Let's talk exposure

[Kelly Grannell]

I'm the opponent of "taking the time" in doing anything. So when I want to turn the pic to B&W in PS I only choose "desaturate". You can achieve all kinds of film emulations by doing it manually, but why why spend 20 minutes if you can spend 1 second?

 

[boBQuincy]

I wouldn't do any of this processing in the camera, the results are final and are not as good as doing it later. After all, the camera has a pretty slow and weak processor compared to even a low end desktop PC. Capture the image in the best format your camera has and work on it later.

I prefer to use Photoshop controls and actions for most of my processing. Everything that AlienSkin does can be done in PS (since that is what AlienSkin is doing). Everything that AlienSkin does is *not* always easy to find nor easy to do in PS.

For B&W I use either the channel mixer or the Russell Brown adjustment layer process (Russell is one of the creative geniuses at Adobe, his books and articles are well worth reading). I like the greater control that is possible by doing it manually.

It's mostly a matter of paying for the one-click method or taking the extra time to do it yourself. Both methods work about as well and both are correct. What's really good is having all these choices!


boB

 

[YEKCIM]

Well, we are off to The Land Where Mickey Lives in the morning, for a week with our favorite mouse. This past Tuesday (July 4), I experimented with taking fireworks pix, more or less as 'prep' for our trip to The World. Using ISO 100, 3 second exposure, f/8 (max) aperture, and manual focus, I got some decently exposed shots (Finepix S5200). I'm sure that photographing Mickey's Castle using 3 second exposure will result in overexposure of the Castle, while being OK for the bursts themselves. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get the proper exposure for both the castle and the bursts?

Also, is the railroad station platform a good place to stake out a spot for Wishes? I'm assuming one must get said spot early...

~YEKCIM

 

[jenny2]

YEKCIM - check the sticky at the top of this page. Kelly updated the 'how to shoot fireworks' thread to take Wishes and the castle into account!

 

[YEKCIM]

YEKCIM - check the sticky at the top of this page. Kelly updated the 'how to shoot fireworks' thread to take Wishes and the castle into account!

Guess I'm just dense; I saw the part about knowing what happens, when, but nothing I could see about how to get proper castle exposure *and* fireworks exposure. May just have to experiment with different exposures, which is another nice thing about digital...being able to adjust on the fly.

Thanks for pointing me to the sticky.

~YEKCIM

 

[JR6ooo4]

The lights on the castle keep changing so use your camera like a machine gun and mabye the lighting will match in a few of the shots.
Mikeeee

 

[YEKCIM]

The lights on the castle keep changing so use your camera like a machine gun and mabye the lighting will match in a few of the shots.
Mikeeee

That's sorta' what I did this past Tuesday at our local July 4 celebration. I set cam on tripod to the area of the sky where the bursts were detonating, cam on manual focus, exposure manual (3 sec, f/8, which is my min aperture), ISO 100, Chrome mode (Fuji), and just pressed the shutter release as soon as the previous exposure was done.

Here is one of the better shots:

Nothing spectacular, but technique-wise, I think I nailed it pretty closely. Now, just bring on Wishes!

~YEKCIM

 

[handicap18]

I took all my Wished fireworks pictures between 4 & 10 seconds. You wont get the castle overexposed with those shutter speeds. The only time things will be overexposed is during the finale of Wishes. At that time there are so may fireworks going off it makes the area around the castle seem like high noon to a camera.

I found 5 seconds at f/8 or f/10 to be good for Wishes, especially if you get a good spot. I found the 2nd trash can on the left past Casey's Corner to be good for me. I set my tripod up right on top of the trash can (though I did have to stick a folded up piece of paper under 1 corner of the trash can to keep it from rocking).

Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[Adz1984]

I have just purchased a Sony N1, and it says it has 1-30sec exposure.

What sort of pictures would you take to use the 30 sec exposure?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

'painting' with lights, abstract pics. See example below. Although it's only 6 second exposure.

 

[Adz1984]

so basically you would get trails from everything, is it worth using these settings in the fast paced world of wdw?

 

[Laura]

Heck yeah. Fireworks is one, but go to MK at night, set your exposure to something really high, put your camera on a tripod or trash can and aim it at the carousel. It'll look like it's spinning like mad!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

if you want to get the trailing effect, yes. For example you want to take the pic of the Spaceship Earth but want the effect of less people in the park, you just set the camera to ISO 100, shutter speed to (say) 20 seconds, put the camera on tripod, of course, and press the shutter button.

You'll get a clear picture of Spaceship Earth with the look of lack of people (or streaks of movemements, depending of the clothing colour people wear on that day).

 

[amid chaos]

Here is an example of a long exposure. This was my first and only attempt as I had an uncooperative helper. LOL
Completely dark room, camera on a tripod, 30 second exposure and a flashlight.
My uncooperative model sat at the piano and I pressed the shutter button. then I turned a flashlight on him, exposing the piano and the model. Turned the flashlight off and in the dark, the model moved behind the piano bench and picked up the flute. Turned on the flashlight again illuminating him. Turned off the flashlight and the shutter closed.
I would love to try this again with a more cooperative model...even though he thought the end result was "totally cool".

 

[Judge Fudge]

Wow, that's a really cool image.

 

[handicap18]

30 seconds f/13 ISO I belive was 200. Taken at about 11:30pm

 

[jann1033]

OK i want to do this and the ones with the streaks from motion IE cars...so if i did like shutter 20, what would the aperture be( would av set it right or would i need to set it manually) and how and would this be where i would use second curtain flash? would the "bulb" and remote come into play at all here?
in 2 weeks it is what Hub and i have labeled our "North-South-Carolina-bbq-seafood-eating-picture-taking-sketching-extravaganza" and i want to be ready
ok you all thought we must be nerds already, this justs seals the deal

 

[handicap18]

Jan taking pics of a street at night to get the streaks of red from taillights would be similar to taking pictures of fireworks. A lot will depend on how busy the road is. If its pretty busy start at 5 seconds at f/8. Then adjust accordingly from there, I've seen 8 seconds listed a lot for pics like that. I would use manual and set shutter and aperture yourself. Let the camera do the counting. If you use Bulb, then you have to do the counting along with closing the shutter.

This isn't the best example, but its all I have right now. If you look on the bridge you can see the white and red lines from the cars. 4 seconds at f/8 ISO 200

 

[handicap18]

Oh and BTW,,,, "North-South-Carolina-bbq-seafood-eating-picture-taking-sketching-extravaganza" Sounds like something I'd love to take part in. Throw in some good beer and I'm all over that. BBQ and Seafood!! Two of my most favoritests!!!! Especially if the seafood is BBQ'd!!

 

[jann1033]

Jan taking pics of a street at night to get the streaks of red from taillights would be similar to taking pictures of fireworks. A lot will depend on how busy the road is. If its pretty busy start at 5 seconds at f/8. Then adjust accordingly from there, I've seen 8 seconds listed a lot for pics like that. I would use manual and set shutter and aperture yourself. Let the camera do the counting. If you use Bulb, then you have to do the counting along with closing the shutter.

This isn't the best example, but its all I have right now. If you look on the bridge you can see the white and red lines from the cars. 4 seconds at f/8 ISO 200

very nice ! looks like you got the moon in there too!...
oh and i'm pretty sure hubby will have more than one cerveza on the trip