Just a reminder that we are continuing Camera Settings Challenge #8, night photography. @taffy will be continuing coordinating so if you would like a quicker response, feel free to tag in your first comment box. @camerasavvy will be automatically notified as well. The original posting introduced a range of opportunities for night photography with associated settings. Here is the link for your convenience: http://365project.org/discuss/themes-competitions/25092/camera-settings-challenge-night-photography-i
Photos from participants are in the thread and tagged: camerasavvy-nightphotography1
For those who don't have time to go back to the original post with all the information, here's a truncated focus on two of the 'tasks' to experiment with. There are a lot more options in the original link. Here, we remind you of two of the options: (a) light trails from moving vehicles and (b) intentional camera movement. For light trails, you will need a very steady surface and a way to avoid camera shake. For intentional camera movement, you can use a tripod or do it handheld, with each giving you a different type of look. We hope you give it a try, post in the thread with your settings, and tag camerasavvy-nightphotography1
Light Trails
For settings, think about:
• Shutter speed between 3 and 10 seconds
• ISO between 200 and 400
• Aperture 7.1 or smaller (if you want light bursts as well, use the smallest size possible, adjusting ISO and shutter speed accordingly)
For setup: Go to a spot where you can safely photograph moving vehicles (a bridge, the side of a road, the corner of an interchange). Put your camera on a stable surface and set up your external shutter release or your 2-second delay. Consider the background. If there is a lot of light, you may want to just ‘go with it’ and use a small aperture to turn them into light-bursts. If there is not much light, you can leave your shutter open longer and use a moderate aperture (f7.1 or so).
Here’s a sample from a setting with a lot of light:
And here’s one in a rural area with little light and just one red trail, but using a tight aperture to bring up the light bursts:
And, here’s a handheld in a less lit but urban area:
ICM (Intentional Camera Movement)
For settings:
• Shutter speed between 5 and 30 seconds
• ISO between 200 and 800
• Aperture 7.1 or smaller (if you want light bursts as well, use the smallest size possible, adjusting ISO and shutter speed accordingly)
For setup: Identify an area where you can create light trails by moving your camera by hand or by moving a zoom lens (easier to do on a tripod but you can end up with interesting abstracts by hand occasionally. The handheld example below was taken using a campfire as a light source and the silhouettes of the people standing around it to create the definition.
In this example, a tripod provided a stable surface for a camera with the zoom lens attached. To create the zoom of the lights, you will slowly move your zoom in OR out while the shutter is open:
Think about participating in the night photography theme, choosing of the tasks above that will work for you and give you the opportunity to practice using the ‘big 3’ of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to get the effect you want. Have fun!
Took a stab at some night photography this week. It was a fun start and I know I need to work on it more- preferably when the weather is warmer this summer!
Thanks so much for the reminder - it's been on my list and I haven't got to it - but I will. Though whether I can come up with anything as beautiful as the above from Mikhail @mikhasus is in serious doubt :)
@mikhasus Hi Mikhail. These are stunning examples! If you are up for it, you might add a bit of information about how you created this so others can learn from you. For example, how did you stabilize your camera? How do you think about settings? Thanks so much for including your samples!
@taffy Thank you Taffy!
All thes shots were done with Canon 5D Mark II camera and 24-105/4L IS lens. All of them are done without any additional stabilization like tripod or monopod that's why I had to use satbilisation in lens and high ISO settings (3200). Besides I've set 2s timer to avoid extra camera shakes and tried to stand like a monolite rock without any breathing :) If there were some objects like signs, lamps or benches I used them for stabilization as well.
In 97% I use A (apperture) mode on my camera, auto ISO (for shooting without tripods) or low ISO in combination with tripods, auto White Balance - I always process all my shots in Adobe Camrea RAW - so I do not need to care about WB too much during shooting. I usually make several shots with the same settings - to be shure that some of them will be without shakes and also som extra with Exposure shift or different apperture wide. Without any doubts tripods will make night shots ultra cool but even without them there are some chances to make nice photos.
Here is my attempt. I gave up trying to do it handheld and tried out my new gorillapod . It's a solar light my son planted in his cactus garden years ago and it just keeps going and going.
@mzbull Way to go! I think you used the longer exposure well and have excellent details in the light sprays. And you kept the main light strong and not blown out. The gorilla pod is a terrific support tool and gives you a nice low perspective too.
Thanks Taffy, I think I got it.
My setting are: Canon 6D, 6.0 sec, f6.3, ISO 100 67mm EF 24-105mm.
I took this from a balcony looking out to the city. Here's the info I'm not too sure of, but there was a man in my group he had a clear plastic filter that I held up to my lens and rotated it until I could see the diagonal lines.
@bizziebeeme You've done a wonderful job for capturing the lighting in the city and the light trails, without any blown out spots at all. Congrats!! That's really hard to do. I see two potential focal points that bring interest to the night shot -- the light trails and the Ferris wheel. I wonder for composition's sake, if you cropped in from the right and down from the top if you could anchor a composition to focus on those two elements. I'd try the crop at the space between the purple lights, about 3 lights in to see if you can maintain proportion, and if not, maybe try a square. Technically, I think you're spot on, including the reflected light from the light trails. Worth fiddling with, I think.
@cdean1956 This is such a strong shot because you used optimal settings to get this crisp look of the lit building and its reflection. I also think you've made an intriguing choice in the use of negative space to set this off in an isolated way. It it were my shot, though, I"d probably want to show off the home and reflection a tad more. I love the long narrow lines and would likely try a landscape sort of crop to lengthen the impage, cropping down from the top about a quarter (and cloning out the white spot) and possible, though not sure, cropping in from the left a tad. It's a wonderful reflective night image that if I were blowing up quite large, I might only clone out the white spot in the upper right. Thanks so much for posting to show what a really long exposure at relatively low ISO 'buys' us for clarity and crispness!!
@taffy Thank you so much for replying, I really do appreciate you taking the time. Really pleased with the feedback as its really the first time I've attempted it 'knowing how too' and take on board about the composition, something I'm always trying to improve on too. :-)
Went to the lake this evening to watch the sunset and caught this shot just as we were preparing to leave. Slight edit to contrast and clarity and leveled the horizon slightly. Otherwise, SOOC. ISO 100, f/11, 1/20 sec, handheld.
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All thes shots were done with Canon 5D Mark II camera and 24-105/4L IS lens. All of them are done without any additional stabilization like tripod or monopod that's why I had to use satbilisation in lens and high ISO settings (3200). Besides I've set 2s timer to avoid extra camera shakes and tried to stand like a monolite rock without any breathing :) If there were some objects like signs, lamps or benches I used them for stabilization as well.
In 97% I use A (apperture) mode on my camera, auto ISO (for shooting without tripods) or low ISO in combination with tripods, auto White Balance - I always process all my shots in Adobe Camrea RAW - so I do not need to care about WB too much during shooting. I usually make several shots with the same settings - to be shure that some of them will be without shakes and also som extra with Exposure shift or different apperture wide. Without any doubts tripods will make night shots ultra cool but even without them there are some chances to make nice photos.
My setting are: Canon 6D, 6.0 sec, f6.3, ISO 100 67mm EF 24-105mm.
I took this from a balcony looking out to the city. Here's the info I'm not too sure of, but there was a man in my group he had a clear plastic filter that I held up to my lens and rotated it until I could see the diagonal lines.
My first attempt with my new camera Canon 7D mark ii
Really enjoying the new camera but would love feedback to how to improve my shots :-)