Firefly trails. Fireworks that look like balloons. These are just some of the long exposure photos we’ve seen over the years that opened us up to a whole new world. Today we’re taking a look at 15 photos that took long exposure to a whole new level. These photos captured movement unseen by the naked eye, and in doing so, gave us a whole new way to appreciate all the extra seconds in life. From Caleb Charland’s stunning silhouette made with matches (above) to NASA’s beautiful shot of star trails, enjoy this compilation of creative long exposures.
Photo: Caleb Charland
Planes Taking Off 
Photo: Terence Chang
Man Shooting Light Out of His Chest 
Photo: Dennis Calvert
Fireworks 
Photo: David Johnson
Fireworks 
Photo: Alan Sailer
Fireflies
Photo: Tsuneaki Hiramatsu
Fireflies
Photo: Yume Cyan
Golden Wave
Photo: David Orias
Kayakers
Photo: Stephen Orlando
Star Trails Bursting
Photo: Lincoln Harrison
Glowsticks
Photo: Sean Lenz and Kristoffer Abildgaard
Rotating Helicopter Blades
Photo: Andreas Feininger
Swirling Light
Photo: Martin Kimbell
Red Head Lamp
Photo: Tristan O’Tierney
Star Trails
Photo: Don Pettit, NASA