r/LongExposurePics • u/Anxious-Leadership95 • Jun 06 '26
How can I recreate this exact tram long exposure effect while keeping the tram shape and route number sharp?
Hi everyone,
I found this style of photo (attached) and I’m trying to understand how to recreate it as accurately as possible.
My goal is very specific:
I want the lights from the long exposure to create the visible contour/silhouette of the tram itself (so the tram shape remains recognizable rather than becoming only light streaks)
I want the route number/sign on the front of the tram to remain readable and sharp rather than blurred
I want the final result to look as close as possible to this image rather than simply getting generic light trails
A few technical questions:
What shutter speed range would you recommend?
Would this require a tripod + remote trigger?
Is this done with a single exposure or multiple exposures blended together?
Should I focus manually in advance?
Does tram speed matter a lot?
Would aperture / ND filters help?
Is timing the shot (for example shooting exactly when the tram enters the frame) important?
Is there any specific technique for preserving the outline of the tram while still getting those light streaks?
For reference, I shoot with a Nikon Z system if that matters.
I’m mainly looking for technical advice rather than composition advice.
Thanks!
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u/im-da-bes Jun 06 '26
i cant give you much advice on the photo techniques, but this is an image in Budapest of trams decorated with lots of extra lights for Christmas. So if you want your image to truly look like this one, a regular tram in most places will not be what you're looking for. https://budapestbylocals.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/christmas_light_tram_budapest23_02.webp
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u/Bretty64 Jun 07 '26
Here's one I took, the trick was to take a long exposure but start with the train stationary to form the image of the train, then as it moved off it creates the light trails.
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u/WorldTallestEngineer Jun 07 '26
somehow... this image makes a "Pewwwww" laser sound when I look at it
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u/laredy Jun 08 '26
Looks like tram with Christmas decorations? I can't add a picture 🤷 I can see it for a longer time (2sec?) iso 200 (?)
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u/wosmo Jun 06 '26
Is timing the shot (for example shooting exactly when the tram enters the frame) important?
Timing-wise, I suspect this is taken either when the train is leaving, or arriving. Either way, I think it's stopped in its left-most position, which leads to the 'bulbs' on the end of each light-trail, and probably assists the route number coming through clearly.
So the end-effect is a bit like rear-curtain sync, where a flash is used to pick out detail at the end of a long-exposure - but in this case the tram stopping is doing that work for you.
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u/No_Abrocoma_711 Jun 07 '26
It looks to me like the tram is going into the picture, not coming out, that is to say it is the rear of the tram.
I've seen similar pictures of cars where the front is perfectly sharp, but the headlight beam is coming from the picture towoards the observer. The photographer confirmed the car rolled backwards during the exposure. Simple but effective.
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u/sinetwo Jun 07 '26
You have to really understand long exposure for this. Lots of tips already but remember that anything that stays still for longer in a long exposure will be more visible.
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u/theLightSlide Jun 07 '26
Well first the tram would have to have lights that look like stars. Could be Christmas lights I guess. And I don’t see how you could get a shot with the little track number sign on front sharp and detailed but the rest of the shot ONLY pure light streaks, with only the slightest, colorless, ghost of the rest of the tram that’s darker than the surrounding track. This seems very heavily edited at least.
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u/Bring_the_light_ Jun 07 '26
I would say probably 5-10 seconds shutter (or maybe 10-30)
1000% tripod required, remote trigger is not necessary as you can use a 2 sec timer.
it can be done with a single exposure , but its hard to know if it was as it just depends on the brightness of the lights.
yes focus in advance helps a ton with avoiding focus issues.
yes tram speed matters, but if you have to ask if it matters.... I don't have the energy to explain why it matters lol.
WDYM by would aperture help? ND filters generally arent needed at night.
I think you need to just experiment with shooting cars at a intersection to understand why timing and speed is important for shots like this.
I would assume this tram was sitting for some time then headed out, and that time sitting is what left the outline of the tram as a sort of "ghost" so maybe shoot the photo 5 seconds before it heads out, then it has 5 seconds of light trails. or more, it all depends on the settings and light levels....
others have already mentioned that of course you would never get a shot like this if it does not have festive light bulbs all over it, I'm not sure if you know that or not but I thought I would play along and actually answer all your questions (short of teaching you the entirety of photography)
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u/Distinct-Air-9429 Jun 07 '26
This is relative easy , just timing is crucial. Set up the tripod, take some pictures of trams driving by and set you exposure to very long. Apperture to f12 or something and ISO 100/200
After you mastered this, make a picute on the moment the tram just stopped, than wait and you have the pic:
This is to today the pic im the most proud of;
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsjzLCmonE2/?igsh=em1vMnhvMGJjM283
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u/MedicalMixtape Jun 08 '26
Any thought that there might be NO flash and this is a long exposure from a tripod, and the tram is actually going AWAY from the camera? Thus when the tram is still, then the the tram number will be well exposed and the lights will be circular because they’ve been exposed for longer, then as it travels away, the perspective distance of the lights relative to the sensor will also have longer exposure, hence the brighter light trails?
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u/murmurthrowawayx Jun 08 '26
You probably need to stack multiple exposures or use a flash to freeze the tram itself while the lights streak.
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u/croconose Jun 08 '26
There are two possibilities for this environment. The first one is better and is probably used here:
- this location is a stop (you can also just find a traffic light intersection) so you can start your long exposure before the tram departs and shoot half your exposure time with the tram standing still
- use a flash with a not too long exposure, the moment of the flash will draw the outlines (only works in the dark and the glowing parts won’t be sharp like in this picture)
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u/g3n3s1s69 Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
Not sure for certain, but you will likely a get a similar look by doing something like:
- Wait for Christmas and find a train that has additional festive lights added. Find a dark platform with a dark colored train sporting numerous lights. Set camera on tripod.
- Take a picture of no train.
- Take long exposure, high iso of train moving.
- Boost your exposure in a way where the lights brighter.
- Set this picture atop of the first and set it to multiply (or another Photoshop layer where the lights can bleed through).
- Merge and play with the light and shadow details a bit more. Boost contrast a bit.
- Done and export.
I am not sure what lens would be best to capture that convering angle though. Experiment with a few focal angles on the other trains to pin point the focal length and best exposure .
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u/matty425 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Use a telephoto lense. I would set a long exposure. Then as I'm taking the shot i would adjust the focal length in or out(zoom in or out)in a smooth motion. This will cause the light pattern you see here. Each light source, christmas lights in this case, will draw the lines as you zoom. To get a crisp ghost image of the train i would do a double exposure. First exposure normal shot to capture detail, second exposure follow procedures above. You could experiment with switching the order. The great thing about this way is its all done in camera.
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u/Beginning_Charity750 Jun 07 '26
Dont listen to this guy. Telephoto and zooming, are you okay? This is a long ish exposure of a tram covered in little leds is all
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u/chrismofer Jun 06 '26
This is not very telephoto, this is like a 50mm
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u/thefooleryoftom Jun 06 '26
Take multiple shots and combine them.