Night Shots

[bytheblood]

Hello Avid Photographers & Fellow-Disers Alike!

Please share with me your camera settings and techniques where you feel you get the best photos at night. I am not only referring to fireworks, but also nighttime parades, Fantasmic, Castle shots, family shots, etc.

I have my own techniques that I use, but I would like to know what others have found that gives them great photos at night.

We will be taking pictures with both a digital camera (4MP Nikon) as well as a really nice 35MM (Nikon) camera.

I do appreciate any and all feedback.

Have a blessed and still "magical" day!

 

[Shutterbug]

For Spectromagic where flash shots kind of ruin the effect I put on my 50mm lens on my Canon 35mm which stops down to a 1.8 apeture and use 400 speed film.
If I have to use my wide angle lens which only stops to 3.5 or I want to use my 100 speed slide film I use the tripod.

For flash shots, If I'm about 5ft away I back the power of the flash off.

 

[bytheblood]

For Spectromagic where flash shots kind of ruin the effect I put on my 50mm lens on my Canon 35mm which stops down to a 1.8 apeture and use 400 speed film.
If I have to use my wide angle lens which only stops to 3.5 or I want to use my 100 speed slide film I use the tripod.

For flash shots, If I'm about 5ft away I back the power of the flash off.

Thank you for the tip.

 

[bytheblood]

Bumping!

 

[seashoreCM]

Main St. USA (MK) at night, holiday season.

Using a 35mm camera on manual exposure. 200 speed film.

1/30'th second F/2.8, white lights on marquees just starting to be overexposed, Christmas lights quite good, people and decorations still too dark.

1/30'th second F/4, lights on marquees OK, Christmas lights OK.

I would guess that using 400 film for 1/30'th second at F/2.8 or 200 film at F/2.0 (1.8) should give quite good results here. There was a resonable amount of light on the street.

Spectromagic: 1/30'th second F/2.8, lights on floats came out good although floats themselves were really shadowed out. Again, one more stop (either 400 film or F/2.0) should bring out some un-illuminated details without making the lights "burn in" or turn white.

Note that if you leave the camera on auto, the entire scene may end up brighter or darker depending on how many light bulbs were in the scene or on the parade float.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

For scenes that are primary colored lights such as the Osborne Lights, do not simply leave a camcorder on auto since that usually results in most of the lights washed out to white.

 

[bytheblood]

Thank you SeashoreCM