Long exposure photography turns moving water into silk, car headlights into glowing streaks, and crowds into ghostly blurs. It used to require a DSLR and an ND filter. Now you can do it on your iPhone.

This guide covers two ways to take long exposure photos on iPhone: the built-in Live Photo trick and a dedicated app that gives you full control.

What Is Long Exposure Photography?

In normal photography, your camera captures a single instant. Long exposure keeps the shutter open for seconds (or even minutes), so anything that moves gets blurred together while static objects stay sharp. The result is that dreamy, flowing look you've seen in waterfall photos and city night shots.

Method 1: Long Exposure iPhone with Live Photos

Apple added a built-in long exposure effect starting with iPhone 6s. Here's how it works:

  1. Open the Camera app and make sure Live Photo is turned on (the circular icon at the top).
  2. Take a photo of something with movement, like a waterfall or traffic.
  3. Open the photo in the Photos app.
  4. Swipe up on the photo and choose "Long Exposure" from the effects.

That's it. Your iPhone stacks the 3 seconds of Live Photo frames into a single long exposure image.

The Limitations

This method is quick and easy, but it comes with real trade-offs:

  • Only 3 seconds. You can't control how long the exposure lasts. For silky waterfalls or proper light trails, 3 seconds is often not enough.
  • No real-time preview. You don't see the long exposure effect while shooting. You only find out how it looks after the fact.
  • No manual controls. You can't adjust exposure time, ISO, or choose different blending modes.
  • JPEG only. No RAW file for post-processing.

For casual use, the Live Photo method is fine. But if you want real long exposure on iPhone with control over the result, you need a dedicated app.

Method 2: How to Do Long Exposure on iPhone with Lento

Lento is a long exposure camera app that uses frame stacking. Instead of keeping the sensor open (which would blow out the image), it continuously captures frames and blends them together in real time. You see the long exposure building up on screen as you shoot.

Here's what you get with a dedicated app that you can't do with Live Photos:

  • Unlimited exposure time. Shoot for 5 seconds, 30 seconds, or 5 minutes.
  • Multiple blend modes. Smooth (for silky water), Light Trails (for headlights), and more.
  • Real-time preview. Watch the effect build up as frames stack.
  • Manual controls. Adjust ISO, focus, and white balance.
  • RAW DNG export. Get a full-quality file for editing in Lightroom or Snapseed.

Step-by-Step: Long Exposure iPhone Photos with Lento

  1. Open Lento and choose your blend mode. Start with "Smooth" for water or "Light Trail" for traffic.
  2. Frame your shot and stabilize your iPhone. A tripod is ideal, but you can lean it against a wall or rock.
  3. Set your duration. Start with 5-10 seconds for your first shot. You can always go longer.
  4. Tap the shutter button. Watch the real-time preview as frames stack together.
  5. Export your photo. Save as HEIF for sharing or RAW DNG for maximum editing flexibility.

Tips for Better Long Exposure Photos on iPhone

Keep your iPhone steady. This is the single most important factor. Movement during the exposure creates unwanted blur. Use a small phone tripod, lean against something solid, or set a timer so you're not touching the phone when it starts.

Start with 5-10 seconds. You don't need a 60-second exposure right away. Shorter exposures are easier to keep steady and still produce visible motion blur in moving subjects.

Try different modes for different subjects. Smooth mode averages frames, which is perfect for silky water. Light Trail mode keeps the brightest pixels, which is what you want for car headlights and light painting.

Shoot during golden hour or blue hour. The soft, even light during these times makes long exposure photos look their best. Harsh midday sun can cause overexposure even with frame stacking.

Export in RAW. If you plan to edit your photos (and you should), RAW DNG files give you much more room to adjust exposure, colors, and details than JPEG or HEIF.

Get Started

Long exposure photography on iPhone has come a long way. The built-in Live Photo trick works in a pinch, but for real control and quality, an app like Lento is the way to go. Download it free and try your first long exposure today.