Capturing the night images

[flyingwil]

Ok, I am need of some help. I am using a borrowed Nikon D70, and need to capture some night photographs of some lights side by side. I want to capture "a driver's view" of light 1 vs. light 2 and so on.

I am planning on setting the camera up on a tripod, on the front driver's side of the vehicle, so each picture will be from the same location, and have the same view.

My problem is that I do not know enough about photography to be able to pull off the shots I am looking for, and in turn do not know how to set up the camera accordingly. I have one chance at this photo op and one chance only, so I need to get it right.

Can anyone walk me through the best setting to capture these shots I am looking for?


Below is a poor example of what I am hoping to get, I just want mine to be more uniform and precise.

 

[slomatt]

Wil,

The trick with these kinds of shots is making sure the exposure is exactly the same for each photo, this means using manual mode with a fixed aperture (f stop), shutter speed, ISO, focus, and white balance.

If you want to be really precise I'd recommend the following. This assumes the truck is not moving while you take the picture so that you don't have to worry about shutter speed.

Start off with the brightest set of lights you are going to test, or your best guess as to what is the brightest. We're going to set the exposure based on that light, that way you know the others will not be overexposed.

1. Mount the camera on the tripod.

2. Assuming you're using a zoom lens set the zoom and frame the shot.

3. Turn on the headlights and hold the shutter button half way so the camera autofocuses, release and switch to manual focus mode. Alternatively you can just use manual focus mode to set the focus by eye. The goal here is to lock in the focus so it stays consistent. Also, autofocus on some lenses can have a hard time in the dark so it's good to lock it in before you take the shot.

4. Set the ISO to the lowest you support, on your Nikon it's probably 100 or so. This will keep the noise as low as possible during the exposure. Since we're taking a long exposure there is no need for the light amplification provided by the higher ISO values.

5. Set the whitebalance to one of the manual modes. This is a little tricky since there are multiple modes, I usually pick "sun" or "halogen" for night shots depending on the lighting. Again the goal is consistency so people can compare the color temperature of the lights you are shooting.

6. Set the aperture (f stop) to something around f8. This should provide good sharpness with most lenses and a decent depth of field.

7. Set the shutter speed so you get a properly exposed shot. By holding the shutter button half way you should be able to check the exposure level and adjust as needed. As stated above this needs to be done with the brightest lights on so that the other lights don't overexpose.

8. Take some test shots to make sure everything is looking good.

9. With a long exposure the act of pressing the shutter button to take a shot can vibrate the camera and blur the photo. The work around is to either use a remote release, or use the built in timer on the camera. Ok, here's where you can get really nitpicky. On most SLR cameras light can leak in through the viewfinder, I'm not kidding. Canon's come with a black rubber doodad on the strap that goes over the viewfinder to prevent this from happening. This is really not a big deal, and personally I wouldn't worry about it.

After setting up all that in the dark, which is always fun, you're ready to take your shots and can be confident you'll get an accurate comparison.

Here are some night shots if anybody is interested, many of these were taken using a process similar to the above.

http://www.blankwhitepage.com/gallery/night_photography

- Matt

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

^^^^^^What Matt Said^^^^ :costumed-smiley-007

 

[tdesanto]

Wil,

These are tough shots for someone just getting into photography. Bravo, sir, for taking on the challenge.

I concur with Slomatt’s suggestions for using a tripod, setting the exposure manually for the brightest lights, for turning it to manual focus after setting the focus, and for setting the white balance to the same for all exposures. Nice write up, by the way.

Here’s some camera specific help:

• The focus button is on the right side (if you’re looking at the front) of the lens. S=single focus and the M=manual. You can flip this after you focus the image. Or, you can leave it on manual and simply focus the lens manually. The green dot in the viewfinder (at the bottom) will illuminate to let you know you’re in focus for the spot that the lens is pointed at.
• Minimum ISO is 200, use that.
• In the menu, there’s also a noise reduction mode (I can’t remember what it’s called exactly) that is good for pictures at night. Turn this on if you are unhappy with the noise in the exposures you get.
• White balance is also set in the menu. I can’t remember the exact key steps, but the manual will tell you, plus the menu is pretty straightforward. You could probably poke around for a couple minutes and figure it out without even reading the manual.
• To adjust the aperture, you use the wheel above your right index finger. To adjust shutter speed, you use the wheel near your right thumb.
• To set proper exposure, as stated, use the brightest lights possible. Point the camera at the brightest spot and then adjust the shutter speed accordingly. Normally, you want the indicator in the middle, but if you’re pointed at black asphalt , or something dark in color, you may have to adjust so that the indicator shows that the exposure will be slightly underexposed. Once you take shot, look at the histogram in the LCD. Use the joystick to cycle through the different views until you see the histogram. You want to make sure that there isn’t too much on either the left (underexposed) or right (overexposed). Here’s an article that explains it in detail. The D70 doesn’t have a complex one as an RGB, but it still give you a good idea. You can also use the overexposure view on the LCD, where anything that is overexposed will blink for the shot you’re currently viewing.
• Also, I forget exactly how to set the timer, but if you want a really sharp images using a tripod, you can set the timer (I believe this is in the menu for duration and the dial on the left for setting the camera in timer mode) to help prevent additional vibrations caused by triggering the shutter yourself.

Wil, please forgive me if any of this is incorrect or for the lack of detail in some areas. It’s been a while since I’ve used a D70 and I cannot remember some of these details. Give me a call if you have any further questions or need to talk any of this through.

Good luck!!!

TD

 

[Michael Slade]

Excellent advice from those posting earlier. I would add a couple of things.

1. Make sure when you start photographing there is a completely dark sky. If you have to spread this test out over a few days, make sure you are shooting at the same time of night with the same ambient light (or more importantly, lack of ambient light). You'd be surprised how much the light will change from 9pm to 10pm.

2. I would start with my brightest bulbs.

3. BRACKET to find your optimum exposure. DO NOT TRUST YOUR METER. Find your optimal exposure by doing a bracket test one night. Bring your images up in your editor of choice, find your best exposure and record it for future tests. For the test to have any validity you need to make sure everything is identical for each shot.

4. Minimize any post-production gimmickry, or leave it out altogether.

5. Ask questions if you get in a jam. There are a lot of smart photographers here who will and have offered a lot of good advice.

 

[slomatt]

tdesanto,

I'm really glad you could provide some Nikon specific instructions. While writing my initial post I kept thinking that I was throwing a lot of concepts out there and not giving any concrete instructions into how to actually make those changes on the camera. My excuse is that I'm a Canon guy and don't know the Nikon interface.


Michael's suggestion to take some bracketed shots the night before is a really good one. I'm not sure what the default light metering mode is on the Nikon and there's a chance that you won't be able to 100% trust the built in light meter depending on if it's using spot or averaged metering. If you only have one night to take the shots then tdesanto's instructions on checking the exposure using the histogram and overexposure view are the way to go.

Man, now I want to go take some photos, darn day job.

- Matt

 

[Zorro]

Ok, here's where you can get really nitpicky. On most SLR cameras light can leak in through the viewfinder, I'm not kidding. Canon's come with a black rubber doodad on the strap that goes over the viewfinder to prevent this from happening.

:bowdown: So that's what it's for!!!!!!!! Would have never guessed!!!

 

[flyingwil]

Thanks for the help guys!!!!
:victory:

 

[lowenbrau]

:bowdown: So that's what it's for!!!!!!!! Would have never guessed!!!

Me neither. I took one look at mine and assumed it was to hold a spare memory card which it does, though not too securely.

 

[spressomon]

Ok, I am need of some help. I am using a borrowed Nikon D70, and need to capture some night photographs of some lights side by side. I want to capture "a driver's view" of light 1 vs. light 2 and so on.

I am planning on setting the camera up on a tripod, on the front driver's side of the vehicle, so each picture will be from the same location, and have the same view.

My problem is that I do not know enough about photography to be able to pull off the shots I am looking for, and in turn do not know how to set up the camera accordingly. I have one chance at this photo op and one chance only, so I need to get it right.

Can anyone walk me through the best setting to capture these shots I am looking for?


Below is a poor example of what I am hoping to get, I just want mine to be more uniform and precise.

Hmmm...are you testing the new LED lamps you are selling or possibly a Genesis?! Please spill the beans :coffeedrink:

 

[flyingwil]

Hmmm...are you testing the new LED lamps you are selling or possibly a Genesis?! Please spill the beans :coffeedrink:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24148

 

[sgt rock]

from a rookie

i have had my camera (rebel xt-canon) set to shoot in auto mode for as long as i have had it. this semester i took a class on digital photography as we can not turn in anything in auto and has to be in "raw".

a tripod was oneof the best added features i could have bought and even though i am at a very begining stage have become more proficiant with brackets, f-stops, hdr and so forth....and of course to bring out the dusty owners manual.....

though this is not what you have asked for- but this was from this semester and can say that i have expermented enough to give me more of a interest in night shooting!

 

[sami]

Great tech info here! Thanks to those who posted some info