after dark and night photography
I am finally there, on the move to create pictures after dark and at night. After dark and at night are two entirely different things, but I am not going to get into that now, because the smart person in you can figure that out, but just in case you aren't so quick I may explain that later. I think the secret about shooting after dark is to let the dark meet you on the road. Getting out of your house, and going to some 'exotic' location, after it is already 'pitch black' [nothing to do with the movie] dark is for a particular type of image treatment and you can collect that anytime and almost every time without fail. These images are the easiest to deal with because if you don't get what you think you want, you go back the next night and try it again, not forgetting to use different EV numbers.
I am not a professional photographer [one who does it for pay (sometimes leaving a lot to be desired)] so I use the amateur photographer approach. [a] set camera to automatic, [b] place camera on tripod, [c] select the scene you want to capture, [d] squeeze the shutter button, [e] optionally, view on camera LCD display. For me, this works every time. Of course, I am shooting in RAW because I don't particularly want to come back tomorrow night, for a retake, unless, if it is after a heavy shower of rain, then that is a completely different story and different set of images. I must remind myself next time to shoot some JPEG frames for no good reason at all, but to waste my time. One author says to shoot RAW when you have time to waste and JPEG when you have to deliver work to the client post haste. Since I am on my own time I am shooting RAW.
I ain't come out to teach photography but I can mention a few observations made over the last 40 to 45 years or so. Shooting for slide and negative film is not like shooting for digital film today, but you can use the same historical techniques, if you like. My Canon DSLR has everything built in, but sometimes it is more convenient to just pull the old hardware, like the Minolta Color Meter, and read the color temperature. I could then just plug that number into the camera. If you don't have a separate Color Meter you will have to read the camera manual and set it up. That is way to complicated for me, so Minolta Color Meter, thank GOD I have you.
Then you take exposure meter readings for the scene and compute reciprocity. When the exposures are 20 and 30 minutes long, and longer, you begin to develop an appreciation for real night photography, but you will not settle for just one frame, so three [3] hours later you are still there making images, out of the dark. When you view these images you have no choice but to get hooked on night photography. Some people get so blown away that they turn their back on all other photography. It can be that mind boggling for some of us.
Digital cameras were not expressly designed to include night photography, so in addition to you reading [more like studying] and digesting the camera manual, you have to buy some additional hardware accessories. After you come out of the camera manual with your degree, you are good to go for a night photography challenge, but do carry your manual and flashlight, even though smart you, done practice taking pictures in the dark, all day long in bright sunlight. All this stuff with camera accessories is for the young geeks, but seniors like me and the very ordinary people, just rely on the digital camera electronics for almost perfect after dark and night pictures. And that it can deliver. Just set it and forget it.
After dark shooting begins after the sun drops below the horizon, and the variety of imaging variations are limitless .... actually after dark and before light [sunrise] are probably the best times to create those once in a life-time images, that can really brig out the photographer in you.
I am not a professional photographer [one who does it for pay (sometimes leaving a lot to be desired)] so I use the amateur photographer approach. [a] set camera to automatic, [b] place camera on tripod, [c] select the scene you want to capture, [d] squeeze the shutter button, [e] optionally, view on camera LCD display. For me, this works every time. Of course, I am shooting in RAW because I don't particularly want to come back tomorrow night, for a retake, unless, if it is after a heavy shower of rain, then that is a completely different story and different set of images. I must remind myself next time to shoot some JPEG frames for no good reason at all, but to waste my time. One author says to shoot RAW when you have time to waste and JPEG when you have to deliver work to the client post haste. Since I am on my own time I am shooting RAW.
I ain't come out to teach photography but I can mention a few observations made over the last 40 to 45 years or so. Shooting for slide and negative film is not like shooting for digital film today, but you can use the same historical techniques, if you like. My Canon DSLR has everything built in, but sometimes it is more convenient to just pull the old hardware, like the Minolta Color Meter, and read the color temperature. I could then just plug that number into the camera. If you don't have a separate Color Meter you will have to read the camera manual and set it up. That is way to complicated for me, so Minolta Color Meter, thank GOD I have you.
Then you take exposure meter readings for the scene and compute reciprocity. When the exposures are 20 and 30 minutes long, and longer, you begin to develop an appreciation for real night photography, but you will not settle for just one frame, so three [3] hours later you are still there making images, out of the dark. When you view these images you have no choice but to get hooked on night photography. Some people get so blown away that they turn their back on all other photography. It can be that mind boggling for some of us.
Digital cameras were not expressly designed to include night photography, so in addition to you reading [more like studying] and digesting the camera manual, you have to buy some additional hardware accessories. After you come out of the camera manual with your degree, you are good to go for a night photography challenge, but do carry your manual and flashlight, even though smart you, done practice taking pictures in the dark, all day long in bright sunlight. All this stuff with camera accessories is for the young geeks, but seniors like me and the very ordinary people, just rely on the digital camera electronics for almost perfect after dark and night pictures. And that it can deliver. Just set it and forget it.
After dark shooting begins after the sun drops below the horizon, and the variety of imaging variations are limitless .... actually after dark and before light [sunrise] are probably the best times to create those once in a life-time images, that can really brig out the photographer in you.
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