Hi all, I have become so accustomed to taking photos in natural light that I have neglected getting practise in taking good / decent night scene shots. I up ISO and open up aperture quite wide but then get a blurry out of focus image, I close aperture then the image comes out dull and / or very dark, I then add pop up flash then the subject has too much sharp light with a very very dark background, i am just not getting this exposure setting spot on. What am I doing wrong? How do I get a decent night scene shot especially in a realy dark setting with some other light sources around? Advice please?
yes tripod is a must and longer exposures for sure , use a wide aperture with a slow shutter speed . Depends on what ur trying to capture and how much lights are around it . You will be surprised to see how much lights can light up ur photo. I never use a flash doing night photography unless im shooting people. Its all about trying out different settings on ur camera , the more u play around and practice the better u will become and most of all enjoy it ( i love it )
Tripod, tripod, tripod, tripod! I know everyone is saying that, but seriously. I do long exposures at ISO 100 with my tripod, in pitch black. It's amazing what a tripod can do :-)
agree with what everyone's saying. I've done a few long exposure shots, i stick my camera in full manual, ISO 100, F22 or so and set it on a 30 second exposure
pop up flashes are OK but off camera flash is going to be much better. You can diffuse the light and you don't get the light bouncing right back at your camera giving that super high contrast you are talking about.
Some lenses focus better in low light then others, some lenses perform better wide open, some open wider then others, and some camera bodies handle higher ISO better then others but if shooting an action shot you will need..
An off camera flash or wide open aperture, highest ISO you can get without too much noise, try to keep your shutter above 1/200, if you are shooting subjects like a bridge or building then use a tripod, lower ISO, longer shutter speed and a mid to low range aperture.
Thanks for the advice, i realy appreciate it, never realised how important the tripod is! will have to make more effort in trying to carry mine around. I dont usually plan on night shots but sometimes there is that moment where you spot the perfect or potential photo in your head when you out somewhere, but then after a few snaps it doesnt look so perfect as imagined!! so now i will have to get plenty practise using my neglected tripod.
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I don't know if you are already using one, but it's definitely a must while taking night photos.
:)
Some lenses focus better in low light then others, some lenses perform better wide open, some open wider then others, and some camera bodies handle higher ISO better then others but if shooting an action shot you will need..
An off camera flash or wide open aperture, highest ISO you can get without too much noise, try to keep your shutter above 1/200, if you are shooting subjects like a bridge or building then use a tripod, lower ISO, longer shutter speed and a mid to low range aperture.
Good luck.