Night photography settings

matthew mcdonald · #1 23rd June 2008, 07:29 PM

I am quickly heading out to Richmond to see my first C-5 and was wondering what are the best settings to use on an EOS 350D Canon to get half decent shots at night.

Any quick reply's would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tim Bowrey · #2 23rd June 2008, 07:35 PM

Just have a play round Matthew. Set your tripod up and mess around with the exposure times and see what comes out the best. Best thing about digital cameras over film

Have a good one mate! Hope you enjoy it.

Tim

Erik H. Bakke · #3 23rd June 2008, 08:33 PM

Unless Canon has changed their optics much in the last couple of years, long exposure times at night give you some wonderful star-shaped flares around lightsources.

Depending on the composition of your photo, getting those flares just right can add a lot to your photo.

But as mentioned above, if your subject is stationery, you have time to experiment with different settings.

Stephen Brown · #4 23rd June 2008, 09:23 PM

Taking photos at night of a military base...

Good luck on that one. I hope you make friends quickly

Greg McDonald · #5 24th June 2008, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Brown

Taking photos at night of a military base...

Good luck on that one. I hope you make friends quickly

Dear me Stephen...where's your sense of adventure??

Stephen Brown · #6 24th June 2008, 09:06 AM

I think the sense of adventure would disappear when the Alsatians were let off the chain....

Adrian B · #7 24th June 2008, 09:07 AM

sik *****..

Greg McDonald · #8 24th June 2008, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Brown

I think the sense of adventure would disappear when the Alsatians were let off the chain....

Thats ok...they're inside the fence

I must have been to both Richmond and Williamtown a few hundred times now openly taking photographs and only ever been asked once what I was doing. Even then the guard was only interested in the camera I was useing as he was about to buy a DSLR himself!!

Jason Mac · #9 24th June 2008, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Brown

I think the sense of adventure would disappear when the Alsatians were let off the chain....

I dont think the Alsatians could jump the 12 foot cyclone fence.

Grahame Hutchison · #10 24th June 2008, 08:16 PM

Matthew,

Try something like F8 for about 1 to 4 seconds depending on the amount of lighting around. The Nikon D300 has a "Long Exposure Noise Reduction" setting that might be worth playing with if there is a Canon equivalent, although it is normally for much longer exposure settings.

I would also use the timer to take the shot so your hands do not move the camera at all.