Digital NIGHT and LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Take Four different sets of photos as explained below
– one set of five photos for each of four different scenes.
Equipment Needed:
Camera with adjustable settings
Tripod
Small Flashlight (useful to see camera or lens when you are checking or adjusting aperture &/or shutter speed)
SAFETY RULES: Never go out alone when you intend to photograph at night.(Always go in the company of another student in your photography class or with some other responsible adult.) Always dress appropriately.
Directions: (To produce a good photograph with low light and/or night conditions)
A. Practice these steps at home before you go to the place where you want to take your photograph(s)
1.) Set up camera and tripod 2.) practice using your self timer setting 3.) Set ISO setting to ISO 400
4.) Set camera to Manual, shutter speed or night landscape mode 5.) Practice using the +EV and –EV settings
- Select an appropriate place for night or low light photographs. Set up tripod and mount the camera; make sure that camera is level with the plane of the horizon.
- Turn your camera on.
- Set camera ISO to 400
- Turn the self-timer on. (A little clock symbol should appear.) You need to use the self-timer setting because you don’t have a cable release. The self-timer will delay the exposure a few seconds, but it will also help to keep your photos sharp.
- Make sure your flash is turned off. (The flash symbol should be in a circle with a diagonal line through it)
- Set the camera to either Manual mode, shutter seed mode – or if your camera doesn’t have either of these settings, choose the night landscape scene / mode (DO NOT CHOOSE NIGHT PORTRAIT MODE!!! – That setting will trigger the flash and you don’t use a flash for these night photos.)
1. If you are using manual mode –set the aperture to f/8 and leave it on that setting, choose the slowest shutter speed your camera can use.(Usually digital cameras can be set to at least 8 seconds or longer. 8 seconds would appear as 8” If you only see 8 that means 1/8th second ---15 seconds would appear as 15” If you only see 15 that means 1/15th second, etc.
2. If you are using the shutter speed mode – choose the slowest shutter speed your camera can use.(Usually digital cameras can be set to at least 8 seconds or longer. 8 seconds would appear as 8” If you only see 8 that means 1/8th second ---15 seconds would appear as 15” If you only see 15 that means 1/15th second, etc.
3. If you are using the night landscape scene mode – turn your camera to that setting
- Compose your photo & Focus carefully (use manual focus settings if necessary)
- Take a set of bracketed* exposures as follows:
1 Take one picture at EV = -2
2. Take one picture at EV = -1
3. Take one picture at EV = 0
4. Take one picture at EV = +1
5. Take one picture at EV = +2
J. Pack up camera, & tripod carefully
(If weather is very cold, place camera in plastic bag first to prevent condensation problems)
*Bracketing (definition) To “bracket” means take several pictures of the same scene, but for each one change either the camera lens aperature or the shutter speed, (but not both at the same time).
Remember: Low Light/Night Photography is guess work! How much time you need for a proper exposure can vary based on film speed, how much light is present, wind conditions, & even temperature*. Some shots can take as much as 7-20 minutes!
*Very cold weather can cause camera/meter to ‘lock up’&/or can cause lens to ‘fog up’ (due to condensation).
For your fifth photo set use the instructions given in class to take either a “ghost” photo or a light outline photo.
Suggested Aperture / Shutter Speed CombinationStarting Points
(Remember - Bracket !!!)
Situation F / Stop Shutter Speed
Neon Lights f/8 1/30 second
Campfires f/5.6 1/60 second
Television f/5.6 1/30 second
Brightly Lit Streets f/4 1/30 second
Floodlit Buildings f/16 1 second
Skylines f/8 10 seconds
Landscape
w/ full moon f/8 1 minute
w/snow f/11 1 minute
Rainy Night f/11 4 seconds
Snowy Night f/11 15 seconds
Wet Streets f/8 1/4 second
Wet beach f/8 1/4 second