When taking night time photos of cities, there are a couple of planning tips you will need to bear in mind before you take any photos:
First, you need a good viewpoint;
Once you have chosen your viewpoint the second thing you will need is either a solid base or a tripod to set your camera on. Viewpoints always depend on what type of shot you are looking for. I will typically try to look for somewhere that is little bit above the ground (a set of steps, for example), but not always. Some times the best photos are those which are taken at ground level.
You need a tripod or solid base because your camera's shutter will be open for several seconds, and you need to make sure the camera doesn't move during those seconds.
You will also need to make sure you secure your camera onto the tripod. If you can't find a solid surface to rest your camera on you can always try propping it up with something like a bag or jumper.
Once your camera is in place, make sure your shutter speed is set to a good few seconds. Start with about 15 seconds.
If your camera doesn't let you control the shutter speed, set it to "night" mode.
You are ready to take your pictures once you have everything arranged (camera on a solid surface and self timer primed).
Before pressing the shutter button you must first observe your scene. Is everything in it that you are hoping for? If you are looking to get streaking headlights do you see any traffic around?
Once you have your scene figured out you can finally press the shutter button.
Your self timer will count down. Special Note! - If you are waiting for something to appear in your scene, you will need to remember that your shutter speed will have to count down first - time for this.
When the shutter clicks, wait. And wait, and wait . . . until it closes again. Remember that this will be a few seconds.
If you don't see the preview right away on the LCD there is no need to worry. Due to the long exposure time digital cameras usually take longer than usual to process the photo.
This is just my opinion, but here are a couple of things that I think make a good night photography shot:
Neon lights Streaks of car headlights and tail lights Available light For all of these you do need to plan a bit in advance. You want to find an area where you can safely photograph neon lights.
Again, you will want to find your solid spot, or put your camera onto a tripod, and then take a few shots. Since neon lights flash you will want to keep the shutter open for a while in order to catch all the flashes.
And for streaks of car headlights and tail lights - find a spot with a lot of traffic.
Try to get something in the background too - streaks of light on their own can be a little boring!
Then take your shot.
One thing to remember is that the longer you keep your shutter open, the more streaks you will capture. Obviously the more traffic you have the more streaks you will have!
The available light also has a part to play in making a good night photography shot.
You will find that there are times when a scene looks its best when you set it amongst inky-black skies. By playing around you will also find that there are times when a little light works best, so photos just prior to dark really sets in are worth a try too.
The best bit of advice is to try both and see which captures the effect you are after best.
You will find that sometimes a 10 second exposure gets the look you are after. Sometimes you may need up to a minute.
If you practice you will soon get a feel for what you will need for any given situation. - 15634
First, you need a good viewpoint;
Once you have chosen your viewpoint the second thing you will need is either a solid base or a tripod to set your camera on. Viewpoints always depend on what type of shot you are looking for. I will typically try to look for somewhere that is little bit above the ground (a set of steps, for example), but not always. Some times the best photos are those which are taken at ground level.
You need a tripod or solid base because your camera's shutter will be open for several seconds, and you need to make sure the camera doesn't move during those seconds.
You will also need to make sure you secure your camera onto the tripod. If you can't find a solid surface to rest your camera on you can always try propping it up with something like a bag or jumper.
Once your camera is in place, make sure your shutter speed is set to a good few seconds. Start with about 15 seconds.
If your camera doesn't let you control the shutter speed, set it to "night" mode.
You are ready to take your pictures once you have everything arranged (camera on a solid surface and self timer primed).
Before pressing the shutter button you must first observe your scene. Is everything in it that you are hoping for? If you are looking to get streaking headlights do you see any traffic around?
Once you have your scene figured out you can finally press the shutter button.
Your self timer will count down. Special Note! - If you are waiting for something to appear in your scene, you will need to remember that your shutter speed will have to count down first - time for this.
When the shutter clicks, wait. And wait, and wait . . . until it closes again. Remember that this will be a few seconds.
If you don't see the preview right away on the LCD there is no need to worry. Due to the long exposure time digital cameras usually take longer than usual to process the photo.
This is just my opinion, but here are a couple of things that I think make a good night photography shot:
Neon lights Streaks of car headlights and tail lights Available light For all of these you do need to plan a bit in advance. You want to find an area where you can safely photograph neon lights.
Again, you will want to find your solid spot, or put your camera onto a tripod, and then take a few shots. Since neon lights flash you will want to keep the shutter open for a while in order to catch all the flashes.
And for streaks of car headlights and tail lights - find a spot with a lot of traffic.
Try to get something in the background too - streaks of light on their own can be a little boring!
Then take your shot.
One thing to remember is that the longer you keep your shutter open, the more streaks you will capture. Obviously the more traffic you have the more streaks you will have!
The available light also has a part to play in making a good night photography shot.
You will find that there are times when a scene looks its best when you set it amongst inky-black skies. By playing around you will also find that there are times when a little light works best, so photos just prior to dark really sets in are worth a try too.
The best bit of advice is to try both and see which captures the effect you are after best.
You will find that sometimes a 10 second exposure gets the look you are after. Sometimes you may need up to a minute.
If you practice you will soon get a feel for what you will need for any given situation. - 15634
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