How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed for Long Exposures of Seascapes

A long exposure of a seascape will always be a great way to create a compelling image, but it takes a lot more than simply slapping an ND filter on your lens and going to town. One of the most crucial parts of a long exposure is choosing the proper shutter speed, particularly when moving water is involved, and this helpful video tutorial will walk you through the process to ensure you get the exact image you have in mind. 

Coming to you from Perea Photography, this great video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of choosing a shutter speed for long exposure seascape photography. As you can see, it is about a lot more than a simple binary choice between shooting a long exposure or a regular one. Depending on the shutter speed you choose, you can do anything from removing a bit of the turbulence of moving water to removing any semblance of local motion and revealing the larger currents and structure of the water (and sky). This is part of the reason landscape photographers typically carry multiple ND filters of different strengths to give themselves a full gamut of options. Check out the video above for the full rundown.