Tips for a successful night or low-light photography

Twilight is a magical time.

Just because the sun is down, does not mean you should put your camera.

When the sun goes down, another world exists, is looking for photographers. Colors are not displayed, as they do in daylight.

Instead, the display colors on the camera's white balance setting and how this setting corresponds to the different light sources on the scene.

Background less distracting.

Street lights and lit interiors give you outlinesand shapes in different colors.

The chances are not everything in your scene is lit. So what you in your viewfinder is much what you get when you close portray carefully and well.

People in the scene, no matter how much unless you want them. Not to let passers-by to register in your image.

Even if they do, they are a blur when you "freeze them" with flash.

Cars show up as traces of red and yellow lights. Skies take the color or the aura of the city lightsespecially if it reflects low-lying clouds.

Compared to other subjects, night photography does not require a whole range of devices. The following needs:

A steady tripod
a cable release to trip the shutter. Most people can be with the self. The key is to not shake the camera when the shutter button.
a flashlight illuminate the knobs and controls of the camera.
optional - a portable flash with lots of batteries

Youpretty much get what you see in the viewfinder.

You do not need to try to shed some light, unless you include a person to take care of the picture. But I'll discuss that later.

The various elements in your picture even lights up only to relieve you of your composition and exposure to concentrate.

Fountains prone to spots and colored lights on them, Christmas trees are never shown in public without bright lights and beautiful and majestic architecture inMost urban centers are usually brightly lit up shows a city pride.

Go set up as follows:

Change the ISO on your camera to 1600 or whatever is the maximum number.
If you have a digital SLR, connect the longest focal length lens on the camera and take a light reading. The idea is to use the narrower field of view, so that your Luxmeters you can give a more accurate light reading. If you spot meter reading mode on the camera, which you will have a similarResult.
Please note the exposure reading in Step 2
Calculate that exposure reading for ISO 200
Switch lenses to a wide angle or even a "normal" focal length lens and make your shot himself. Mount your camera on a tripod.
Pull all the axles on your tripod head so that your camera is not in itself during the exposure.
Finally, the camera to the self-timer mode. Some cameras give you a choice of 2 seconds or 10 seconds. The whole idea is do not want to pushthe camera when you press the shutter button. Leave the camera on his own and 2 seconds should be long enough.

Calculating exposure

Your camera CCD or CMOS light-sensitive makes it easier for you get a light reading.

If you leave your camera at ISO 100 or even 200, your meter could not register a reading, especially when the scene is lit only by moonlight something.

Remember that there are always 3 components of exposure:ISO, aperture and shutter speed. For the sake of our discussion, let's say, if you pointed your camera in step 2 at the scene, your meter recommends 1 / 15 sec at f 2.8 ISO 1600.

If you have not read it yet, then just take my word on this subject. High ISO settings yield images that are very loud. That is the equivalent of grain in the analog or film world.

So what do we do next is figure out equivalent exposure at say ISO 200th How have I come to a shutter speed of 1 / 2 seconds for aSwitched aperture of f2.8 when I ISO-1600-200?

ISO 200 is 3 f-stops less sensitive than ISO 1600. There are 2 options for me to do to achieve the same exposure. Let's examine the first method, leaving the opening of the same at f 2.8 and only changing the shutter speed brings.

That is, I'm just always the time the shutter opens, allowing more light from the same 3 f-stop factor.

So you need to set the shutter speed from1 / 15> 1 / 8> 1 / 4> 1 / 2 sec (calculated from 1 / 15 sec> 1 / 8 sec> 1 / 4 sec> 1 / 2 sec = 3 stops)

Now you have your risk of an aperture of f 2.8, let's say your subject has some depth and you want to be sure, more of which is the focus. You can change your exposure to the aperture, only the figure, leaving the ISO the same at 200th

Let's say you decide to make your picture at f11 will give you more depth of field. Have you re -Increasing the time the shutter is opened in the same ratio or f-stop to get the appropriate exposure. Q11 can in 4 stations or 4 times less light than F 2.8.

So you need to set a shutter speed of a total of 4 seconds. (Counting the aperture settings of f2.8> 4 f> f 5,6 sec> 8.0 f> f 11 = 4 stations)

(Counting the settings of shutter speed 1 / 2 sec> 1 sec> 2 sec> 4 sec = 4 stations).

The second alternative to achieve the sameExposure to the opening of the aperture more light is not always practical, because I use my "fastest" lens, a 50mm f1.4 would be restricted.

Also, the lens has physical limits - the widest aperture f 1.4. The resulting image would still be underexposed by 1 stop. I would need a 50 mm 1.2 lens f buy. Do you have a price? Canon makes one for about $ 1500.

If you have a tripod, you have the luxury of dropping your shutter speed without worrying avoid camera shake.This is often the best choice, because you really do not want to be that images the whole time your largest aperture, whether it is 2.8 g or 1.4.

In these openings, the focus is critical since the depth-of-field is very shallow. If you are working on the creation of a pedestrian bridge and the people in mind as you make the exposure is done, then you may have to wait for a break in the pedestrian traffic.