C.C.P.I.C.S. - Class 03 - Low-light Photography

[barbevrn]

This is such a great topic. I know I don't take low light pictures as much as I should. It just takes more patience. I don't have anything new. But, I wanted to share that point and shoot cameras CAN do an awesome job. My little Nikon coolpix 3700 does a great job. It's drawbacks are that it is 3mp and the view display is TINY! It wasn't functional for photos of my grandbabies that I want to enlarge.

 

Going to Alakska next week and hope to get TONS of practice :D

 

ISO50, 4 sec, f4.8, 35mm

ISO50, 4 sec, f4.8, 35mm

ISO50, 1.2sec, f3.5, 61mm

[Essiesmom]

My worst problem on the last cruise was limited time...as well as not having familiarized myself with the manual adjustments I could make. Our tours were so tightly timed that we had ten minutes in a cathedral...hardly time to get in and out, not to mention adjusting camera settings on advanced P&S camera for decent shots...I have a Kodak P880 and I really need to learn to use more of it's features...EM

[pierces]

My worst problem on the last cruise was limited time...as well as not having familiarized myself with the manual adjustments I could make. Our tours were so tightly timed that we had ten minutes in a cathedral...hardly time to get in and out, not to mention adjusting camera settings on advanced P&S camera for decent shots...I have a Kodak P880 and I really need to learn to use more of it's features...EM

 

That's what these classes are for! :D

 

Regardless of the information provided, the goal is to get people out there using their cameras and practicing. If you have to spend time figuring out settings, you will probably miss the shot. Practice and familiarity with your equipment can make the difference between a snapshot and a post card!My feeling is that I spend a lot to get somewhere on a cruise and I want nice pictures to prove it! I usually spend all the time I can the week before a trip brushing up on little-used settings and wrapping my head back around photography.

 

You live in Georgia, so find a cool old Antebellum historical site and go nuts.

 

Happy shooting!

 

Dave

[Essiesmom]

This time of year, there are no 'cool' places...But I might just take myself to Savannah to the roundhouse Railroad museum...haven't been there in a few years. Or the Mighty 8th Air force Museum...And the cathedral...EM

[bakechef]

I'll be in Savannah in a week, I have a feeling that I will be a picture snapping fool in that city. I have never been there but it looks beautiful! Then off to the cruise!!!!!!!!!!

 

MAC

[SheilaNC]

MAC,

Savannah is beautiful...I was there this spring for a meeting and FORGOT to pack my camera, mea culpa! It's a photographic joy - lots of beautiful squares, lovely homes, beautiful waterfront, horse drawn carriages, etc. Enjoy and do share your pictures with us - oh, and it's lovely in the evening, so you can practice Lesson 3!

[Essiesmom]

And if you feel the need for a 'training cruise', you can board the faux riverboat on the Savannah River and do the one hour sightseeing tour...Up the river and back down. EM

[SakeDad]

These were from the Eurodam....

 

 

 

[mnbruce]

Here's a low light shot from the other night.

[bakechef]

MAC,

Savannah is beautiful...I was there this spring for a meeting and FORGOT to pack my camera, mea culpa! It's a photographic joy - lots of beautiful squares, lovely homes, beautiful waterfront, horse drawn carriages, etc. Enjoy and do share your pictures with us - oh, and it's lovely in the evening, so you can practice Lesson 3!

 

I was thinking just that about lesson 3, I am having a hard time getting out at night to find a good place here, I am sure that I will be snapping tons of pictures there and I will definitely share them with y'all!

 

MAC

[Robin7]

I'm not sure where to even begin! What settings would you use for a spotlighted American flag waving in the wind at night? The shutter would have to be fairly fast, right?

 

Robin

[pierces]

I'm not sure where to even begin! What settings would you use for a spotlighted American flag waving in the wind at night? The shutter would have to be fairly fast, right?

 

Robin

 

Maybe, maybe not...

 

Try about 1/60s to start and adjust from there.

 

I think, however, that if you were to use a tripod and try a 1s or 2s exposure, you might like the effect.

 

Whatever comes out, post it!

 

Dave

[Robin7]

Try about 1/60s to start and adjust from there.

 

I think, however, that if you were to use a tripod and try a 1s or 2s exposure, you might like the effect.

 

Whatever comes out, post it!

 

Dave

 

Thanks! I will.

 

On our cruise, we will be visiting one or two cave systems. No flash allowed. So I've been meaning to try out low-light photography. I'll see if I can get out there tonight or tomorrow.

 

Robin

[cruzegirl]

Dave,

I am still aiming to try the low light. I've had a rough few weeks and not able to concentrate or go out and try. I've been reading your article on this subject but between it being over my head and distracted at the same time, I've read it literally about 10 times. lol. I have a few questions I'll get to the end of this week. I have 3 days off with nothing pending. So my goal is to play.

[pierces]

Dave,

I am still aiming to try the low light. I've had a rough few weeks and not able to concentrate or go out and try. I've been reading your article on this subject but between it being over my head and distracted at the same time, I've read it literally about 10 times. lol. I have a few questions I'll get to the end of this week. I have 3 days off with nothing pending. So my goal is to play.

 

Please feel free to ask specific questions, That's part of this excercise.

 

Dave

[Kane]

While waiting for the microwave to nuke my dinner I stepped outside and stumbled on a nice low-light vista.

 

F2.3, 1 second

 

Gimp cropped to ROT, so 2-lessons-in-1.

[pierces]

While waiting for the microwave to nuke my dinner I stepped outside and stumbled on a nice low-light vista.

 

F2.3, 1 second

 

Gimp cropped to ROT, so 2-lessons-in-1.

 

Good job.

 

Nice sky with the touch of city lights. I bumped the gamma up just a little to see the tree better and added back some contrast for the color. Try it, you might like what you see!

 

Dave

[MTAggie]

I'll share a couple views of a ferris wheel I snapped on the fly while everyone was waiting for me to get on!

 

 

[Kane]

Good job.

 

Nice sky with the touch of city lights. I bumped the gamma up just a little to see the tree better and added back some contrast for the color. Try it, you might like what you see!

 

Dave

 

For the lessons, I have not been touching my posted photos with PhotoShop or Gimp other than, maybe, a crop. I'll wait until your possible future lesson on photo manipulation.

 

But ... here's one I popped on the CC photo gallery of Statendam on Mars:

 

[cruzegirl]

Dave,

Ok, I finally got through my reading and ventured out to try what I thought I understood. That statement will make more sense shortly. lol.

 

I read this so many times that I almost had it memorized. This class really confused me. The aperture numbers were backwards to me. And I'm horrible/scared of math/numbers. The fact that a smaller number let more light in just seemed wrong. But I finally related it to nursing. The smaller the number on the needle gauge, the larger the bore of the needle. The larger the number, the smaller the bore or diameter. So that's how I had to look at it.

Then came shutter speed. I understand that the faster the shutter speed, the less amount of time for light to get in to the sensor. And faster speeds are needed for action. That for low light or nighttime, we need a slower shutter speed to light the light hit the sensor.

And the ISO I pretty much get. I can remember using 400 or 800 on film for dark stuff.

But putting all these things together, to be able to go out, look at a situation and say I need these numbers, it confuses me and escapes me. I thought I somewhat had the concept but when you see the result, I'm disappointed in myself. They are either blurry, or too dark. I did take the one persons suggestion of taking off the Image Stabilization and using the timer to prevent shake. I don't know what my problem is but I'm ready to go back to the scene selection. lol.....

Here is a link to the album. It's all the shots I took tonight from sunset to darkness. And not in order and I can't figure out how to rearrange on Photobucket once uploaded. I put the photo info. there. And when it says 1-5 for shutter speed it's 1/5. When I rename the photos, it doesn't allow the / symbol. I'll put a few here for critique. Remember, I'm a perfectionist so I'm very hard on myself. But I also feel that I don't really "get it".

Album-- http://s111.photobucket.com/albums/n130/cruisegirl_2006/Low%20Light%20Photos/

 

F3.9 1/10 iso 200 These first 2 were taken after sunset, at dusk.

 

F3.9 1/25 iso 200

 

 

F4.0 1 sec. iso 200

 

F4.0 1sec. iso 400

[cruzegirl]

Here are some more. I can't say I had a total rhyme or reason for what I picked for settings. Except that as it got darker, I tried a lower aperture setting and then lower shutter speed. All this within the limitations of my Olympus sp 550 uz. I will play with the Canon Rebel another time. The Olympus is going to Tahiti so I wanted to play with it's manual settings.

 

F5.0 1sec. iso 400 -- See, these are horrible.

 

F5.0 1sec. iso 800

 

F8.0 1/4 sec. 800

[pierces]

Dave,

Ok, I finally got through my reading and ventured out to try what I thought I understood. That statement will make more sense shortly. lol.

 

I read this so many times that I almost had it memorized. This class really confused me. The aperture numbers were backwards to me. And I'm horrible/scared of math/numbers. The fact that a smaller number let more light in just seemed wrong. But I finally related it to nursing. The smaller the number on the needle gauge, the larger the bore of the needle. The larger the number, the smaller the bore or diameter. So that's how I had to look at it.

I'll try to expand on your needle metaphor since you can relate better.

The syringe holds light and the patient is the sensor (this is kinda fun!). The needle bore is the aperture, the ISO is the pressure you put on the syringe and the shutter speed is how long you press it. If you want more light to the patient (sensor), you can increase the bore size (smaller aperture number), press on the syringe longer (lower the shutter speed) or press harder (increase ISO). It is usually preferable to press on the syringe longer since too large a bore or more pressure can cause the patient discomfort. Translation: Lowering the shutter speed is better since it can be hard to get all of a scene in focus using a larger aperture and higher ISO will lead to a noisier image. It's also best to keep the patient calm and hold their arm while trying to find a vein. Translation: For anything over a half second, a steady tripod is your biggest asset.

Then came shutter speed. I understand that the faster the shutter speed, the less amount of time for light to get in to the sensor. And faster speeds are needed for action. That for low light or nighttime, we need a slower shutter speed to light the light hit the sensor.

And the ISO I pretty much get. I can remember using 400 or 800 on film for dark stuff.

But putting all these things together, to be able to go out, look at a situation and say I need these numbers, it confuses me and escapes me. I thought I somewhat had the concept but when you see the result, I'm disappointed in myself. They are either blurry, or too dark. I did take the one persons suggestion of taking off the Image Stabilization and using the timer to prevent shake. I don't know what my problem is but I'm ready to go back to the scene selection. lol.....

Try this: put the camera in manual mode and pick a middle of the road aperature like f/5.6 or f/8. Stick with ISO100 OR 200 to keep noise at bay. Bang! Two variables out of the mix. Focus manually since autofocus can get dodgy at low EVs and take the same scene several times, lowering the shutter speed each time. Don't be afraid to overexpose, my camera's metering told me 1s on this shot and I ended up at 3s:

 

(You can tell I used the "rail-pod :D)

 

Check the result after each exposure and learn from it!

Here is a link to the album. It's all the shots I took tonight from sunset to darkness. And not in order and I can't figure out how to rearrange on Photobucket once uploaded. I put the photo info. there. And when it says 1-5 for shutter speed it's 1/5. When I rename the photos, it doesn't allow the / symbol. I'll put a few here for critique. Remember, I'm a perfectionist so I'm very hard on myself. But I also feel that I don't really "get it".

 

"/" is a system reserved symbol for a unix directory level or an internet address. "\" is the DOS/Windows version of the directory indicator. For that reason, you can't use them in a file name. You and others here are getting pretty savvy about uploading and such...you may want to try out a PBase account. You can try it for free and it's still only $23 per year for 500MB with no ads and a lot of control over how things are displayed. (You can use "/" and "\" in captions since it not part of an address).

The street scene came out with no blurring and the exposure was pretty good. Keep in mind that you don't have control over everything. If the wind is blowing, buildings will be sharp, but leaves and flowers will blur. It may look like a focus issue, but you can tell the difference bu looking at all of the image and checking stationary objects. Another trick to stabilize a lighter tripod is to hang something heavy on it (my camera bag comes to mind :o ).

Keep it up! you're putting a lot of work into this and practice is the best way to "get it".

Being a perfectionist is an affliction that can be cured easily...have your soul removed and run for office! ;)

Personally, I'll stay picky for now!

Dave

P.S. Why is the Rebel staying home on the Tahiti trip?

[pierces]

But ... here's one I popped on the CC photo gallery of Statendam on Mars:

 

LOL

 

Imagine the shore excursions: A relaxing day trudging through dust with frequent breaks for oxygen....

 

Dave

[pierces]

I'll share a couple views of a ferris wheel I snapped on the fly while everyone was waiting for me to get on!

 

 

 

Good shot. Out having fun and still thinking about class...what a student! :D

 

 

These things make terriffic subjects with a tripod...they turn into firey pinwheels!

 

 

Keep it up!

 

Dave

[cruzegirl]

[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font]

 

I'll try to expand on your needle metaphor since you can relate better.

 

The syringe holds light and the patient is the sensor (this is kinda fun!). The needle bore is the aperture, the ISO is the pressure you put on the syringe and the shutter speed is how long you press it. If you want more light to the patient (sensor), you can increase the bore size (smaller aperture number), press on the syringe longer (lower the shutter speed) or press harder (increase ISO). It is usually preferable to press on the syringe longer since too large a bore or more pressure can cause the patient discomfort. Translation: Lowering the shutter speed is better since it can be hard to get all of a scene in focus using a larger aperture and higher ISO will lead to a noisier image. It's also best to keep the patient calm and hold their arm while trying to find a vein. Translation: For anything over a half second, a steady tripod is your biggest asset.

lol. I love that you went with me on this. I'm making index cards for Tahiti and night time scenes in general. With my "number" issue, I have to have it in front of me. But thanks for going with it. It makes sense.

 

 

 

Try this: put the camera in manual mode and pick a middle of the road aperature like f/5.6 or f/8. Stick with ISO100 OR 200 to keep noise at bay. Bang! Two variables out of the mix. Focus manually since autofocus can get dodgy at low EVs and take the same scene several times, lowering the shutter speed each time. Don't be afraid to overexpose, my camera's metering told me 1s on this shot and I ended up at 3s:

 

(You can tell I used the "rail-pod :D)

 

Check the result after each exposure and learn from it!

 

 

I didn't think about taking the auto focus off. But I used a tripod for all photos. I was trying to eliminate as much user error as possible.

 

"/" is a system reserved symbol for a unix directory level or an internet address. "\" is the DOS/Windows version of the directory indicator. For that reason, you can't use them in a file name. You and others here are getting pretty savvy about uploading and such...you may want to try out a PBase account. You can try it for free and it's still only $23 per year for 500MB with no ads and a lot of control over how things are displayed. (You can use "/" and "\" in captions since it not part of an address).

 

The street scene came out with no blurring and the exposure was pretty good. Keep in mind that you don't have control over everything. If the wind is blowing, buildings will be sharp, but leaves and flowers will blur. It may look like a focus issue, but you can tell the difference bu looking at all of the image and checking stationary objects. Another trick to stabilize a lighter tripod is to hang something heavy on it (my camera bag comes to mind :o ).

I wasn't completely disappointed on the street scene or the one scene with the outside light at the townhomes entrance. It was the wide horizon scenes that ticked me off. lol. But another thought I had was, did my camera know what to focus on? Meaning, I had the horizon in there, the lights, the cars came by. Hmmm.

 

Keep it up! you're putting a lot of work into this and practice is the best way to "get it".

 

Being a perfectionist is an affliction that can be cured easily...have your soul removed and run for office! ;)

That was a good one. Sounds like our Politicians. lol

 

Personally, I'll stay picky for now!

 

Dave

 

P.S. Why is the Rebel staying home on the Tahiti trip?

 

Well. Let me tell you why. lol. When I did Hawaii, I took both. I about went nuts. I love the Rebel but it's not allowed in the water. And I'm diving alot. So I got the Olympus for underwater with ability to do manual settings for other shots. And with the luggage issues these days, it's a concern. Especially since I'm ALREADY having luggage issues. lol. :rolleyes: The Olympus has it's own water proff case that is my carry on. I'm not sure if I should put it in the dive bag and let it on the plane. I'll see when I pack. I may change my mine:eek: My roommates will kill me so if I never make it back here after October, you know why......lol

But seriously Dave, thanks for doing this. These classes. When I was out last night, it made me think about what I wanted from the shot, how to work to try to get it. The folks walking thought I was crazy but what's new. lol