top 4 passage of time techniques for photographers - Darah Soria

top 4 passage of time for photographers

When you think about time you are likely thinking about when you leave for work or wake up or potentially a literal clock. In photographs clocks aren’t always available to add to an image. What if you could show time in a photograph without the actual time being shown? The greatest thing about photography is that you can. If you revisit shutter speed, then you can safely say that it is a measurement of time whether it is fractions of a second or half of a minute. basic passage of time terminology & concepts


Passage of time can be demonstrated without consideration of the shutter at times. This would include things like the size of a tree, a developed aspen grove, accumulated snow, a burning fire, lines in a person’s skin, setting sun, varying ages of animals or blossoming spring flowers. Nature is generally in images without intention for a photographer who shoots on location.


Passage of time in real time may be described by the use of tangible, man-made objects. This is often described with objects like clocks, antiques, eras of technology, fashion and so on.


Working at a rowdy event can be fun for some photographers and intimidating to others. On the contrary, nature or street photography may be boring to one person, but relaxing to another. The key to working with time is to understand when to wait and when to actually capture a moment. For example if you see a really spectacular landscape then you are likely to want to take out your camera and take a picture of it right then and there. Imagine, however, how much more interesting that picture would be if a hawk happened upon the scene.

advanced shutter speed and passage of time

I realize that shutter speed can be a bit complicated, and any experienced photographer will tell you that using the shutter to demonstrate passage of time . Learning each of these things made me go, “Wow. I wish I had learned this years ago!”


  • Tripods and monopods come in handy with slow shutter speeds to prevent camera shake. Tables and other objects make great makeshift tripods. Use a short self-timer to avoid camera shake when working with long exposures.
  • At 50mm you will want to avoid going lower than 1/50 of a second unless you are going for motion blur. At 24mm, you will want to avoid going slower than 1/20. At 35: 1/30. 85mm, 1/80. And so on....
  • Flash will freeze a moving subject even while using a slow shutter speed.
  • If you must use a slow shutter speed without a tripod or surface, use burst mode for three pictures. The middle image will likely be the clearest.

visual flow

Visual flow represents both the passage of time, and is also considered a conceptual relationship. It is one of the most challenging ways to demonstrate either passage of time or a conceptual relationship. Its purpose is to take your viewers on somewhat of a mental journey.These images combine multiple techniques and force the viewer’s eyes to look at multiple areas of the photograph rather than just one. This technique can be used in both natural and urban settings, but it generally more apparent in natural settings like landscapes which have mutltiple natural elements.


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