Pics inspired by Mark Barbieri's work

[AndrewWG]

The recent thread about pics inspired by Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure, I thought I'd go out and give a low light photo a try tonight based on some of the seashore shots I have seen posted by Mark. My thought was to wait until the sun went down and in fact, I should have gone earlier than that by some minutes. The surf was NOT up, so the pics didn't stand a chance to look good with too low a light level and no surf, but I threw on my star filter (although the f22 aperture should have starred the lights) and took this shot. Not bad, but I have alot of improvement. Has anyone else tried to do this type of photography?

ps. Thanks Mark for the inspiration to give this a try. I'll keep trying.

Exposure Time = 91"
F Number = F22
Exposure Program = Manual
ISO Speed Ratings = 100
with Star 8 filter

 

[AndrewWG]

Here is another shot from the same area. Again, it did not accomplish what I wanted, but the sky colors are cool. The water was just too flat to get the misty look to it and it was too late to even attempt it. As you can tell, the pic is noisy and grainy looking, I'm guessing from the long exposure.

Exposure Time = 25"
F Number = F22
Exposure Program = Manual
ISO Speed Ratings = 100

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Pretty cool pictures and pretty cool that my pictures inspired you. I think that what you lost in "mist" you gained in reflection. One thing that I would have done differently with the composition would have been to move the lights off to one side (rule of thirds and all that).

 

[AndrewWG]

Pretty cool pictures and pretty cool that my pictures inspired you. I think that what you lost in "mist" you gained in reflection. One thing that I would have done differently with the composition would have been to move the lights off to one side (rule of thirds and all that).

Well, one lesson that I learned here is that when I tried to move them to one side, I could not get the camera to find a focus point. I also couldn't really see my lens to tell which switch was AF/MF so that I could switch to MF and go to infinity. A small flashlight would have been helpful here. Again, lessons learned. Perhaps I will have some time to try tonight again. I hope so. I'd like to nail some of these shots as I really like the effect.

Thanks again!

 

[Amy]

Hi Andy! Good job on the evening shots - I esp. like the 2nd one; you sure do get some cool cloud formations in your area! I remember that one photo of yours with the straight line of storm clouds.

I'm so jealous of you folks who live near the coast who can just hop on over there some night to experiment! I love sunset/sunrise photos over the ocean.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Nice work, Andy. I tried to get some, too, based on that thread. We'll eventually get it (you probably sooner than me ).

You're right, Amy. It is really special to live near the ocean. It would be nice to capture the sounds, smells and peacefulness in the photos. Some photos can "bring you there", I guess. I enjoy trying to capture it.

 

[SharonLowe]

. Not bad, but I have alot of improvement. Has anyone else tried to do this type of photography?

ps. Thanks Mark for the inspiration to give this a try. I'll keep trying.

Good first try; the second one is especially nice!

Night photography is a passion of mine, though I don't get to go out as often as I would like. Here's my night photography gallery:

http://www.photosbysharon.com/-/photosbysharon/galleryindex.asp?c=247

For a great site with great night photography tips, try the Nocturnes, here:

http://www.thenocturnes.com/

Check under the resources link for some excellent tips on equipment, etc.

 

[MICKEY88]

zooming during exposure can yield interesting results.

playing with white balance can also be fun..

warmer weather when the fountain was turned on..

 

[jann1033]

mickey 88 can you explain the zooming...i've tried it halfheartedly a couple times after seeing some others results and end up with streaks and not much else...do you turn it slowly,? i think maybe i am going to fast and probably need a longer exposure than i have tried? maybe on a tripod since it was hard to hold it and turn at the same time probably accounting for the streaky effect.
oh yeah, nice photos all she's says forgetting her manners entirely.

andy love the sky in 2, nice work
Amy I agree about living someplace "scenic", hard to get much of interest in a dark open field..unless it's some coyotes' eyes staring back and then i would have to run into the house anyway due to my chickenness.

 

[MICKEY88]

mickey 88 can you explain the zooming...i've tried it halfheartedly a couple times after seeing some others results and end up with streaks and not much else...do you turn it slowly,? i think maybe i am going to fast and probably need a longer exposure than i have tried? maybe on a tripod since it was hard to hold it and turn at the same time probably accounting for the streaky effect.
oh yeah, nice photos all she's says forgetting her manners entirely.

.

I definitely use a tripod, and usualy at least a 30 second shutter speed, I zoom slowly, sometimes zooming in,back out and maybe even in again..

I generally experiment shooting many shots this way, varying speed etc...just to see what I get...

 

[handicap18]

Nice work Andy. #2 came out nice. #1 looks like it could have used a longer exposure. Even at 91 seconds it looks on the dark side. The star effect came out great.

On calm nights if you can head to the canal you might get more of the effects your looking for. You can get close to the rocks and the tide is always moving. Plus you throw in some boats and you can get some mist. Something to think about.

Keep shooting.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

We had a guy (Ted Washington) present on "Nighttime Photography" at our local photo club. It was disgusting. He shoots all around where I live. He must have shown over 100 pictures that night and his worst was better than anything I've ever taken out here (except he didn't have amazingly cute kids in his like I do). Anyway, it was a great presentation.

One of the main points that really struck with me is that the best "Nighttime" photography is really dusk photography. The best times to shoot are around sunset (or sunrise for those of us more inclined to start our day early). In fact, the very best time is the minute or two when the brightness of the sky is closest to the brightness of the buildings or other subjects we're shooting.

A few other things that I recall:

1) Water extends your shooting time. The light reflected from the sky on the water can keep your subject interesting for a bit longer.

2) He was extraordinarily detailed with his preparations. He would even consult charts to see when the moon would be in the right spot in the sky. He actually carries one of those thingies for checking the angle of objects in the sky (is that a sextant?).

3) He carried a really bright battery powered Q-beam for "painting" objects during long exposures. He had gels for that so that he could paint with colors.

4) The best light only lasts for a brief period of time. Know in advance what you want to shoot and be ready for it.

It was a really humbling presentation. It's not that his stuff was any better than the pro sports guy, the African safari shooter, the wildlife shooter, or any of the other amazing photographers that have presented. I think that the difference was that they were always showing something that I can't do. I don't have access to the right spots at sporting events. I can't afford a trip to Africa. I don't have time to hang out all day waiting for wildlife. This guy was shooting shots right where I live and work. The same places that I shoot.

 

[MICKEY88]

It was a really humbling presentation. It's not that his stuff was any better than the pro sports guy, the African safari shooter, the wildlife shooter, or any of the other amazing photographers that have presented. I think that the difference was that they were always showing something that I can't do. I don't have access to the right spots at sporting events. I can't afford a trip to Africa. I don't have time to hang out all day waiting for wildlife. This guy was shooting shots right where I live and work. The same places that I shoot.

but he also probably has more free time and can go to his location whatever day the moon is right, and sets up before sunset and then waits for the perfect light..

that's what I normally do for my capitol shots, I only go there when I have hours to kill. I set up before sunset, then take pics all thru the changing lighting... if you check out the folders, most start in daylight and spill over 'till after dark..

http://public.fotki.com/Mickey88/pa_capitol/pa_capitol_5-6-7/

most of the capitol police know me, so they don't bother me when I'm hanging out for hours at a time...

 

[MarkBarbieri]

but he also probably has more free time and can go to his location whatever day the moon is right, and sets up before sunset and then waits for the perfect light..

that's what I normally do for my capitol shots, I only go there when I have hours to kill. I set up before sunset, then take pics all thru the changing lighting... if you check out the folders, most start in daylight and spill over 'till after dark..

http://public.fotki.com/Mickey88/pa_capitol/pa_capitol_5-6-7/

most of the capitol police know me, so they don't bother me when I'm hanging out for hours at a time...

He was a staff photographer for The Woodlands Development Corp (the people that built my town) for well over a decade. He's got a bigger budget, much more time, and a bigger incentive. Still, with the exception of his interior stuff, there was nothing he did that I didn't have the equipment to do. I just lack the time, creativity, and artistry.

 

[MICKEY88]

He was a staff photographer for The Woodlands Development Corp (the people that built my town) for well over a decade. He's got a bigger budget, much more time, and a bigger incentive. Still, with the exception of his interior stuff, there was nothing he did that I didn't have the equipment to do. I just lack the time, creativity, and artistry.

that was my point, I'm sure given the time, you could shoot comparable shots

 

[AndrewWG]

Thanks everyone for your comments! I like the second one the best too. The sky was really cool looking that night. Nice pics that you guys posted too. I really hope to get the hang of this as it is a real neat aspect of photography. I went out the night after I took those pics and tried again, but wasn't really successful that night either. The sky was boring and mainly cloudy over the water. The back marshy area wasn't as bad, but nowhere near as cool as the night before. Here are the results:

 

[jann1033]

He was a staff photographer for The Woodlands Development Corp (the people that built my town) for well over a decade. He's got a bigger budget, much more time, and a bigger incentive. Still, with the exception of his interior stuff, there was nothing he did that I didn't have the equipment to do. I just lack the time, creativity, and artistry.

don't be so hard on yourself mark, you might lack the time but not the other 2...i have a friend who just made over $4000 selling his photos in a tiny gathering a local postmaster set up for him...he takes mostly birds...and i was depressed to say the least but he does have really good equipment ( IE he just spent $800 on a ND filter, has a 600mm lens and maybe some others as well, a Nikon flagship camera what ever the name of it really is), takes little junkets to Fl every month or so, NC couple times a yr etc, and has been doing this for yrs. so i figured maybe once I'm as old as him( he just hit 60) maybe I'll be able to sell enough photos to at least buy the filter he did so i figure take notice of what he does( truthfully i don't see that much difference but there must be something) and try to implement it if I can