Night Photography - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

08/08/2004 10:51:41 AM · #1

Hi all, I am going to be traveling to Las Vegas next week and I want to take some night time shots of all the lights on the strip as well as some shots of the fountains at the Belagio Hotel. Any tips would be most appreciated.
dc

Flash

Nikon D700

08/08/2004 10:54:09 AM · #2

Start w/ a good tripod.
Then a fast lense.

Enjoy. Great town.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

08/08/2004 10:56:14 AM · #3

Thanks flash. I will be taking my tripod, but I dont have as fast a lense as I would like. I may have to do the old clock and bulb technique.
dc

ButterflySis

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/08/2004 11:25:55 AM · #4

Low ISO is helpful too.

Flash

Nikon D700

08/08/2004 11:38:32 AM · #5

Damon,

I've looked at your portfolio and clearly you know how to shoot pictures. A fast lense that has made appearances in other threads recently is the 50mm. For a hundred bucks you can get a f/1.8 and for around 300 you can get a f/1.4 (Nikkors of course). If you do not have one, it would make a very worthwhile addition to your arsenal. I have shot inside bowling alleys with just lane lights on and ISO400. Great colors. With the wattage on the strip, it will approximate sunset. Gorgeous.

Enjoy.

mirdonamy

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/08/2004 12:52:48 PM · #6

//www.lostamerica.com get inspired!!! Troy always inspires me!

skylen

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

08/08/2004 01:13:20 PM · #7

I love night photography but don't find the need for fast lenses for most shots. Long exposures at low ISOs is what it's all about. Experiment with different apertures. Small apertures (around f/22) will have interesting star-shaped points on bright lights in the scene (this is the light reflecting off the aperture blades in the lens), which large apertures (f/4 or so) will have rounder smoother lights.

Mainly just use a tripod, use the self timer or cable release, bracket the exposures and use the histogram! Because the LCD is deceptively bright when you're shooting in the dark... you'll find some of the shots are underexposed when you get home and load them on the computer if you're not careful.

Play with the white balance too, tungsten gives a cooler feel that is usually slightly more natural feeling than daylight balance which will be much warmer and oranger (new word I made up).

And have FUN. 8-)

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

08/08/2004 01:13:23 PM · #8

A tripod is definitely a useful tool for low light photography.

The 'fast lens' concept is one that makes me think though... An f/1.8 lens will definitely allow a faster shutter speed by opening up the aperture all the way. In low light photography, are there never any considerations of depth of field? We can certainly shoot at f/1.8 and get a faster shutter speed to help stop motion. At the same time, we sacrifice depth of field in the shot.

When I think about night shots, especially in downtown Las Vegas, I think about movement, lights, and everything else associated with the hustle and bustle of sin city :) I think a good amount of motion blur of people moving within the frame can add a nice quality to this theme. It also makes the people in the photo unidentifiable, which is a good thing also.

When I find myself shooting in low light, there are a couple things that are usually constant. 1 - I will be shooting at a high ISO... 800 or 1600 minimum. The area of 'low light' where I can shoot at 100, 200, or 400 simply by using a larger aperture is a very narrow area. I don't find myself working in that situation very often at all. 2 - I will be using a -1EV. Low light and darker scenes automatically get over exposed by your camera by about one stop, if not more. Using the -1EV automatically makes my shutter speed twice as fast as it would be otherwise, and it's not underexposing the photo.

My advice to you is to simply experiment with what you have. When you are working with the lights at night, you can meter for those lights and get good hand held shots. Get comfortable with shooting in manual mode. The nice thing about shooting in the Las Vegas environment at night is that the light won't be changing with any significance (not withstainding the fountain photos). Point your camera at the lights in the scene and adjust your exposure for those lights, recompose, and shoot the shot. When you recompose, your meter is going to tell you funny things, because it may not be looking directly at the lights anymore. Give it a try....

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

08/08/2004 04:33:33 PM · #9

I have seen some very cool results with long exposures to get that glow and hustle of vegas, combined with second curtain off camera flash to pop some crisp movment into the foreground. And remember how much the casino operators love having people take pictures inside the caino, they make homland security look like the boy scouts.

RudyC310

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

08/08/2004 04:45:37 PM · #10

I have to say that Vegas night shooting is the best. SO much to see and shoot. Be creative and the good thing about Vegas is the lights are on all night, so there is plenty of time to experiment with shots and get what you are looking for. Shoot different exposures and apertures. Use a tripod and for me finding the shot without the crowd and people was worth it.

08/08/2004 10:11:07 PM · #11

Thank you all who responded to my thread. I was at work and got tied up. By the time I got back to it it was 8 hrs later.

Bad Bad boy entertaining my addiction on work time!!!!
dc

garrywhite2

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/08/2004 10:48:23 PM · #12

Before tonight I had no idea what "second curtain" was. As I was looking for articles on second curtain I came across this story.

Second Curtain Flash

Enjoy. =)

hsteg

Fujifilm X-T20

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

08/08/2004 11:27:11 PM · #13

Originally posted by garrywhite2:

Before tonight I had no idea what "second curtain" was. As I was looking for articles on second curtain I came across this story.

Second Curtain Flash

Enjoy. =)

that was a good story.

Marjo

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/08/2004 11:51:30 PM · #14

yes, it was! Thanks.

08/08/2004 11:54:11 PM · #15

Thanks Gary that article was great!!
dc

Marjo

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

08/09/2004 12:11:26 AM · #16

I was there, too. I only got to spend one evening and we had to cut it short and backtrack because hubby left his cell phone in one ? of the 10 previous places we had been....luckily for us, someone turned it in to "lost and found". Amazing, but true. :) There are good people out there.

Havok

08/10/2004 12:57:29 AM · #17

Sorry to jack this thread, but does anyone know if you're allowed to carry a photo backpack into casinos?

Marjo