Tips on taking better night photos

Hi all

I run a small website on photography. One of the most common questions
I get asked is 'How do I take photos at night?' Now, I'm thinking of
posting some tips here on night photography. But I'm not sure if its
appropriate.

Let me know guys? Thanks.


************************************************** ************
Sincerely,
Gary Hendricks, Basic-Digital-Photography.com
The best digital photography tutorials and how-to guides:
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com
************************************************** ************

Hi Gary,

There are a number of photo USENET news groups for photo topics.

rec.photo.digital for digital photography.
rec.photo.35mm for 35mm photography.
rec.photo.equipment.medium-format for medium format (6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7)
rec.photo.equipment.larg-format for large format (4x5, 8x10 negatives)
rec.photo.digital.slr-systems for digital slr

There are a number of other photo newsgroups.

USENET is broken down in different hiearchies. rec is for recreation,
sci for scientific, soc for socialogy.. talk for information. I
think we have 9 major areas in the main part of USENET right now. It
used to be 8, but I think they added one recently.

Then each major group is broke down into a sub section ... photo,
skiing, travel, politics, and each subsection is broken down into a
group. There is most likely a group for a topic you want. However, if
there is not one, there are steps to go through to create a new group.
If you follow the steps, and go about it, and really want the group,
and get enough votes ... it takes two to three months to get a group.
If you don't give up part way through. A number of group proponents
stop part way through.

Anyway, for most photo posts you want to post them on the rec.photo.xx
groups.
(We get an post once in a while about .. taking a digital camera on a
cruise, or they have a digital photo kiosk on the ship for 40 cents a
print.)

For the most part, post like "How do I take photos at night" would be
better off being posted on a photo group.

roland

opps, I guess I should watch which group I am in... I thought I was in
rec.travel.cruises, not a photo group.

roland

"piperut" wrote in message
oups.com...
opps, I guess I should watch which group I am in... I thought I was in
rec.travel.cruises, not a photo group.

roland


lol

"Gary Hendricks" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all

I run a small website on photography. One of the most common questions
I get asked is 'How do I take photos at night?' Now, I'm thinking of
posting some tips here on night photography. But I'm not sure if its
appropriate.

Let me know guys? Thanks.


************************************************** ************
Sincerely,
Gary Hendricks, Basic-Digital-Photography.com
The best digital photography tutorials and how-to guides:
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com
************************************************** ************


Use a tripod and low iso with a self timer or remote cable release.
Bracket.
Use long exposure noise reduction mode (Canon digital).
--
www.harryphotos.com

set the exposure compensation to +2, use ISO400 or above, set shutter
to 2 or more seconds.

In article .com, gary.
says...

Hi all

I run a small website on photography. One of the most common questions
I get asked is 'How do I take photos at night?' Now, I'm thinking of
posting some tips here on night photography. But I'm not sure if its
appropriate.

Let me know guys? Thanks.


************************************************* *************
Sincerely,
Gary Hendricks, Basic-Digital-Photography.com
The best digital photography tutorials and how-to guides:
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com
************************************************* *************


Dirty Harry has given you some worthwhile tips, but first, the shooter should
determine that the "scene" is worthwhile in the first place, then decide how
they want to render/capture it. There are many aspects to "night photography,"
and a determination of the desired finished product should dictate how one
approaches it.

Hunt

On 19 Oct 2005 11:40:08 -0700, Gary Hendricks wrote:

I run a small website on photography. One of the most common
questions I get asked is 'How do I take photos at night?' Now, I'm
thinking of posting some tips here on night photography. But I'm
not sure if its appropriate.

If it's one of the most commonly asked questions there, it'll
sooner or later be asked here. That will provide an opportunity to
reply with your tips. If they're really extensive, it would be best
to post just a few of the most relevant, and add a link to the
remainder on your website. You could also keep the same number of
lines in your signature/trailer by removing "Sincerely" and adding
news of your latest addition. Even better, add another line showing
the "friendliness" of the website:

************************************************** ************
Gary Hendricks, Basic-Digital-Photography.com
The best digital photography tutorials and how-to guides:
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com
No excessive graphics; No logins; No Flash, No cookies, etc.
New as of 2005/05/23: Night Photography Tips
************************************************** ************

Gary Hendricks wrote:
: Hi all

: I run a small website on photography. One of the most common questions
: I get asked is 'How do I take photos at night?' Now, I'm thinking of
: posting some tips here on night photography. But I'm not sure if its
: appropriate.

: Let me know guys? Thanks.


The answer to the question of "how do I take photos at night" will range
from "you don't" to "get a carbon arc search light..." Depending on the
desired outcome the answer will vary greatly. The main problem is that
photography (the process of capturing an image of the light present in, or
reflecting off an object or objects) by definition requires light. And
different methods of adding, multiplying or concentrating the available
light will cause different results. Each solution will have its own
strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disagvantages, etc.

For example, if the intent is to capture the image of the light as it
appears to the photographer, such as stars in the sky or the lighted
windows of a house, any method that uses adding light will either be
ineffective or destroy the intended outcome. On the other hand, if an
accurate image of relationships between objects or an attempt to enhance
the viewability of a dim image is the intent, the inaccuracys induced by
long exposure, or by light enhancing devices could destroy the accuracy of
the image that is intended.

The greatest tools for the photographer are imagination and flexability.
If one idea won't work, maybe another will. Sometimes a solution that just
pops into your head will turn out to be the "right" one at the time.

Some of the methods for adding light can vary from placing hidden flood
lights at strategic locations which will add lighting to the main
subjects, to locking the shutter open and wandering around the image area
using a hand operated flash to "paint with light" the subject. Sometimes
the added light itself can be the subject. In this instance, a locked open
shutter in a very dark location will allow a person or persons to move
around the image area drawing glowing, apparently unsupported trails in
the air with various light emitting objects. For example, on a dark night,
a camera set on a tripod pointing down a very dark street, and a person
dancing around holding a flashlight that is kept aimed at the camera or a
light stick in a hand, will produce a glowing line that flows around the
image following the "dancer". Each of these ideas will work and produce
an image, but none of these images will look like the others.

One other method of night photography is increased sensitivity. Either a
"faster" ISO will be used, or a slower shutter speed, or larger aperture,
or combinations of these. In some instances these are taken to extremes.
For example if an image is taken with a shutter speed of 2 hours the light
collected will be multiplied. But abberations from long exposures will
appear and the numbers of them will increase the longer the exposure.

Then there is the mechanical methods. A "night vision monocular" can be
connected to a camera, allowing the "enhanced" image to be captured. Or a
large aperture (telescope) device may be able to gather more light from a
scene. A lens that is collecting light over a 4' diameter collector and
concentrated with mirrors and/or lenses will be able to collect a brighter
image, but a 4' diameter lens on your camera is definately not practical
for hand held use.

Night or low light level photography can be some of the most challenging
situations. No one way will work for all situations. Each situation and
desired outcome will require and eliminate many choices. So as I said, the
most important tools are imagination and flexability.

Randy

==========
Randy Berbaum
Champaign, IL

Gary Hendricks wrote:
Hi all

I run a small website on photography. One of the most common questions
I get asked is 'How do I take photos at night?' Now, I'm thinking of
posting some tips here on night photography. But I'm not sure if its
appropriate.

Let me know guys? Thanks.


************************************************** ************
Sincerely,
Gary Hendricks, Basic-Digital-Photography.com
The best digital photography tutorials and how-to guides:
http://www.basic-digital-photography.com
************************************************** ************

By ALL means. That is a frequent question on this newsgroup, and a
place to refer people in search of that information would be a service
to the group.


--
Ron Hunter