient light levels were low. If I had been able to find somewhere to rest the camera, I could easily have achieved a shutter speed of several seconds, creating much more blur, by closing down the aperture to allow the shutter speed to be increased without overexposing.

Step 4 – A simple exercise to try

Try this next time you’re out

1. Find a stream, small waterfall or patch of moving water in shade or woodland.

2. Rest your camera on a wall, rock or your backpack.

3. Set ISO 100 and f/11 (or as close as your camera allows).

4. Take four shots at the following shutter speeds: 1/60s, 1/15s, 1/4s and 1s.

5. When you get home, compare them side by side and watch how the water changes from “frozen” to “silky” as the shutter slows.

6. Decide which look you prefer – that becomes your personal starting point for future long exposures.

Step 5 – Limitations and where to go next

It’s worth being clear about what this approach can and can’t do.

With no tripod and no filters:

• You’re restricted to certain times of day and types of light.

• You may not get pin‑sharp detail at very slow shutter speeds, especially if there’s wind.

• You’ll struggle to get very long exposures in brighter conditions.

  
  

The upside is that you can start experimenting immediately with the camera you already own, and you’ll quickly learn what kind of long‑exposure look you enjoy. When you’re ready to push further, a tripod and neutral density filters open up much more control and consistency. See HERE for my beginner's guide to ND filters.

For improvers: stretching the idea further

Once you’re comfortable using natural low light and simple supports to get shutter speeds of up to a few seconds, there are two natural next steps:

• Adding a tripod and neutral density filters so you can shoot much longer exposures, even in brighter conditions.

• Shooting a series of shorter exposures and merging them in post‑processing to mimic one very long exposure. I cover this technique, step by step, in this article: “How to Shoot Very Long Exposure Photography”.

Further reading

See my beginner's guide to long exposure photography part 1, part 2 and part 3.

For examples of my long exposure photography see this page.

Want help doing this on location?

If this way of shooting simple long exposures has sparked something for you, and you’d like someone beside you on location in Devon, helping you put it into practice, that’s exactly what we do on my Beginner Photography Workshops. We’ll work on using natural light, choosing shutter speeds to control motion, and keeping the camera steady so you can get silky water and creative blur with the kit you already own.

You’ll find dates, details and booking information on my workshop pages. They’re an ideal next step if you’d like this long‑exposure approach explained in person, with plenty of time to practise, get feedback and ask questions.

About Gary Holpin Photography

As a professional photographer based in Devon, my journey began along the stunning South West Coast Path. Disappointed with my initial attempts to capture its beauty, I embarked on a second 630-mile journey, this time dedicated to mastering photography. Today, I'm a nationally acclaimed photographer with award-winning landscape photos.

I specialize in providing top-notch property photography, business photography, and drone photography services to businesses across the South West. Additionally, I offer comprehensive photography training courses tailored for both businesses and individuals. Whether you're looking to enhance your corporate image or improve your personal photography skills, my training programs are designed to help you capture stunning images.

As an award-winning and widely published photographer, I frequently share my passion for photography and Devon through engaging talks at local camera clubs and community groups. My expertise spans the entire South West region, ensuring that clients from Devon, Dorset & Somerset benefit from high-quality photography services and training.