DLR: dSLR settings - Family Photo's at night tips!

[Bill_AZ]

Hi all! New to dSLR photography and will be spending New Year's Eve at Disneyland.

For all those experienced with shooting around the park, can you please share your outdoor, nightime photo tips; specifically on Main Street USA. Will be shooting family. Can you get away with a higher ISO and not depend on the flash? Or, must you use the flash in this situation?

Please share your photos and associated settings. Thanks in advance for your time! )))

- Bill

 

[Frantasmic]

What camera and lenses are you using?

 

[Bill_AZ]

What camera and lenses are you using?

I'll be using the new Nikon D7000 with the 18-105 kit lens. However, if Santa is nice to me this year, I'll also have the 35mm f/1.8 AF-S in my bag.

Any suggestions???

 

[NLD]

Do you have an external flash, or are you dependent on the pop-up flash?

 

[Bill_AZ]

Pop-up ...

 

[handicap18]

Tripod.... Rear curtain synch. Use either the self timer or a remote shutter release.

Low ISO is good. Shutter speed anywhere from 1/20th to 1 second, probably f/8 is good. You may have to play around with it to see what you get until you get something you like.

Set the flash to rear curtain (check your manual). I'd practice before you leave. Just set up something outside. Its not all that difficult.

Here is a shot I took a few years ago:

 

[loganpaulsmom]

OK.. I am hijacking..... I love taking pics but don't have a really good camera.. just a nikon digital s6000. I just put my Xmas tree up yesterday and I was trying to take the pictures with the light off in the room so you could see the lights on the tree.. but.. when I took the picture you couldn't see the night lights.. how do I change that? I am so not camera savvy.. thanks..

 

[Bill_AZ]

Thanks for your tip handicap18! Nice shot!

P.S. I'm also a 18 handicap ... if you're speaking about golf.

 

[andytaro]

Go into Av mode and use slow sync with your flash.
When you changed your camera mode to AV mode, set your aperture and ISO and pop up your flash and shoot.
You will need a tripod or any other way to keep camera steady (i.e. bean bag)

 

[Frantasmic]

For all those experienced with shooting around the park,
can you please share your outdoor, nightime photo tips;
specifically on Main Street USA. Will be shooting family.
Can you get away with a higher ISO and not depend on the flash?
Or, must you use the flash in this situation?

Low ISO is good. Shutter speed anywhere from 1/20th to 1 second,
probably f/8 is good. You may have to play around with it to see
what you get until you get something you like.

Just wanted to clarify. The low ISO and shutter speed are good for stationary objects like the lights and buildings. For family on main street, you will need a flash or a very fast lens (or both) and you need to set your shutter to at least 1/80. Otherwise the people will probably be blurry at 1/20 to 1 second, unless they remain absolutely still.

 

[cosine4]

I am going to Disneyland later this week and would like to get some similar pictures as what is in this thread except I will be going with an external flash for the first time

My question is where do you aim the flash? Directly at the subject? Slightly up with the reflection card out? I know the easy answer is to experiment and I will, but my family get's impatient so I just wanted to know what you all suggest.

Thanks!

 

[wenrob]

All the ones I'm posting were taken with the Sigma 30 F/1.4 aka the Dirty Thirty. If you don't want to fool with a tripod and are comfortable knowing your DOF you can absolutely get shots without a flash. (ETA, this is if Santa brings you the 35 F/1.8. If not do what Kyle said.) Warning: They will not be perfect but they'll be usable. These were taken in very narrow, crowded pathways, no way could I have used a tripod. I had to shoot and move on.
ISO 800 F/2 SS 1/50

ISO 800 F/1.4 SS 1/40

These were taken with the external flash w/GF Origami diffuser tilted to the side and slightly behind me, rear sync. ISO 800 F/2.2 SS 1/60 (purposely set to 1/60 so I could get some ambient light)

As you can see I had plenty of light to work with and am comfortable using manual settings. Both things to consider. I much prefer the ones without flash and I'm a big flash user. I personally would have cranked my ISO more if needed to avoid the flash with lights like this. It should be noted that I added fill light to the girls in the sleigh in post processing.

 

[andytaro]

Low ISO is always good to keep noise down, but this depends on your ambient light and how much ambient light you want to capture at preferable shutter speed.
Also if you are using a on-camera flash, use a bouncer (stofen omni bouncer) to soften light coming from your flash. Direct flash light will create harsh shadows so if you want your pics to be more natural looking, I recommend using an omni bouncer.

This video gives you a basic flash lesson.
youtube.com/watch?v=-9_D_rDcWQ4

 

[rossb]

I think you will probably need a small burst of flash to get good lighting on the faces. The built-in unit will work fine for this.

Fast glass may not be the way to go because if you open the lens up you will probably get a shallow DOF. This may or may not be what you are looking to do. That is up to you.

A slow shutter will require a tripod and very steady subjects. Your flash pop will lessen motion blur, but the ambient lighting will still cause some blur if your subjects move.

I personally take night portraits at around ISO 800 or higher if required, around F4.5 and 1/30, and I fill in the faces with a pop of balanced flash. I check my meter before I take the image and I modify my exposure settings to get about -1.5 EV of exposure before I take the picture. I'll usually raise or lower my ISO to get me where I want to be. A tripod will allow you to drop the shutter, but I would not go too low unless your subjects are able to stand super still.